I was shopping for a new digital camera to replace my aging Kodak DX3500. The pictures are top notch at 5 MP. I bought a 1 GB SD card and I can take 650 pictures at 5 MP or 28 minutes and 30 seconds of Full VGA video.

The lack a viewfinder isn't a problem at all. I've found that most viewfinders aren't aligned properly with the lens so your pictures. You end of using the LCD anyways. The only issue is the battery life. 40 pictures and 10 minutes of video ate it up quickly. The high bit rate on the video keeps your videos to 15 minutes per charge.

Looking at the other reviews regarding buying it from Best Buy, from the online store, there is only the pink version. Also, when I bought it from amazon in November, i paid $280. As the price got lower, all I had to do was call and they refunded me the difference. It was so easy! Amazon's customer service is wonderful!

As far as the phone. This is my second EasyShare camera. I love the interface and how easy it is to use. At Christmas, I compared my camera to my cousin's Olympus brand 5MP camera. Her's was so confusing. She thought so, too. And the camera isn't hard on the eyes either. The v530 is easy to use, takes GREAT pictures, and looks sleek. I am not an avid photographer, so the simple stuff makes me happy. This is perfect on the simple, and great on the beyond!

This is a great cam, but PLEASE explore other stores for variation in price. This cam can be found $100+ cheaper here.. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7442868&type=product&id=1124432590540

I got this camera $100 cheaper at Best buy! Do noy get it here, you will be wasting your money.

If you are looking at the Kodak EasyShare V530 5MP Digital Camera, the Kodak Li-Ion Rapid Battery Charger Kit is listed as an accessory for this camera. This charger will not work with the batteries that the Kodak EasyShare V530 5MP Digital Camera uses. This particular camera uses a klik-7200 battery and this charger only works with the 5000 series of batteries.

The camera on the other hand is great! Now I just need to find the correct battery charger.

Please don't purchase a separate power charger for this camera. Its a) not avaialable, b) not necessary. Many users below are finding out that the available separate charger packs are not compatible with this camera. I talked with Kodak, they say a separate charger is not necessary. Just unplug the power cord from the dock and take it with you on the road. The cord will plug into the camera directly. Theres no need to bring the dock station while on a trip, etc. Separate power supplies are avaiable, but its not called a travel charger. Kodak actually did it right and made it easy to take this camera on long trips away from home....nothing extra to buy.

PROS:
-Size: Compact
-Appearance: sharp and sleek looking camera.
-Camera Interface: Simple to operate in auto mode, all the buttons are clearly labeled on the camera.
-Features: The camera has many different modes for taking pictures, yet simple enough to point and shot with also.
Price: Isn't too bad considering you're getting a 5MP & 3X Optical Zoom for your money.
Picture Quality: Excellent quality, even when you use the 3X Optical zooms
Video: Video Quality isn't too bad, it gives you the options. (Consider buying 1GB SD card)

-Installation: V530 has a booklet inside with pockets that contain information that you remove in order to setup and install the camera. (Very user friendly start-up guide)
1. Starting first with a start up guide
2. Installing software
3. Setting up the camera dock
4. Installing the battery
5. Taking pictures
6. Uploading them into the Easy Share program

-Registration: This is done before you install Kodak software, very easy to follow.

CONS:
-EasyShare photo editing software, it reminds me of a prison. Your image can be added into the Kodak program very easily, but it's difficult to extract them out of it.
-Short battery life, but extra batteries for this Kodak model are affordable at $20.00 each.
-Can't transfer pictures out of their software very easily, requires some computer knowledge.

-How to side step Kodak software listed above:
1. Select the custom option to just install the dock and card reading software off of the disk on your system.
2. Click the Easy Share button on the dock pad should bring up a simple generic interface to copy the images into "My Pictures" folder.

Over-all: The V530 seems to be a very user friendly camera that Kodak has created for taking digital pictures. They have provided a good amount of information on their homepage for support, updates and additional products you can add to the easy share series. It was a positive purchase besides trying to figure out how to not use their software for the camera.

pros: this little camera is a wonder to behold! it takes wonderful pictures and like everyone else is saying, it's so easy to use!

cons: you might want to get an extra battery if you use it a lot. also, the software is a little slow-running on my computer. but I have a memory card port on my computer anyway, so I can easily sidestep that problem.

the pros easily outweigh the cons. it's definetly worth the money. :)

I recieved this camera for Christmas...it was broken! Sent it back to receive a new one and got the wrong camera. Sent that one back to receive a new one and AGAIN got the wrong camera! All the paperwork has the correct orders, but whoever they have sending their packages is stupid. After receiving the THIRD incorrect item I was told to either keep that item or receive a full refund and that they were not going to send me the camera I had originally ordered!

I purchased this and and I am impressed by the picture quality from this camera and compactness. It is very easy to use, has simple controls. The dock looks nice on my desk, the black color is way cool (for a conservative guy like me.) It fits nicely in my pocket, has a nice neck strap. It charges fast. The screen is smaller than the newer model, and bright. Simple controls control the shot, and the presets work great. This camera is so simple to use, once installed, you place the camera in the dock, push the computer button, and Kodak software is launched automatically and all new photos are copied to your computer. Red eye reduction feature in the software blows me away, it works so well and at the touch of a button.

This camera takes great pictures and is easier to use than any other digital camera I've seen.

I just got this camera a week ago and I absolutely love it. It is ultra compact and can fit in your pocket or purse. It is easy to use, takes pictures and video (with sound!) quickly and easily and the quality is outstanding. I haven't had any issues yet with the battery use, but will keep that in mind. I haven't thought of a single complaint or disadvantage to using this, except maybe if you have trouble using small buttons it may not be ideal for you as the buttons are quite small. Still they are easier to use than you'd think. If you are looking for a high-quality compact digital for a pretty reasonable price, I highly recommend this one.

