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Kodak EasyShare V1253: Widescreen HD compact

We're in beautiful Barcelona to get our hands on Kodak's EasyShare V1253 camera that not only takes pictures but also shoots HD video

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Richard Trenholm

Ah, Barcelona. City of Gaudi, and the Nou Camp, and paella, and stuff. We would like to be better informed about all matters Barcelonean, but we're a gadget blog, not Judith blinkin' Chalmers.

No, Crave is not interested in seeing the sights of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, not when we could huddle in a hotel basement listening to a presentation by some chaps from Kodak about CMOS sensors and revolutions in inkjet printing. But what's this? A 12-megapixel Kodak EasyShare V1253 to play with? That's more like it.

Click through to check out photos of Kodak's newest EasyShare.

Update: A full review of the V1253 is now available on the site. -Rich Trenholm

The first impression of the V1253 is that it's presented to us in wi-i-i-descreen. Yes, that's wide with 3 'I's. The screen measures a hefty 76mm (3 inches) across, but unusually, it's in 16:9 aspect ratio.

The reason for this crazy aspect ratio? It's not just the Spanish heat making Kodak loco. No, this broad-shouldered bad boy shoots HD video, and it doesn't care who knows. Check out that big blue glowing HD on the top left, signalling that the V1253 manages 720p, 30 frames per second video.

By the way, the V1253 also takes pictures. There's a 3x zoom and 23 scene modes to choose from, plus a rather good 20mm macro function for getting close-ups.