Kodak V705 Dual Lens Review

This Kodak EasyShare V705 Dual Lens Review is based on a production model. All sample images are unretouched, except where specified.

The Kodak EasyShare V705 Dual Lens is a beautiful compact digital camera with a unique ultra-wide angle lens. Billed as the world's smallest ultra-wide-angle digital camera, it in fact has two quality SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH C-VARIOGON lenses: a regular 39-117mm 3x optical zoom lens, plus an ultra-wide angle 23mm lens perfect for group shots of friends and family members, landscape and real-estate photography.

With the Kodak V705's ultra-wide angle 23mm lens, you can capture wide vistas, plus a unique in-camera panorama stitching requires only 3 pictures for a full 180° coverage. Use 2 or 3 shots stitched together for real estate pictures.

The Kodak V705 is a Point-and-Shoot camera with Auto (Programmed Auto) mode, easy-to-use Scene Modes, and everything designed to make it simple to use. It is similar to the V570 that it replaces, and now sports 7.1MP resolution. Image quality is good to very good.

The Kodak V705 is compact enough to fit in your pocket, though its elongated shape means that it is a bit wider than most digital cameras. Those with large hands would want to try out its small control buttons first. An extra large 2.5 in. LCD monitor with 230,000 pixels high resolution and a wide viewing angle makes viewing pictures easy.

The Kodak V705 is part of Kodak's EasyShare series which makes it simple to produce 4x6 in. borderless prints using the optional Printer Dock Plus Series 3 at a touch of a button. Overall, it is a fun camera and potential purchasers are those who are attracted to its simplicity of use, the ultra-wide-angle coverage for large group shots and easy in-camera panorama stitching for spectacular landscape shots.

Casio Exilim EX-Z100

Casio introduces the new Casio Exilim Z100 just in time for Spring. The Casio Exilim EX-Z100, while naturally offering significant enhancements in function and performance, focuses on style with a new body shape that keeps height to a minimum and exudes a sense of premium design quality. With its newly developed lens, the Casio Z100 camera gives users the freedom to enjoy a range of different photo styles, from wide angle to telephoto. The Casio Exilim EX-Z100 includes a highly visible Super Clear LCD as well as Casio’s AUTO BEST SHOT scene recognition function that automatically chooses an appropriate shooting mode.

The new Casio Z100 also features the Auto Shutter function, which enables users to take the picture just at the moment of a lovely smile or at the instant that hand shake ceases. Using Auto Shutter, the camera automatically detects the right moment and takes the photo. “We are continuously developing new features that take advantage of digital technology, and we introduced the Snap Video mode on our digital cameras. By using Apple’s superior video technology we believe people will find more ways to enjoy Snap Video,” said Susumu Takashima, a managing director and head of digital camera development at Casio Computer Co., Ltd.

The high resolution, 10.1 Megapixel Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z100 features an EXILIM series first - a 4x optical zoom lens that can shoot as wide as 28 mm (equivalent). Also, in addition to the usual recognition technologies, the intelligence of these cameras has been enhanced. They incorporate automatic scene differentiation and allow the shutter to be released automatically, thanks to Casio’s commitment to keep improving the convenience offered by digital cameras.

The Casio Z100 allows zoom photography between 28 mm and 112 mm (35 mm film camera equivalent). This increases photographic enjoyment, from wide angle photography suitable for capturing large subjects or shooting up close in small spaces, right through to telephoto work. The new thinner, smaller body of the Casio Exilim EX-Z100 was made possible without sacrificing high resolution image quality using a newly developed 1/2.3 inch CCD.

Features:

* 10.1 effective Megapixel CCD
* F2.6-5.8, 4X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 28 - 112 mm
* Ultra-compact metal body comes in blue, red, pink, and silver colors
* 2.7″ LCD display with 230k pixels
* Point-and-shoot operation, tons of Best Shot (scene) modes
* Auto Shutter feature waits until your subject is smiling or camera shake stops before taking a photo
* Flash continuous shutter mode takes three flash photos in rapid succession
* Records movies at 848 x 480 or 640 x 480 at 30 fps using H.264 codec; dedicated movie recording button
* Unknown amount of built-in memory + SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus card slot
* Uses NP-40 li-ion battery; battery life numbers not available
* USB 2.0 High Speed supported
* Ships in March for $279

Nikon Coolpix S4

The Coolpix S4 ($400) marks Nikon's return to the swivel-body camera design. Back in the early days of digital photography Nikon had quite a hit on their hands with the Coolpix 900 series cameras, and later the CP4500. That was the last "true" swivel-body Nikon camera, unless you count the ill-fated Coolpix SQ.

While the old Coolpix 900-series and 4500 cameras were aimed toward enthusiasts, the Coolpix S4 takes a different approach. This camera is aimed more toward consumers, with its point and shoot operation, plastic body, and relatively low price. While the older models had more modest zoom lenses, the Coolpix S4 has a whopping 10X zoom.

To say that the ultra zoom field is crowded is an understatement. How does this unique camera compare? Find out now in our review!

What's in the Box?