This digital camera is an excellent value for the money. It is very compact and well built with an aluminum shell rather than plastic. The buttons are a little small, but they are sturdy and click well. The lcd is big enough for clarity, it is bright and detailed, with very good color fidelity and contrast. The menus are very easy and intuitive to navigate and the amount of buit-in flexible features are amazing. But where this camera really shines is the quality of the pictures. Some people have complained that indoor or lowlight pics come out too dark, I have to disagree with that, I found that pics requiring the flash were bright enough to illuminate all the necessary subject's details. The biggest surprise for me was the excellent video capabilites of this camera. You literally don't need a camcorder anymore. This camera's video quality is comparable to vhs and it is smooth and colorful with a built-in stabilization feature which eliminates any shaky moving images. The sound is also loud and clear and a 1gb card can hold up to about 30 minutes at 640x480 or 60 minutes at 320x240 (at this lower resolution the loss of quality is minor and the image still looks very good). Another thing, you can hook up the camera to a tv or vcr and you can view the pictures or videos on them. the tv image is clear, with excellent color fidelity, brightness and contrast ratio, you can even record the video (and/or just the pictures) on a vhs tape and make your own home movies. I still feel that A regular film camera gives a better more realistic picture than any digital ones, but nevertheless as far as digital goes, this is the one. Whatelse can you expect from a digital camera this small and inexpensive?. Overall: EXCELLENT!

My husband bought this camera for me for Christmas, along with the printer dock. I absolutely love it. I had a Canon Elph (using APS film) before I got this camera, and the Kodak is even smaller (and smaller than the digital Elph). Picture quality is excellent, and the video feature is fun to play around with. The camera itself doesn't have much memory; you will need a memory card. I could take about 13 pictures (at the highest quality) and the camera was full.

Price was also excellent - husband bought the camera and printer dock from Amazon.com for cheaper than what the camera alone cost at any store.

I bought this camara to replace a Sony Cybershot that had an unfortunate accident on an air plane. I just took it on a long weekend, and I love it. It is pretty durable (I took it skiing and ice skating)and had really good photo quality. I also like how you can take the photos in the normal mode and them switch the effect to black and white or sepia in the software program, which is really not that hard to use. Don't forget to buy a media card, because the internal memory only holds 12 pictures.

Very small, sleek design. Crisp pictures. Docking station makes transferring photos to computer easy. Somewhat complicated menu. Must buy a memory card, as it comes with only 8mb of memory. Doesn't use regular AA batteries, but rather a Kodak battery that is expensive to replace.

I love this camera! It takes awesome picutres and is very easy to work. As an eagar customer waiting the arrival of my camera and it finally coming I wanted to play with the camera right away. So I didn't want to go through the direction manule for the camera and I figured it out just fine. All the settings on the camera are very self explainatory. I am very pleased with my purchase.

The video mode on the camera is quite good - better than on any other point and shoots that I know.
First off video records with 640x480 resolution at 30fps - which is a pretty decent resolution - as good as any camera out there, and better than quite a few. Some cameras do offer higher resolution, but at a tradeoff of lower frame-rate, which renders it useless.

The sound quality of the video recordings is also good. Recording at a 16kHz, it's better than most. Subjectively, both bass and high end came through with impressive clarity for gadget like this. Also, very little camera noise comes through in the audio (only if you zoom or refocus).

Finally, the mpeg4 encoding scheme compresses video files to a much smaller size than on most other cameras. At full res with a 1GB memory card, I was able to record more than 25min of video. That's 3 times more than the 8 min capacity offered by most other cameras (also on 1gb card).

My only complaint about the video mode is that it seems like it's impossible to completely disable the auto-focus. So when you move to a new subject, you will often hear a loud click in the audio as the camera re-focuses.

Bottom line is that I wouldn't use this camera for quality photos. But it's great for taking home movie clips, and OK for casual photos. Also, it fits easily in a pocket.

As a teenager with a minimum wage job, the price of this camera was quite daunting, but this camera is well worth the money. The image quality is spectacular, all the images are are sharp and the colours are gorgeous. There's no red-eye issues, fast shutter/lens speed, great videos, this is an all-over marvelous camera. The dock station is sleek and looks nice, it's convienent for charging. The camera is small and can easily fit into your pocket. It has many features, all of which are marvelous. It prints out great quality images. If you get it, make sure to get a memory card with it though.
I highly recommend this camera, it's a great camera for everyone.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! It so easy to use! I love that I can quickly take video of anything and when I get home just upload it to my computer and watch it. I don't even think I'm going to get a video camera right now because I after I get the 1GB memory card I can take 80mins of video. All through this little camera. And of course taking pictures is a snap and the detail in the pics are great. Did I mention I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

This camera is perfect for me. The picture quality is great (when set to the highest sharpness, and 5mp), and I love the video feature. I have really enjoyed taking videos and being able to quickly transfer them to my computer. The dimensions are the same as the mini ipod except for this one is a little thicker. I was able to get a leather ipod mini case (alter it a little with my sewing machine) and voila! The perfect case. I also enjoy the different settings you can put it on: landscape, custom, party, up close, flower, etc. It really makes it easy. Probably the thing I love the most about this camera is how quickly it takes pictures. I have used Canon's before, and they are so slow, but this little thing is a snap. I am really enjoying this camera, and don't regret my purchase at all.

