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Kodak DC4800 3.1MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Kodak DC4800 3.1MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

List Price: $549.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The worst Kodak digital camera
Review: A great camera in many areas. It is handy and full of features. However, there are several major problems that makes DC4800 almost unuseable: 1. The flash is so weak that you cannot really use it for good indoor result. 2. Under a good indoor lighting environment,the camera cannot auto focus properly when zoom in. The subjust is always out of focus and the subjusts behind are clear. 3. When adjusting the optical zoom to the telephoto setting, the digital zoom automatically comes on without any warning. The zoom is very annoying to use. 4. The delete pictures function from the software CD does not work properly.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Big Fault in System Specs
Review: Having started using Kodak digital camera since the DC120 was launched I was delighted and ranked Kodak as the best in the field consistently.

However, the recent purchase of DC4800 led to disappointment, as there are two major problems apparently due to the specification error at design stage.

1. Out-of-focus when pictures is taking indoor under normal environment with or without flash. This is due to the new design of the auto-focusing function, which uses a diode (CD) to detect distance and exposure, unlike the previous models that were using Infrared. The CD technology is fine as many SLRs do use diodes to assist AF and Exposure, however, there are faults in the current design that leads to picture taken indoor completely out-of-focus.

2. The software available to be used in the computer for picture handling has a problem with the Delete function, which does not work properly. It works in one instance and fail in another. The software I used is for the Apple Mac G3 computer.

The first problem has resulting the camera unusable in many circumstances and it is a serious fault. Is there anybody out there experience the same problems?

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: poor replacement for the 290
Review: I read with amazement the reviews of the 4800 already posted. I owned all the Kodak digital's starting with the 210 and ending with the 290. I to wanted a digital with 3 plus million pixels of resoulution so I patiently waited for the release of the 4800. What a disappointment it was when the first of three came. Yes I had three and all three were returned due to results mainly but poor design also enetered into the decision. First it is to small, 2nd has a lens cap that cannot be attached to the camera even though it has two holes in the lens cap. Batteries are expensive and don't due any more than the AA Recharable's the 290 used. Flash is a pop up flash which is just one other thing you have to remember to activate if needed instead of being intergrated like the 290 was. But the real bottom line is the results -they are not as good as the 290. I had taken a week before with the 290 pictures of my new car. I took the same picture with the 4800 and then printed both off with the Epson 900. The 290 print was far better than the 4800 and that is not acceptable especially with a 3.1 res. I now own a Epson 3000Z which is built along the lines of an SLR and the results are what I expected from the 4800. The Sierra Image software included is great. Kodak had the best in the 290-all they had to do was improve the 290 with increased resolution and they would have had another winner.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing Performance, Great Value
Review: In short, the camera performs terribly well. It is VERY fast, you can take several pictures in a row before buffer fills, and it is a very simple to use product.

But dont be fooled by its size, this monster has enough manual features to substitute a studio cam.

Camera is very sturdy, comes with everything you need, and in fact includes the great Arcsoft Panorama maker software, which is not mentioned anywhere. It created stunning panoramas and 360 degree views.

Complains: 16Mb is too little RAM. However, camera price is relatively low compared to all other 3 MPX ones.

Would recommend to get the expansion pack with it, which includes an extra battery, charger and a GREAT camera bag with enough space for all cables, accessories, etc.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: advanced point and shoot
Review: This is Kodak's entry into the 3 megapixel market (and some reports indicate that this is the first of Kodak's digital cameras to be designed by Kodak Japan), and considering that Kodak did so well at 2MP with the DC280, one expects a formidable digital camera, and gets it, for the most part. This is my second Kodak digital camera and I've continued to purchase Kodak because with digital cameras the camera is also the film and no one knows how to make film quite like Kodak, a la Kodachrome. The previous DC280 is a point and shoot camera only, and while the DC4800 offers manual control of many functions, it still basicaslly a point and shoot camera - for instance, with the DC4800 no control of focus is possible, and if you want to change shutter speed you have to go through several levels of menu (no less than 10 button presses to get to the shutter speed menu and then as much as another 12 to choose the speed). Hopefully, as the digital era progresses digital cameras will become more like the SLRs of old with manual control of every function and all the controls on the body of the camera, rather then buried deep in menus. (I understand Olympus is about to release its E10 which is like a digital SLR; however the price will be about $2000.)

That given, lets examine the Kodak DC4800.

