Digital Trends

Kodak V610

April 27th, 2006 | by David Elrich

Performance Cont'd

I took many shots at the Jersey Shore for panoramas and elsewhere to give the camera a workout, all at maximum resolution. For the most part, the results were good especially outdoors. Colors were very accurate and I was happy with the 8.5x11 prints that were the result although detail was lost in the shadows and there was more noise in blue skies than there should have been. I kept the digital zoom off so there was a very noticeable delay as it moved from one lens to another. Even with the digital zoom engaged there was a still a lag. In case you haven't noticed, I found it very annoying. Another complaint is the LCD screen. I did a lot of shooting at the beach and boardwalk in Asbury Park (of Springsteen fame). Trying to line up the panorama edges in the sunshine was almost impossible. Surprisingly there isn't a broad range of LCD brightness boosts (or dims) in the menu system. For a $400-plus camera, this is really inexcusable. 

Another issue is battery life. As LCD screens are getting larger, battery life is going down. In the case of the V610, the supplied lithium-ion battery takes 135 shots per the CIPA rating, hardly a day's outing so be prepared with a charged spare.

Click for a larger image (Warning: Large file size)

Since the V610 has built-in Bluetooth capability, I couldn't resist beaming an image or three to a Kodak Printer Dock Plus Series 3. It's as easy as can be. By hitting the Share button and entering the Bluetooth menu, 4x6 prints were churned out with nary a wire to be seen. This is a very nicely implemented function. After going through the tediousness of setting up a Bluetooth USB adapter on my laptop and PC, I was able to send images to them as well. Now is Bluetooth on a camera God's gift to photographers? Like many theological discussions there's no clear-cut answer. I did like sending images to a printer and a laptop. But is it more convenient than inserting a memory card into either device? Perhaps there's a deeper meaning but I'll leave that to others. Suffice it to say, it's a nice option to have.

A really excellent feature is Kodak's Perfect Touch technology. Basically an “Auto Fix” like that found in digital imaging software programs, this enhances your shots (color, contrast, exposure) with a touch of a button. You can even compare them side-by-side and decide if you want to keep it along with the original. Not that your humble reviewer would ever take a poorly exposed photograph...And if you believe that one I really have an excellent bridge to sell you.

Like all digicams, the V610 takes video clips, in this case 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second. Sound is mono and you can use the zoom while taking videos. Unlike other digicams, there's very little noise from the lens itself. Quality is decent for grabbing a quick clip.