I was very excited to get a compact digital camera and this Kodak fits the bill size wise. The controls are well placed so you don't accidentally push buttons while holding the camera. Display is great and I like the metal shell rather than plastic. I have a more expensive digital camera, but found that I don't use it as often because of the size. This Kodak is perfect to slip into a pocket or purse, however, I'm very disappointed in the quality of the pictures in "low light". I have used other cameras that perform well in the same light conditions without having to use the flash. During an evening outing at Christmas time, we took pictures with an older Sony Cybershot and got great pictures. My new V530 wouldn't even produce an image in the same conditions; the only option would be to use the flash and end up with the typical washed out looking pictures that didn't capture the true look of the shot. The video is fun feature. I find it interesting that the video will capture better images in low light than the still photos. I've resorted to trying to "video" a picture rather than take a still photo. Overall disappointed because I'm not able to get the shots I want about 1/2 of the time because of the low light issue. Great outside during the day and in very bright indoor conditions. Also a little frustrating to have to lug around the camera dock for connection to a computer, but I found that there is an adapter plug available from Kodak to remedy that nuisance.

I've had about seven digital cameras now, and this one is my favorite of the bunch.

Pros:
- Excellent picture quality. In my opinion, Kodaks take the best digital pictures of all point and shoot cameras. Colors are bold and bright, and daytime pictures don't get washed out.
- Very compact size. Sexy and stylish. Fits easily into your jeans pocket.
- Many picture-taking modes for daytime, nighttime, moving objects, close-ups, portraits, etc.
- If you use a desktop computer, the dock comes in handy and provides a convenient place to store the camera and charge it.
- Video quality is superb. By far, the best I've seen on a point-and-shoot camera.

Cons:
- The zoom buttons on the back of the camera, combined with the camera's small size, make it impossible to zoom and take a picture with one hand. I miss the zoom dial on the front, operated with the index finger rather than the thumb, on my older, bulkier Kodak. With this camera, if you zoom, you have to use two hands.
- You have to use the dock, and have it plugged into a wall outlet, to transfer pictures to your computer. I think this is pretty silly. No way to just connect the camera itself to your computer, or to transfer pictures without a wall outlet nearby. This also makes it impossible to charge your camera by plugging it into your computer with the USB cord.
- Speaking of the dock, it's pretty cumbersome if you use a laptop (i.e., if you don't use your computer in the same place all the time).
- Camera can easily get lost because it's so small. I can't find mine right now. I suspect it's in a pocket somewhere.
- No viewfinder. You have to aim your shots using the screen on the back.
- Small buttons on back make for somewhat clumsy navigation.

Overall, I'm happy with this camera. It's a hundred dollars cheaper than the V550, and the only feature difference I can discern is the smaller screen in the back. It takes good pictures. I can't comment on the Kodak software because I use Picasa, which you can download for free and is far superior to anything else on the market. Hope this is helpful; happy shopping!

I got this about two weeks ago and an REALLY pleased with it. Amazingly, it shoots 640x480 video at 30 fps, about 30 minutes on a one gigabyte SD card--and it's smaller than a deck of cards. It takes more than adequate photos, too.

The video feature is really useful to me. In my work, I'm responsible for developing a seven minute video each year, and having the Kodak V530 will enable me to shoot useful footage on the spur of the moment, with pretty good audio to boot. As another reviewer noted, it's about VHS quality. It's definitely not as good as a real videocam--its autofocus makes a sound that sometime can be heard, and it has trouble with changes in light--but it is surprisingly good. For my purposes, the tiny size and ability to shoot useful footage on 5 seconds notice, really spontaneously, is very helpful.

Re photo quality, I've found that iPhoto does a great job on quickly improving the exposure. The flash is a little on the weak side, and I haven't mastered all the different setting options. Too, the detail isn't all that I might have hoped for.

Extra batteries are very cheap on Amazon--got a nonKodak equivalent for about $[...]

So why did I give this 5 stars? Because it is so little, so elegantly designed and nicely built, and so useful and versatile. I don't want to hold it to an unreasonable standard of performance.

Finally, I'll mention that the price dropped $[...]after I bought it, and Amazon promptly credited me with that $16. I'm a happy camper.

I love this camera! The pictures turn out beautiful and so does the video. I am loving the size too. This camera is easy to use also. I am happy with the purchase.

I have a different model Kodak camera, however they all use the same EasyShare software. Running Windows XP, I could not get the software to work properly. After several hours on the phone with Kodak tech support, they couldn't get it working either. They said they are aware of the problem on some computers running Windows XP. It is now several weeks later and they still don't have a fix. They don't really seem to care either.

It might not be a bad idea to consider other brands, instead of Kodak. Since, if the software won't work properly, then what good is the camera?

This has to be the best Camera there is. I been waiting for it to arrive in the mail. I finally got it and it works just fine. I really enjoy the video feature on the camera. Whening useing video you can zoom in and out. Not many other cameras can do that. I gave this Camera 5 stars, because it is the best.

Last week I sold my Canon S230 camera (similar to SD200), which served me well for about 3 years, and was looking for a replacement. The following criteria were most important to me: price, quality, and reliability. Now, before I start reviewing this camera, I want to mention that I have some professional photography experience. I used to work for Kodak for a couple of years in Professional Digital Imaging department, doing some software testing. I don't consider myself to be a Pro, but I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to cameras, and digital cameras/photography in particular. Having said that, I never had a Kodak camera before, and I thought I'd give a try. Was that a mistake! Here is why:

The Good:
Design - This was probably one of the reasons why I bought this camera in the first place - it's cool looking design. Very sleek. Very compact. Very attractive.

Price - Another good thing about this camera is its price. I picked it up at Walmart for [...] Not a bad deal, considering you are buying a 5MP digital camera by a well known brand.

