Kodak C653 Review

The Kodak EasyShare C653 combines a six megapixel CCD imager and a Kodak-branded 3x optical zoom lens with a fairly standard 36 - 108mm equivalent focal range. For framing images, there's both a 2.4-inch LCD display and a real-image optical viewfinder - an increasingly rare option these days and one that adds a good degree of versatility, letting you get the shot when you can't make out the LCD in bright sunlight, or save battery life by disabling the LCD when accurate framing isn't vital. Images are stored on Secure Digital / MultiMediaCards, or in 32MB of internal memory.

The Kodak C653 has 20 scene modes to help beginners achieve the results they're looking for without the need to understand subtleties like shutter speeds, apertures and the like. The C653 determines exposures with a center-weighted TTL metering system, and offers 2.0EV of exposure compensation in 1/3EV increments. Five white balance settings are available including an auto mode, and ISO sensitivity is controlled automatically or manually, ranging from 80 to 1250. The EasyShare C653 also offers a movie mode, capturing VGA clips at 10 frames-per-second, or QVGA clips at 20 fps, both with audio, in QuickTime MOV format.

Images and movies captured on the Kodak C653 are transferred to your computer over a USB 2.0 Full Speed connection, rather slower than the USB 2.0 High Speed connections offered on many cameras these days. Power comes from two standard AA batteries - either alkaline or lithium disposables, or NiMH rechargeables. List pricing for the Kodak EasyShare C653 is set at US$129.95.