The positives -

For me, after the 3MP resolution and the 3X lens, what impresses me most about the DC4800 is the high quality, high contrast, high resolution, high brightness backpanel LCD, which is now truly useful, unlike that on the DC280. The backpanel controls have also been improved somewhat with a 4 axis "joy" button. The camera has a strap post on each side of the body so one can use a neckstrap; the wide/telephoto control is a "wiggle" switch under the thumb; and the viewfinder has a diopter control for those of us needing glasses. The DC4800 communicates with the computer through USB only (and unlike the DC280 can be used at the same time as other USB devices) and acts just like a flash card reader appearing to the computer as a external, removable drive, with the fast downloading of a reader. The front of the DC4800 lens is well protected, unlike the DC2800. The manual is typical Kodak well done, but strangely enough, as with the DC280 manual, the markings in the viewfinder are not explained. Exposure after pressing the shutter button in almost instantaneous and despite the larger file size of a 3MP file, saving the the file to the CF is considerably faster that the DC280. Digital zooom is surprisingly good, thanks to the 3MP high density.

The negatives -

I was very surprised to find that the lens barrel appears in the lower right corner of the viewfinder at 28mm; I don't know if this is not unusual for a point and shoot as I've never owned one before, but I come close to finding it unacceptable. The battery situation with the DC4800 is not much improved so far as I can tell, even though the camera uses an expensive (proprietary?) Kodak lithium-ion battery; the user will surely have to invest in a $80 battery and charger kit if extended and away-from-the-home use in anticipated. Like the DC280, the battery cover of the DC4800 can be knocked open by a blow to the bottom of the camera body - those comtemplating active use should secure the battery cover with tape. The DC4800 is supplied with only a 16MB CF card and the buyer can expect to spend an additional $200+ on a large CF card, which along with the $80 extra battery and charger will amount to an additional $300+ investment. The camera acts only as a CF reader and is not TWAIN compliant, which leads to lots of inconveniences in saving files. The backpanel LCD gets dark in sunlight. As with the DC280, the tripod mount is plastic and apparently not intended for serious use.

One additional comment - those buying a digital camera should check back with the manufacturer for updated firmware - in Kodak's case there were lots of early complaints about battery life problems with the DC280 which were largely solved with later firmware.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Camera
Review: Fell in love with a friend's Kodak DC280 and started researching to see which camera would best suit me. Decided it was the DC4800 because of the high 3.1 megapixel resolution. It has performed wonderfully. Installation was extremely smooth and everything works as advertised. Lots of great features. I especially like the compact size and traditional camera looks. A few of the more commonly used settings are accessible without going through a menu (like exposure compensation, and apperture priority settings).

And I use Windows 2000 which the camera works with without exception.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Digital Camera yet!
Review: The picture quality on this camera is one of the best.(3.1 mega pixel) The file sizes are a little large but if you get a 64 or 128 flash card you will have plenty of space. You can set it to emulate 100 200 and 400 film quality. The lintium battery solves all the battery problems that the dc280 and dc290 had. The dc4800 is far more advanced then any other kodak camera. If your main priority is high quality photos this is the camera for you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: great first gen 3MP camera, but it is old now...
Review: I've had this camera for about 3 years now.

Picture quality:
- takes great pictures outdoors, and indoor pictures with adequate lighting.
- flash is not adequate. pictures with flash are horrible. they come out all blurry - the shutter speed isn't fast enough/CCD not good enough (when using auto settings)

Use:
- I like having the ability to change the f-stop setting on the fly with the knob on top of the camera. Sure beats using the menus.
- The battery lasts a long time, but it's always good to have a spare, especially if you use LCD alot.

Construction:
- Solid.
- I've fallen on this thing while skiing (back of case is cracked) and took it with me when I accidentally fell into Lake Tahoe (camera was submerged), but amazingly it still works.

Summary:
I've taken thousands of pictures with the camera. Certainly got good use out of it over the past 3 years.
However, newer cameras have better flash capability and record in video. My friends have the Canon SXXX series. They are 1/2 the size of the Kodak, and perform much better.


Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A good 3.1 megapixel camera, but...
Review: First time it died was just within the one-year warranty, and it died again a year later. I'm sending this $500.00 paperweight to Kodak's Vice President for Customer Relations with a nice note.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Poor Quality and Post-Purchace Support
Review: While the picture quality is quite good with this camera, the shutter delay is quite extreme. The low rating is more a factor of the quality of the camera and the post-purchase customer support. The camera completely stopped working just out of the one-year factory warranty. Kodak has a flat fee of $150 to repair. The camera stopped working once again after the third use, but since it was out of the 30-day repair warranty, Kodak would only offer another $150 repair or an upgrade to one of their other cameras with a trade in. The cost of the upgrade was more than the street price of the camera.


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