The Bad:
Picture Quality - To simply put it - it sucks! Yes, you heard me. I am not sure how people get quality pictures with this camera. Tweaking different parameters, changing modes, etc. did not help one bit. I was very disappointed, especially after reading numerous positive reviews.

Flash - Weak. Very weak. You have to be very close to the object to get any use out of the flash on this camera.

Software - Why in the world would I need so much junk on my computer?! All I want is to just transfer my pictures from camera onto my computer. That's it. Plain and simple. But no, Kodak wants you to install their software, that is not only takes up a lot of space and pretty much useless, but also is full of bugs.

The Ugly:
Battery Life - In one word - horrible!!! I think it took about half an hour of taking pictures/playing with the camera, for a red warning light to appear. If for some strange reason you are still thinking about buying this camera, do yourself a huge favor and get a backup battery.

Modes/Parameters - I've saved the "best" for last. This camera is supposed to be a P&S (point and shoot) type of camera. Well, since the default settings did not produce a good quality picture, I started "playing" with various modes, i.e. ISO, resolution, etc. Imagine my surprise when I realized that once the camera is turned off, and then turned on again, it looses all of your manual settings and changes everything back to default. What a piece of junk! Amazing. No other camera that I know of does that. Junk!!!

Summary:
It might seem like a good choice, especially considering the price, but unfortunately it lacks performance. I strongly recommend to stay away from this camera.

Now, if you are still reading this, I have a few suggestions:

Like I mentioned before, I was looking for a good replacement to my Canon. I didn't want to buy another Canon, because I think they are overrated and overpriced. I like Sony - I think their video equipment is one of the best on the market, but unfortunately the same doesn't apply to their digital cameras. So, using specific parameters/criteria I've narrowed down my search to a few brands/models: Kodak V530/V550, Panasonic FX8/FX9, and Casio S600/Z600/Z60 (I was also looking at Z750 and Z850). Kodak turned out to be a waste of my time - two days after I bought it, I took it back to Walmart (thanks to their great return policy - no restocking fees or anything else). I am not even going to try V550, because it's basically the same as V530, with a bigger LCD (display), and an optical viewfinder (the little peephole that you are looking through when you take a shot). I wish I could try Panasonic, since it uses Leica lenses, which supposed to be the best of the best. Unfortunately, none of the local stores carry those models, and I didn't want to buy it online, since there are always restocking fees (if you don't like it and want to return it, the company will charge you anything from 10% to 20% for an open box). So, I went back to Walmart to see what else they've got. That's how I discovered Casio Exilim EX-Z60, which is a newly released camera, an alternative to their Z600 model. To make a long story short, I am now a Casio fan! I've tried the Z60 (please, read my review which is coming shortly), and after doing some research, comparison, and analysis, I've decided to buy myself a Z600 (I will explain in my review all the details). I hope my review(s) was helpful in your camera buying decisions.

I was looking for a backup point and shoot camera to my Nikon D50 and came across this fantastic little camera. Although I got it for a steal from Office Depot for [...], the average retail price is still quite a bargain. The quality of the photos are fantastic. The only gripes that I have are :that the flash is somewhat weak and that some of the custom steeings are lost after powering the camera off. I've heard a lot of negative things about the low battery life, which I'm sure are true. Since I'm using this camera as a backup to my digital SLR , I usually don't use it for long periods of time. This is the perfect camera to slip into your pocket/purse. Did I mention that it is solid as a rock- nothing plasticy about this baby ?! I can't wait to print out some of the photos that I have taken. I have some pictures from a Kodak Easyshare Z740 and the printed pictures look much better than they do on my computer monitor. I'll post some pictures soon !

I really love this camera. It is so incredibly simple to use and takes excellent videos and pictures. HOWEVER BEWARE. I returned the camera because it doesn't have a view finder and you must solely rely on the LCD panel. Outdoors in bright sunlight, you cannot see the panel so you virtually can't use it outdoors in sunlight ... Also, because you must always have the LCD panel on, the battery life isn't good. Even though I had the camera too long to return for a full refund, our friends at Amazon's Customer Service helped me out tremendously!! So I am in the processing of returning the camera and will be purchasing from AMAZON a Kodak Easy Share V550. The V550 has a view finder!!! Thanks AMAZON. You're online shopping has saved me so much time, is so simple to use and your Customer Service is 2nd to none.

A few months ago I purchased the Kodak V530 after doing thorough research on the web. The price point for the features and perfomance of the camera cannot be beat.

I took this camera earlier this month on a 16 day cruise across the Atlantic and on to a land tour of France, England and Scotland.

In Scotland I slipped into some rapids and was thrust over a small waterfall,etc. The Kodak V530 was in my shirt pocket and underwater (rushing water I might add) for about ten minutes. I was clinging for dear life with the only handhold and foothold I could find which both happend to be for my left hand and foot. As I was waiting for help I rememberd my camera and reached with my free hand to pull it out from underwater and threw it to someone on shore.

I really had no hope for the camera but was hoping to salvage my 1 gig secure digital card with over 400 photos from my trip.

Unbelievably after drying out all day and then me running the hair dryer over it for five minutes or so back at the hotel the Kodak V530 came back to life and has worked as good as new since then. Now it may prematurely rust or something but right now it is what I consider the miracle camera. The only thing I had done was to almost immediately take the battery and SD card out to dry seperately.

As far as performance goes from a cold start to taking your first pic the camera will come on and the lens extend all in about two seconds! Shutter lag is almost zero and the menu is the easiest of any digital camera I have ever used.

I love this camera!!!

