Kodak EasyShare C433 Video Guide
If you have a limited budget with which to buy a digital camera then one model that is available for a low price is the Kodak Easyshare C433. In fact this camera is one of the cheapest you will find from a known brand.
When it comes to features the Easyshare C433 is a fairly basic model as you would expect it to be for its price. The upside of this is that the camera is very simple and therefore easy to use.
For this reason there are few buttons and dials on the camera to get to grips with. On the top of the camera you will find a control dial. This is used to set the camera's mode. This could be take a still photo, shoot a movie, use a special scene mode and place the camera in macro mode for close up photography. There is also a setting to access any favourite photos you have stored. I like the idea of the control dial and I think it helps to make the camera easier to use than other similar cameras.
Headline features include four megapixels and a three times zoom lens. Although four megapixels comes in at the lower end these days it is still plenty if you are only looking to make top quality 6 x 4" prints.
In terms of size the camera is on the large size if you are looking for one to slip into a pocket. In fairness you will need to pay substantially more for a pocket sized model. The camera is 35mm wide. It weighs 170g. This weight is roughly average for this type of camera.
You may find that cameras like the Easyshare C433 are heavier than others when it comes to battery use. Two AA batteries are required to run the camera and Kodak include two to get you started in the box. If you already own some rechargeable batteries this will help to keep running costs to a minimum. If you are considering buying some then look out for ones with a mAh rating of at least 2000 and preferably higher. The higher the rating the longer the batteries will last between charges.
Photos and movie clips can be stored either in the camera's internal memory or on an SD memory card. A memory card is not included in the box because Kodak have built 16mb of memory into the camera. Although this is enough to get you up and running it will not be long before the memory becomes full. Therefore I would suggest picking up a high capacity memory card to go with the camera.
Looking at the features available I think it is a decent list for this type of camera. Menu options include self timer, exposure compensation, setting the resolution, white balance, ISO, focus zone, colour mode, long time exposure, select an album, select image storage, and one to access the setup menu. The set up menu gives you access to settings such as date and time, formatting a memory card and adding a date stamp to your photos.
Taking the price into account there are compromises that need to be made. To be fair there are not many of them, but the biggest one is probably the 1.8" LCD screen on the back. It was not so long ago that 1.5" screens were standard, but even entry level models now tend to have 2.5" screens. The difference is noticeable when you are lining up shots and also reviewing photos you have already taken.
So in a nutshell the Kodak have produced an inexpensive, easy to use camera with the Easyshare C433.
Click here for review: Kodak Easyshare C433 Review
Kodak Easyshare C433 Video Guide - February 2007