The Coolpix S4 has a below average bundle. Inside the box you'll find:
The 6.0 Megapixel Nikon Coolpix S4 digital camera
Two AA alkaline batteries
Wrist strap
USB cable
A/V cable
CD-ROM featuring Nikon PictureProject
97 page camera manual (printed)

With their 2005 Coolpix models, Nikon is going the route of so many other camera manufacturers by building flash memory into the camera instead of including a memory card. The Coolpix S4 includes a paltry 13.5MB of internal memory, which holds a grand total of four images at the highest quality setting. That means that a memory card is a required purchase, and I recommend a 256MB or 512MB as a good starter size. The Coolpix can use Secure Digital or MultiMediaCards, and I recommend sticking to the former. A high speed card is not a necessary purchase.

The Coolpix S4 uses two AA batteries for power. Nikon includes two alkaline batteries in the box which will quickly find their way into the trash, so you'll also need to buy a set or two of NiMH batteries (2300 mAh or higher) and a charger in addition to a memory card.
The Nikon Coolpix S4 is a fairly average ultra zoom camera with a most uncommon design. Given the tough competition in the ultra zoom space the S4 has its work cut out for it -- and its feature set and image quality keep it in the middle of the pack.

The Coolpix S4 marks the return of the Nikon's swivel-body design, and I missed it. I owned a Coolpix 950 back in the dark ages, and I became a fan of the swivel-body instantly. It comes in handy when you're shooting over people's heads in front of you, or at ground level for cool shots of your pets or kids. Unfortunately Nikon cut a few corners on the S4, and it's not quite as nice as its predecessors. Build quality is okay in most areas, though the cheesy plastic lens cover leaves much to be desired. In terms of ergonomics I have a few complaints. First, there's absolutely nowhere to put your right thumb, which will end up on that large LCD display -- I hope you like fingerprints! Second, the four-way controller is a little clunky, but that's just my opinion.

While the old swivel-body Coolpixes had manual controls and expandability, the Coolpix S4 is a point-and-shoot camera if there ever was one. It has one manual control -- and it's a useful one -- which is for white balance. Everything else is automatic, and Nikon should be commended for providing tons of scene modes and a help system for menu items. The Best Shot Selector and D-Lighting features are handy, though the latter only increases the noise levels in the S4's already grainy photos. While the camera features a VGA movie mode with a digital image stabilization feature, the frame rate is limited to a choppy 15 frames/second and the video quality is poor.

The S4 features a 6 Megapixel CCD, 10X optical zoom lens (the highest the old swivel-body cameras ever got was 4X), and a 2.5" LCD display. While the LCD is large, its resolution and low light performance leave much to be desired. One thing that unfortunately got axed on the S4 was an optical viewfinder, something that all its predecessors include. The camera has a paltry 13.5MB of on-board memory as well as an SD/MMC memory card slot.

Camera performance was average in all areas except for battery life. There the S4 performed better than average, especially if you put some decent NiMH batteries in it. One area which was a real disappointment was the S4's low light focusing ability: it was pretty awful considering that there's an AF-assist lamp on board.

Photo quality was a mixed bag. While photos were well-exposed, colorful, and low in purple fringing, things were a little too "overprocessed" for my taste, with details looking muddy instead of sharp and clear. Redeye levels were fairly low, which surprised me.

There are a few other things worth pointing out. The camera doesn't support the USB 2.0 High Speed standard, which many other cameras in this class offer. Nikon gives you throwaway batteries with the camera, and I already mentioned the tiny amount of built-in memory. And finally, some manual controls, or at least a slow shutter speed mode (2 seconds isn't very long) would be nice.

Ultimately the Coolpix S4 is an average camera in a sea of excellent ones. It's unique design allows for some creative shooting, and it's a heck of a lot smaller than any other ultra zoom. At the same time, there are better ultra zoom cameras out there, offering manual controls, image stabilization, expandability, and more. For those who value the S4's form over its features, it's worth a look.

Canon IXUS

Open your wallet, take out a credit card.. No, I'm not going to ask you to order one just yet, that credit card is the same size as the front of the Digital IXUS. Small? You bet. This is truly the smallest digicam I've ever reviewed and weighs in as the smallest 2.1mp digital camera on the market.

But is small good? Well, it's eminently pocketable yet with a steel case, flat front and automatic lens cover you'll not worry too much about how you handle it. What does this mean? It means you're more likely to take the camera out with you and get "that shot".

One slight confusion has been the naming convention, put simply this camera is called the PowerShot S100 Digital Elph in the USA & Canada, the Digital IXUS in Europe / SE Asia and Ixy Digital in Japan. For simplicity in this review I'll refer to it as the Digital IXUS.

Canon have used an almost identically designed and sized case since the A5 , A5 zoom, A50, S10 and S20 (all pictured above). The break with that design has now come with the Digital IXUS as Canon begin to merge the distinction between traditional photography products and digital products.
Here you can see from where the Digital IXUS gets its design points, with the same stainless steel exterior, very similar design points and some "borrowed items" (spot the zoom control and flash unit). Canon are making a strong statement with this camera, and it's all about where it sees the digital market in a few years time, see this as one of the first steps. This, and the EOS-D30.