I had this camera for less than 3 months when the lens got stuck out and the camera was broken. There was absolutely no negative treatment to this camera. It was in perfect condition. This happened to my older Kodak, except that one was about 2 years old.

Besides this, the camera is amazing. The picture quality is great and it has great features. My favorite of all features is that the camera produces stills of your video footage. This is especially useful for concerts where pictures come out all blurry and dark. In the stills, the picture quality is perfect. The only thing is that the stills are small since there's like 9 to a page for every video that you take. Great feature though. I loved this camera while I had it. But I decided to stop buying Kodak after the lens thing happened for the second time and went with Canon.

The fact that the only way to charge the battery is by placing the camera in the cradle/docking station is a real pain. Otherwise this camera looks to be good. I just got my V530 and shot a bunch of pictures in different modes and resolutions and the are all acceptible to good quality -- for the price of the camera I am happy with the results. The menus are a little non-intuitive to navigate but not a big deal once you get the hang of this camera. Since I intend to travel with this camera and do not want to lug the cradle/docking station I purchased an after market charger from Kodak, the K7500-C BATTERY CHARGER KIT, about $35 plus shipping. This is a neat unit that accomodates the battery to be charged and plugs in, entire unit, into the wall outlet (very much like you would plug in a shaver for charging). This charger is also universal voltage that can adapt to many outlet shapes in use worldwide. You can also adapt the unit to plug into a car outlet for charging on the road, a real neat feature. Since I am generally paranoid about installing any software other than that which I absolutely need, I did not bother installing any of the Kodak software since I use a stand alone memory card reader that I have attached to my laptop. So all I need to do is pop the card out of the camera, plug it into my reader to copy the pictures. Then I place the card back into the camera and do a Format so that I have a "fresh" card. I am using a 512mb card (Kingston, generic SD card) which works great. Because of the K7500-C and my laptop's built-in SD card reader, I have no use for the cradle/docking station, but hang on to it anyway since that cradle's USB port may be the only route to upgrade the camera's firmware should the need ever arise. I'll try to post an update to this once I get some more experience with my V530.

I purchased this with my own money I receieved. It is probably the BEST thing I have ever invested in. This is camera is lightweight, easy to use (very), and has a stylish design. The shutter speed is fast and if you already own this camera, here's a tip-once you take a picture, you can press either the arrow buttons or the shutter to get back to the picture mode. The only cons I would say is a) if you set a setting, once you turn your camera off and then back on, it doesn't save the setting and b) the indoor pictures aren't great...
My friend is plannig on buying the same one--Overall, I reccomend this to anyone looking for a great camera for a cheap price!!!

After three years, I was forced to replace my old Kodak camera, which had died, with this V530. The V530 takes far superior pictures, and the video is great quality for the size of the camera. The device is compact for easy carrying. However, within four weeks of having it, it just randomly died. I sent it in for warranty work, which took SIX WEEKS to get back because they forgot to send the camera back to me. I've had the camera back for a mere two weeks now, and it has now died AGAIN for no apparent reason. This camera is completely worthless.

This is really a nice little camera, its small size and quick powerup make it great for everyday carrying in your pocket. I took thousands of photos with mine and was very happy with the photo quality. But one day it wouldn't power up, and since it was still under warranty I sent it back to Kodak for repair. Well, not Kodak exactly, but they use an outfit called Precision Camera so they can keep their own hands clean. Precision claimed it was unrepairable, that the warranty was void, and then they offered to sell me a refurbished one for $[...]! I contacted them, they said I would have to contac t Kodak, Kokak then said I would have to deal with Precision - you get the picture (no pun intended). I wish I would have done more thorough research before buying a Kodak, it looks like this is a pattern with them on a number of models. Camera dies, they refuse to honor the warranty but try to sell you a refurb. Very shady. Too bad, Kodak used to be a respected name. Anyway, this is actually a nice little camera that may turn into a pumpkin before the ball is even over. Buy at your own risk, literally.

This camera is so cool. The pictures come out beautiful and the video on the camera is great as well. I hesitated getting this model and was going to get the v550 but all that has is a bigger screen and a viewfinder which i dont really need plus its like fifty bucks more. Im glade I went with the less expensive one. Hats off to kodak for making such an awesome affordable camera that takes great pictures and video. As far as the battery goes it does last a while a lot more then what people here lead you to believe but it still falls short from other cameras but the amazing features make up for it. I espeically like the party mode because it helps to take great pictures indoors with little to no light present. I reccomend anyone getting this camera you wont be disappointed.

This is the best digital camera I have had. I've owned 3 so far and have been extremely pleased with this Kodak Easyshare. Four things I love about it: (1) it takes great, crisp photos; (2) it is small enough to fit comfortably into a pocket; (3) it is easy to use with many handy features; and (4) it takes photos quickly upon being turned on. I noticed these four things the most because the other cameras I've owned lacked these qualities and I became frustrated. I'm not an expert camera-user, so the technical features are not so important to me, but as a recreational photo-snapper, I would definitely recommend this camera -- especially for the price of under $200!

The camera is great! I got it for my girlfriend and she loves it! I wish I had one. The camera has many unique features that are useful and cool. Anyone who buys this camera is getting a hell of a deal!

This is a great camera. As a birthday present for my 12 daughter she loved this camera including the parents! Such a great camera. Takes awesome pictures, the video unbelivable! I took about 8 mins of video and still has about 180 pictures to go in 5.0 pixel setting. For the price of $155 on one of the warehouse store you cant beat it. I was actually looking to buy S80 canon but you know what, I'll settle for this amazing camera. Overall, Great pictures, easy download to computer, handly lil camera with easy photo shoot capabilities. The negative? well, buttons are small and i do have small fingers. The cradle input pins are fragile could possibly easy to bend. Thats about it. Highly recommended. Buy and try it. Youll like it!

