Why You Can Trust CNET Kodak EasyShare V530 review: Kodak Easyshare V530
Kodak's V530 will please those after a fashionable and functional compact for everyday use.
Kodak presents the EasyShare V530 as part of the stylish V-series, along with the EasyShare V550. Both models feature identical technical specifications -- the V530 is slightly smaller, with a 2-inch LCD compared to the V550's 2.5-inch display -- but the V530 is available in 4 fashionable colours.
Kodak EasyShare V530
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Design
Our review unit was "Absolute Pink" and we excitedly anticipated a vibrant, vivacious shade of magenta. Upon arrival however, we were presented with a much softer, almost pastel metallic pink. So maybe the colour is more subdued than we expected, but it is still a very attractive camera, and a lot more eye-catching than the usual plain offerings. The V530 is also available in Red Shimmer, Midnight Black and Silver Essence.
Encased in brushed metal and accented with a shiny silver band around the body, this Kodak snapshot stands out as much for its looks as for its size. Measuring a tiny 92mm by 50mm by 22mm, the V530 isn't the slimmest compact on the market, but it is incredibly small and fits easily in the palm of your hand. Lightweight at 130 grams, it's easy to carry around on the go as you would your iPod or mobile phone.
Controls are well laid-out across the top and back of the V530. Along the top you'll find the power and flash buttons next to the shutter release, and buttons for movie and still modes to the left as well as one for instant access to your favourites. The favourites option is a feature of Kodak's EasyShare system, designed to make sorting those special shots from the more ordinary ones an easier task. On the back is the navigational pad and "menu" button to the left of the LCD as well as a dedicated "delete" button which we found very usefeul -- especially if you don't have a memory card -- because the 16MB internal memory fills up extremely fast! LED indicators for the favourites, still, and movie modes sit above the navigational pad. To the right are buttons to "review" and "share" pictures using the EasyShare system.
Features
The V530 takes advantage of its available real estate with the 2-inch LCD covering a generous amount of the camera back. The high resolution screen (230,000 pixels) is viewable from almost any angle (170 degrees) and can be used to preview a shot -- as can the optical viewfinder -- before instantly sharing the selected image.
As with the V550, you can shoot up to 80 continuous minutes of video with audio. Built-in image stabilisation assists somewhat in preventing shaky or blurred images but you can't move around too much and still expect clear results. It's commonplace these days for digital cameras to offer a selection of scene modes which aid in producing the best possible conditions for your shots. The V530 is no exception, offering 20 different modes for almost every imaginable situation. You can also crop and rotate direct from the camera and shoot in black and white or sepia if you prefer.
We tested the V530 along with the Kodak EasyShare Picture Viewer which allows you to store and view your photographs by simply inserting your SD/MMC card into it. It was nifty to use at home but annoying to have something extra to carry around that was about the same size as the camera, if slimmer. The 2.5-inch screen made a nice improvement from the V530's 2-inch display but not enough for us to deem it a necessity. At AU$199 we wouldn't recommend it unless you're using a camera with a particularly small LCD.
Performance
The 5 megapixel resolution and pro-level 3X optical zoom lens produced pleasing images in a range of conditions (making good use of those scene modes!) and the auto-settings performed well enough that we didn't feel the need to fiddle the manual controls too much.
We were mildly disappointed by the burst mode, which froze a few times amidst a frenzy of frantic whale-watchers trying to capture the sky-hopping mammals. We'd also like to have seen the battery last longer, though understandably a large LCD on a little body eats up a lot of power.
While not outstanding, the EasyShare V530 is a decent snapshot with a multitude of options and controls that will suffice for those after a decent compact for everyday use.