By Martin P. Waterman
Kodak DC 25
From: Kodak Canada
Price: $695
I love cameras. However, I still have a love-hate relationship with anything
computer-related so, naturally, I did not know how I would react to the
Kodak DC-25 digital camera when it arrived.
I opened the box and after glancing at the DC-25's Quick Start card, I had
the batteries installed and was taking pictures in a few minutes. The DC-25
is very intuitive and I was pleased at the ease of operation, which meant
that I could save those much needed brain waves for the accompanying software.
Vern, the cat, was my first subject and after taking a number of photos
of him, I found there was a slight delay between pressing the shutter and
the photo being taken. This made photographing moving objects-like Vern-a
little disorienting. My first shots were of his head and butt. After learning
to anticipate his movements, I was able to take some fairly well-composed
and decent photographs.
One feature that I really liked was the ability to view the shot right after
it's taken through the 1.6-inch color LCD screen on the back of the DC-25.
This allowed me to erase the photos I didn't want. As the memory holds a
maximum of 14 high-resolution photos, you don't want to waste space with
bad shots.
I took the camera with me everywhere for a week. My girlfriend's 13-year-old
daughter fell in love with it and was concocting a number of schemes on
how I might be able to keep the evaluation unit. She shot picture after
picture of herself and her friend, which, unlike with a standard camera,
did not mean spending a great deal of money on film and processing.
However, about 150 shots-most using the flash-later, the batteries gave
out and the party was over. The DC-25 uses two lithium batteries (which
sell at my local camera shop for about $20 a pair but can be found for a
little less at electronics megastores). Kodak does include batteries with
the DC-25.
Putting the images in the computer took only seconds. The camera comes with
a cord to connect to a Mac or a PC for transferring the images into your
computer. You can then view them, rotate them, save them or trash them by
just pointing and clicking. In no time, I had a directory full of "jpg"
images.
Technical stuff
Depending on the resolution (high is 493x373 pixels and standard is
320x240) of the photos, the DC-25 holds 14 or 29 photos in its built-in
memory. I took all my photos with the switch on high resolution. Of course,
if you were taking the camera on vacation where you couldn't easily transfer
the images to your computer, you could shoot at a lower resolution or invest
in extra memory cards. The cards sell for about $135 each, and hold 2 MB
of memory and with its adapter, the card can also be read by any computer
with a PCMCIA card slot. The camera also supports other flash memory cards.
Color is 24-bit, which produces millions of colors.
The lens on the camera does not have to be focused and will take pictures
from 0.5m to infinity. The shutter speed ranges from 1/30th of a second
to 1/4,000th. The aperture range is f/4 to f/11. The built-in sensor on
the flash meant that all my photos were properly exposed. The focal length
of the lens is fixed at 47 mm. It also has a self timer with 10-second delay
for shooting family and group photographs.
With the enclosed cable and the Kodak Picture Easy Software, transferring
and saving your images is easy. Kodak also includes a sample package of
Kodak Inkjet Snapshot Paper. The glossy paper is specially made to give
your printed pictures the glossy finish and the feel of a photograph.
The DC-25 comes with some great software, including Kodak Picture Postcard
Software, which gives users a simple way to share photos over the Net. Add
a message to a selected shot and an email address and send it off. PhotoEnhancer
Special Fun Edition from PictureWorks Technology, Inc. lets you get creative
by using your photos in personalized templates, such as greeting cards and
certificates. Probably the coolest software included is Kai's Power Goo
from MetaTools, Inc. This software lets you stretch, stir or smudge your
photos. Slides & Sound from InMedia Presentations, Inc. lets you create
slide shows complete with captions and with your favorite music.
The DC-25's minimum system requirements are Windows 3.1, a 486-33 MHz, a
CD-ROM drive, and 6 MB RAM. A 24-bit color video card and 30 MB of hard-drive
space are recommended.
Minimum system requirements for Macintosh users are System 7.1, a 68020
or higher processor, and 6 MB of RAM. Again, 30 MB of hard-drive space,
a CD-ROM drive and available serial port and 24 -bit color are recommended.
The verdict
At 270 g (9.5 oz.), the DC-25 is light and easier to carry than standard
camera equipment. However, unless you carry a laptop or invest in some flash
memory cards, you are limited in the number of pictures you can store. With
my regular SLR, I can purchase an unlimited amount of film.
For people who already own good quality, standard camera equipment, a better
investment of the price of the camera and additional flash memory cards
might be a good quality scanner. My 35 mm camera has a zoom and the ability
to use other lenses. The DC-25 uses a fixed wide-angle lens, which makes
it suited for indoor shooting and portraits.
Digital cameras will eventually replace the film camera and, as with most
things electronic, the prices are bound to come down. As well, many of Kodak's
competitors have or are coming out with their own digital cameras. At this
point, if the DC-25 cost less than $400, I'd purchase one in a minute. I
would consider it at $695 if I had a lot of children, as it would certainly
get a great deal of use.
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