The camera arrived a day early and in perfect condition. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend the seller to potential buyers.

I love how small this camera is. It fits in a dress bag neatly. It takes really good pictures. Read the manual as it will assist you in taking better quality pictures. The easy share software is a bit of a lesson. Be sure to also save pictures on your hard drive, so you can freely share without using the Kodak's program.

This camera is cute, compact, easy to operate without a manual and has great video quality, but...I am disapointed with picture quality. I would like to buy another pocket digital camera, but to be honest...ALL 3 TIMES OPTIACAL ZOOM cameras are bad. I've tried a sony, a nikon, a canon, a casio, a pentax...none have picture quality. I am a very picky person when it comes to quality. Pictures are memories of ones lives...we need better quality photos. Why can't camera manufactures start working on improving the optical zooms on these pocket cameras? THIS...THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. In case you didn't realize what the difference between and optical and a digital zoom is...is the optical zoom is the closest comparison to a human eye. Digital is tiny parts that make up a picutre. Like a pixel.
First the optical kicks in and then the digital. Digital distorts an image that is already been streched by the optical zoom. You should always look for a high optical camera when buying one. I have a Nikon Coolpix 8700 that has an 8x optical zoom. My pictures are very good. They sell them up to 12 x optical to retailers. Of course..you pay big dollars for this..But. Man. What wonderful quality. Of course the CCD adds alot as well.
But back to the KODAK V530. I give it an 8 out of 10. The macro is good. Just don't hold it too close to your macro subject. Hold it steady and use auto flash and your picture should be good.
Telephoto is grainy! I dont like the telephoto on this camera.
That is my disapointment. You need that killer optical zoom for telephoto shots.
LETS COMPLAIN TO THE MANUFACUTUERS...MAKE BETTER OPTICAL ZOOM POCKET CAMERAS....AT LEAST A 6 TIMES.
PS...THERE IS NO VIEW FINDER ON THIS KODAK CAMERA. I NEVER USE ONE ANYWAY BUT...YOU MAY LIKE A FEATURE LIKE THAT ON A CAMERA.

I bought this camera in July 2006 at Wal-Mart for $149, but I had to call 20 Wal-Marts before finding a store that said they had it in black. I was told it was because Kodak was going to quit making this model, which is a shame.

Pros- It takes great pictures, and it is very compact and stylish (I made a case for mine out of a hard-cased band-aid box because it is that small!); I always get compliments on how great it looks. I hadn't considered a kodak before due to the cheap feeling of the outside, but this one broke the mold with style and image quality. The lcd is big enough and its crystal clear. It also has a neat feature that will brighten or darken the picture without having to go through a bunch of menus. The video feature is handy, although I'm not sure I'm too crazy about the fact that it gives you the stills with it. The dock that comes with it is a great way to display it, but seems to be a double edged sword (I'll come back to this).

Cons- the "OK" button is definately too small, as i have small hands and still have to use my nail to press it. Occasionaly indoor pictures turn out a little dark, probably because the flash is right where your hand would normally sit. The battery life is nothing to write home about, but its satisfactory. The dock that comes with it looks nice but it really is not practical as far as transfering pictures because you have to have it plugged in to an outlet and into the computer to transfer pictures, but it is bearable. It came with a neck strap vs. a wrist strap, but thats just personal preference. You can't use the favorite feature without using kodak easyshare software, which is really annoying. These are just a couple of small things that are trivial, as only one thing about this camera really makes me upset- the video records in MOV. This means it will only play in apple quicktime and is not compatible with Windows Media Player or Windows Movie Maker unless you use a converter, which is really unneccesary. Kodak should've thought that one through a little more.

Overall I would not hesitate in recommending this camera, and would strongly suggest the black if you are considering it. This camera is worth every bit that I payed for it, and more. If I had the choice to do it over again, I would.

Excellent camera! Very nice pictures at large sizes. Camera is small and easy to carry. Camera is very sturdy. Has lots of easy to use features which are selected by icon and text. Only problem is the LCD (settings icon and view finder) is very difficult to see in bright light. At a recent skydiving event, I could not adjust the camera, nor could I see where the camera was aimed.

I bought another one of these after my 1st one was stolen. The 2nd camera's software nearly crashed my pc. I'm not a pc novice and researched the problem for hours on the web and on Kodak's site all the while installing, uninstalling,and downloading directly from Kodak. Finally, when I decided the camera must be faulty, I decided to try one of several other picture programs I have on my pc. They worked wonderfully. Good luck with getting "EasyShare" software to work.

easy to use, takes nice pictures, overall its a good compact camera for the price, just hoping it will not break as I have seen happen to two poeple I know that bought kodak cameras

I bought this camera a month ago.

PROS:
-SD memory (compatible almost everywhere)
-2" screen
-Great pictures
-Really cool style, non-scratch desing
-Easy to use menu
-Lots of default scenarios
-170° display
-Fits in your shirt pocket
-Very good price


CONS:
-Poor battery life
-If you want to use the AV/OUT you have to use the dock, or buy the accesory.
-Use the dock to upload your pics (I bought an SD memory reader/writer)
-Not very powerfull flash
-Navigation button on the left side (It is difficult to use it for right handed people)

After a number of years of using a very expensive full-size digital camera, I wanted something small and compact. I read through a number of reviews and decided on the Kodak V530. I wasn't disappointed. This camera takes superb pictures. I use a 1gig SD card and, with the settings on optimum image quality, I'm able to take almost 700 pictures. The controls on this camera are easy to use and the menus are fairly straight-forward. The camera doesn't require the installation of the EasyShare software which I found disappointing (the website requires friends/family to sign-up in order to view shared photos and the shared images are not easily downloaded). To remedy the problem I have with the EasyShare software, I use Flickr for sharing with friends and family. With the exception of the mundane software, based on both price and quality, the V530 is a great little camera capable of taking excellent images and comes with a stand and recharger that make it far superior to similar products.

