Is Kodak a good brand?

[inglishmagor]

I was looking at digital cameras today and liked the kodak z612 for around 279 Canadian dollars. I also liked the kodak z710 but looking at reviews people thought more stuff was put in but less quality was gained, though its price came in at 240ish. The main issue that had me looking at these cameras was they had x12 optical zoom and x10 respectively.

No one seems to mention Kodak in the threads I've looked at, is there a quality reason?

[fionndruinne]

In a word, no it is not a good brand. This is just my opinion, of course, and I don't have a huge amount of experience with Kodak cameras, but the majority of them seem to be very cheaply made. Also, Kodak requires their software to be installed on your computer in order to download pictures from your camera! Don't even think about just copying photos from the camera to a folder on your computer. I would not recommend Kodak. Look into Canon, Olympus or Nikon.

[inglishmagor]

thank you for your response fionndruinne, is there anyone else with insight into Kodak. I'd like to hear at least two more peoples views on kodak before writing them off.

[r3g]

Kodak takes awesome video compared to other P&S camera but all the Kodak cameras Ive used take horrid pictures including my v705 (but i use it for video only so its all good).

[oj88]

For about the same size as the z612, I would recommend the Canon S3IS. Great pictures, 12x optic zoom and excellent videos (640x480@30fps) with stereo sound. In fact, it's even better than my Sony TRV330 Handycam for almost any situation except maybe at night (Sony has nightshot).

One drawback is the 1GB size or 1hr length (whichever comes first) limit on video. But nevertheless, unless you plan to shoot looong videos, this camera is fine.

Check out the S3 thread here to see sample pictures.

[flippedgazelle]

In a word, no it is not a good brand. This is just my opinion, of course, and I don't have a huge amount of experience with Kodak cameras, but the majority of them seem to be very cheaply made. Also, Kodak requires their software to be installed on your computer in order to download pictures from your camera! Don't even think about just copying photos from the camera to a folder on your computer. I would not recommend Kodak. Look into Canon, Olympus or Nikon.

Wow, what an uneducated response...

The Kodak Easyshare software - which I do not like at all - is not required to download photos from the camera. Connect the camera to your PC with a USB cable, and copy the photos - exactly the opposite of what fionndruinne has posted.

As far as Kodak cameras go, IMO many of them are crap, intended for the cheap, bottom-feeder market. There are a few exceptions, however. The C875 is a nifty little point-n-shoot, with manual controls, robust color and a sharp lens. If you can find it on sale for around $150 it's a good buy. It also has an Auto mode that will automatically detect what kind of scene/subject is before it, and make adjustments accordingly - it works pretty well. My one significant compaint about it is that either the noise reduction is sometimes a bit too aggressive, or the file compression is - I'm not sure which is the case. I had purchased a C875 as a complement to my Fuji S6000fd, but found I hardly ever used it and thus sold it (for a profit) on Ebay.

I've read fairly positive things about one of the Kodak superzooms, but I forget which one. You may want to visit the Kodak forums over st Stevesdigicams.com and DPReview.com for more info.

[fionndruinne]

That is not an uneducated response - my friend's Kodak was not recognized automatically by the computer, but required the software for compatibility. Perhaps this has been updated/was an exception to the rule, but it was the case.

[cdifoto]

Kodak is a good brand. They still make quality film at decent prices. Although I do prefer to buy Imported Fuji Superia at B&H, I won't hesitate to get Kodak's B&W C-41 film in a pinch at Wal-Mart.

[fionndruinne]

Heheh... indeed! Some of the best 35mm around is Kodak.

By the way, an interesting bit of trivia: the first DSLR marketed was made by Kodak (wondering if that early 1990's camera outperformed their modern offerings?).

[David Metsky]

That is not an uneducated response - my friend's Kodak was not recognized automatically by the computer, but required the software for compatibility. Perhaps this has been updated/was an exception to the rule, but it was the case.

There are examples of every camera brand at one point or another having trouble connecting to a computer. Regardless, a $10 card reader pretty much eliminates the problem for any camera.