Good looker, great performer

In my opinion the Kodak V1073 is one of the best looking cameras in the market, writes Laiq Qureshi.

In my opinion the Kodak V1073 is one of the best looking cameras in the market. And the performance is way better than many of the earlier ones we reviewed, but... there's a but.

Form

The camera has a brushed black finish with a large 3-inch screen. The camera has a minimalist design, chucking redundant keys. Right beside the screen, there're three function keys and a zoom toggle key. The USB interface is proprietary, as always, so you have to carry the cables and connectors at all times and have to buy new ones only from Kodak.

Taking the shot

The camera not only shoots still images in HD, but also videos, all in MPEG-4 format . It's a 10 MP camera, but keeps the optical zoom range to only 3x. It allows HD video at 720p and 1080i resolution. The screen is so reflective that you have to strain hard while shooting in the sun.

The V1073 has a optical image stabiliser that helps get sharper pictures. You can even tag your pictures on the fly, so that you can reach the particular sequence with ease.

The camera has one of the best face detection technologies in the business. Its auto-focus light works brilliantly in
the dark.

In a pitch-dark room, the camera not only managed to get decent detailing, but also managed to focus on anything I wanted. The detailing level, true to Kodak tradition, is low and colours don't stand out like they should.

Features

The touchscreen feature takes one back to the iPhone. You can pretty much do anything, including the flick motion, which allows you to run through pictures in class.

The camera also features a smart mode, which selects the right scene mode for you.

That apart, there is very little you can control in this camera. In the smart mode, you cannot access white balance options. This poses a problem when shooting in artificial fluorescent indoor lighting.

Verdict

The camera is power hungry. One full charge will hardly last 30 pictures, with flash. Without flash,the camera gives about 50 pictures. The camera costs ₹12,000. Except for the battery, the camera is feature-packed, and a great buy.

www.tech2.com/go/34461