The camera takes great pictures but I cannot see the screen to take a picture when I am outdoors. There is too much reflection.

A view finder would be a great addition. I am giving the camera to my son and I bought a new camera with a view finder.

I bought this camera in November of '05 for the approaching holiday season. In the beginning I LOVED it. It was small, took good pictures and handled well. As time went on it developed some minor issues. At times when I would turn it off, the lens would not retract completely. I just brushed it off as being typical electronic malfunction. This was until it completely stopped working this summer. At first the lens would not retract at all and then the camera would power on and off right away. I sent it in, as it was under warranty, thankfully the repair was covered and I received it back with the minor glitch of the lens still not retracting properly. I chalked up to be wear and tear and continued to use because the camera work fine otherwise. (Note: Kodak charges you $35 when you send in a camera for return shipping if the camera repair is not eligible as a warranty repair. You can also choose to have them repair it, but it will cost $35 shipping and handling plus the cost of the repair.)

Now about a year after purchase, 4 months after the initial repair, I'm stuck with the same problem. I've decided to give up on this one and buy a higher quality camera. I have a lot of friends using Canon Power Shot SD600. They have phenomenal photos and no complaints of problems.

If I would have spent $75 more in the beginning, I don't think that I would be having this issue. My advice, spend more, get a better camera, it's worth it.

This camera is excelent with outdoor pictures, excelent with movies, has excelent size, zoom, is very beatiful, and so on, BUT... has a very big problem at indoor enviroments.. It fails to measure the correct light, and the correct exposure for the picture... so, all the indoor pictures become dark... you have to set it manually, or film it (because in the movie mode, it's ok)... Hope Kodak can fix that in a firmware update, but I don't think so... I think they will correct that in a future model.

I got this camrea with some Christmas money and I just LOVE this camrea!! The Wifi works great with a home network. The on-camrea editing works just perfect! I love the Kodak Perfect touch editing! It improves the WHOLE picture quality.

The one bad thing is the battery life... The first night I got it the camrea told me I had to recharge the battery withing the first 6 hours. But I did use the Wifi quite a bit so that probabally makes a big difference.

The camera is a great little machine! It's so tiny you can tuck it in your pocket or purse without sucking up serious space.

Most of my pictures are clear & sharp. The sport function ROCKS. It was the fastest one I tested when I bought it (1.5yrs ago) I have pictures of my daughter in mid-air jumping out of a swing.

The shot-to-shot refresh is non-existant (in most fuctions, except the nighttime or fireworks settings). As soon as you take one shot, you're ready for the next. This was a big bonus over my last SONY digital that took about 4-5 seconds to refresh.

My primary complaint is the zoom & flash range. They both fall VERY short of what I need. I was in the 6th row at my son's graduation in an auditorium & wasn't able to get a clear shot. They were all muddy & dark. The same held true at my daughter's gymnastics meet. Any distance at all & you've lost the clarity. The zoom almost always turns out shaky looking.

I'd recommend the camera however.

Had the camera for 4 months and it worked like a charm, loved it! Went to charge it one day and the camera got really hot and subsequently wouldn't turn on. Call Kodak, they tell me to send it to their repair center--United Camera--and am reassured so long as the camera was not a victim of water or impact damage, it could be repaired under warranty.
Receive letter from United camera saying the main board needed to be repaired, that no 'customer misuse' present. Okay, I think, fine. Receive subsequent letter from UC saying upon further inspection, the damage is due to customer misuse and warranty is void and it will be $180 to fix the camera. I challenge this with UC who says I must call Kodak. I call Kodak who says that the final decision is made by UC. I call UC again and get them to admit that they cannot prove that the camera was damaged by 'customer misuse' however that they cannot repair the camera under warranty as Kodak's policy states that they must categorize it as such. They admit to me that the policy is bulls@#$ but that they cannot do anything about it. And you have to pay about $50 to have the camera returned to you ($35 inspection fee plus shipping) if you do not pay to have the repairs done.
In summary, the camera is great while it's working, but good luck if anything ever happens to it. 3 of 4 of my friends who also purchased this camera had similar experiences, none of which were covered under warranty. OH, and NO other camera repair places (Wolf, etc.) are allowed to fix Kodak cameras--Kodak insists that only United Camera fix them... And don't bother with a civil suit against Kodak, they're already buried in them.

We've enjoyed this camera except for the week where the lcd screen wouldn't function. It started working again the day I was going to send it off for warrantied repairs. The camera is stylish and takes very nice pictures for the price. It also is really handy for taking videos. They actually come out pretty good. I would purchase it or something similar again. The idea of the printer dock is very handy. In theory it is a fantastic product but needs some bugs worked out to make it really good.

I do have some difficulty getting the printer dock to print from my laptop and end up having to unplug and replug it and generally mess with it for longer than I would like.

The worst part is the software. It will not save a video correctly. It is over simplified and there really isn't much you can do to edit pictures. Sometimes it won't allow you to correct red eye which seems like a basic function. I HATE the software and am in the market for something else which is an expense I wish I didn't have.

I bought this refurbished directly from Kodak. A week after I received it the lens stopped retracting when I turned the camera off. So I sent it in for repairs to the outside company which does all of Kodak's repairs, Precision Camera Repairs. Later I received a letter saying the camera had "impact damage" and was not covered under the warranty. I went rounds with both companies. The repair center kept telling me I needed to discuss my problems with Kodak, while Kodak was telling me it was up to Precision Repair. After calling around for days I got nowhere. After giving in I paid $122.95 for repairs. Now after having the camera for just over a year it's broke again! The ok button has stopped functioning, I am unable to delete photos and format the memory card. Making the camera useless because the photo capacity is full. This camera is cheaply manufactured by a company that does not want to back up their products.

I bought it because it was small, didn't need extra batteries, and looked cool. Of course that means I had to sacrifice some in terms of picture quality, but thats okay. I don't ever plan on getting prints bigger then standard 3x5.

I've owned this camera about 1.5 years. I've used it lightly-moderately and gently. Originally I was plenty happy with it. Nice pictures, nice video, good speed. The video always had constant very-noticeable gear noise as the lens continually refocuses, but otherwise it was fine. After a few months the lens stopped retracting, but that was fixed with some patient jiggling. So far, still ok.

But JUST after the warranty expired, the video function stopped working altogether. The whole camera freezes (crashes) and I have to remove the battery and reset the time/date and all other settings. And I noticed that 4 of the screws fell out! This camera has been gently used; it still looks new. Except the front face is now threatening to fall off.

At this point, the snapshots still work fine, though the battery life has become pathetic. I'm now shopping for a new camera, and I'm depressed to see that virtually every camera has major design/support problems (despite hoards of obliviously glowing reviews). What the hell?

i LOVE this camera!!had it you 2 years, dropped it and still have NO problems. takes perfect pics fast and the flash id quick!!! BEST BUY

I purchase this camera almost a year ago. I think it's a good compromise between price and features.

Pros --
1> Price. Much cheaper than other cameras and has good features.
2> Size. Compact, can be easily carried in pocket without hassle. Almost size of cell phone.
3> Point & Shoot. Good photos with Auto mode.

Cons --
1> Battery. After a year, now the camera dies before end of day. Since it has rechargeable battery, you are stuck with dead camera for your evening s.
2> Software. If you don't have memory card reader, then you must install Kodak software. This means, after every reboot, it will check for updated version. If you have card reader, you can download pics right from the card.
3> Video. Every time you are trying to capture video, if the camera has to focus, the noise of lens shifting is recorded too. It's audible when played back.
4> Selected mode is lost when power turned off. Suppose if you select 'Night Portrait' mode and after taking couple of pics, you turned off camera, next time when you switch back on, it's back to 'Auto' mode. You need to switch back to 'Night Portrait' again.
5> Flash. Just not powerful enough. It's good for 4-5 feet range but if you are taking pictures in a large room, pictures come dark due to inadequate flash. Same time pictures taken by Canon G5 came perfect.

(DC charger which plugs in charger station can be plugged directly into camera for charging.)

I purchased this camera to replace my Canon G4. I was pleased initially at it's size but soon started missing Canon's powerful flash, swivel screen, picture/video quality etc.

I received this camera as a high school graduation present from my parents three years ago. This was my first digital camera and think that it's a great first camera to own and to play around with. I love the black color making it look sophisticated and also how small it is. It fits perfect in most camera carrying cases. Though it is only 5.0 Mega Pixels (I realize that cameras go up to a lot higher number now) the quality of the picture on the screen was always satisfying to me. I love all the options you have to change what kind of setting you are in including making the picture black and white or sepia. It even has a setting on there for fireworks and moving objects.

One of the main issues I had with the camera that I would have change is the size of the viewing screen and what it is made out of. I just would have liked to see the screen a little bit bigger. Some cameras now have the screen covering the entire back of it and I would like to see this screen bigger. Also, whatever the screen is made of attracts fingerprints like crazy. Every time I would try to wipe off the screen, I just smeared the fingerprints instead of really getting rid of them. I would have liked to see the screen more of a shiny substance easier for wiping off or including some kind of cloth that will take off all the smudges.
I recently had to buy a new camera because this one just bit the dust after 3 years. Suddenly the camera just stopped working and I was unable to turn it on or off. The shutter wouldn't come out. Or, if it did, I would have to wait until the camera battery died for it to go back in. Also, all of the screws except one that hold the front cover on fell out.

Overall, I would recommend this camera as a solid first digital camera to give a young person to capture the last of their teen years. It was a valued asset to me.

I've had this camera for years now, it's never broken, i've never treated it well or stored it in a case, and it's held up great. it feels really solid and heavy in its construction.

the pictures are great, the video is great (for the price anyway, i've never had a super pricey camera). i'm very happy with this camera still after all these years...

I bought the Kodak V530 to replace my AMAZING Pentax Optio, which I dropped (jamming the lens and rendering it useless). Unfortunately, I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii and paid almost $400 for this camera (about three years ago). The Kodak wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was the most comparable to the camera I had--so I thought.

I'm a nerdy picture person; I use my camera every day. I like to be able to stick it in my pocket and be ready for anything. Yes, the V530 is very small, it has a big screen and it's easy to use. For someone who is already camera savy, this isn't the product for you. The shutter recovery speed is incredibly slow, so you can't catch really good frame-after-frame action shots. The optical zoom says 3X, but I have my doubts about that--it sucks. There's no stabilization control, so if you're moving, you tend to get a fuzzy picture. However, if you want a camera for a beginner--maybe a grandparent--this is a good choice. It's fine for every-day pictures and, like I said, really easy to use.

My best advice: wear your wrist strap. I really regret losing my Optio and still haven't found a comparably priced camera to match it.