Kodak C613 - What a value!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Easy to use, durable

Cons: Drains batteries, tiny on-board memory

The Bottom Line: 
Kudos to Kodak for such a great line of cameras!

Author's Review
We got the Kodak C613 camera for work. This is a harsh environment for electronics. Not only am I tech challenged but part of the time the camera is used by teens who are less than careful.

We had to have a camera that would be idiot proof to use but also be be durable enough to survive being dropped or tossed into a satchel, purse or briefcase and bounced around. Like everything else purchased by a non-profit it had to be inexpensive.

Among the variety of cameras available at Wal-Mart this one fit the bill. It was small and lightweight. Kodak cameras are known to be durable. The price was only $89.00. Product support is available online via the Kodak company website.

It was just too good to pass up.

The EasyShare C613 is a 6.2-megapixel camera. The company claims you can print quality photos up to 20 by-30 inches. We've not been able to get one larger than 8 x 10 to print well even by using the film kiosk at Wal-mart. For most of our photography - snapshots and such - it does fine and even outperforms expectations when it comes to video.

Camera features include:

Digital image stabilization - to reduce blur and camera shake.

2.4 inch display screen.

High ISO

VGA Video

Video print options

16 programmed scene modes, including sport, portrait, snow, fireworks, backlight, and beach

3 different color modes: color, sepia, black and white

On-camera features such as cropping, blurry picture alert, and undo-delete Internal memory.

On board microphone.

The camera package came with:
Camera
Strap
Two batteries
USB Cable
Software CD-ROM
Plastic Support piece for Easyshare printer dock
All Important Instruction book

Getting started was easy. The software installs with just a few clicks. I found the instruction book to be unnecessary for getting started. Many features are almost self-explanatory. Later, I did refer to the book to learn how to use some of the on-board features.

I was shocked at the video capability. The sound and picture are much better than I expected from such a tiny camera. We were able to shoot quality video clips of less than 10 minutes to upload to You Tube. Plus, we were able to put together a video to give to potential funders - unheard of in an $89.00 camera!

We used the camera for a year. One downside is the tiny on-board memory. If you want to take more than 4-6 pictures at a time a SD card is required. It fits easily into the slot in the bottom of the camera.

Otherwise, the camera performs surprisingly well for the money. Photos and crisp, clear and easy to get. The video sound is good without being "tinny". Just a touch of the button on the back of the camera and you can change to either black and white or sepia.

The other downside is the batteries. Forget anything but rechargeable batteries. Not only do fully charged batteries last longer than any other type (we've tried them all) but they'll save you a chunk of money in the long run.

It has an automatic cover for the lens that comes on whenever you power up the camera. However, you will want to purchase either a camera bag or case pretty quickly. If you don't, and if you carry the camera in your purse or backpack, you'll notice dust and small debris getting into your camera. After awhile, this potentially could effect your picture taking.

We've enjoyed the Kodak Easyshare C613 so well that recently we upgraded to the C713. It's been a durable piece of equipment and met or exceeded our expectations. Kudos to Kodak for this camera line! For a simple camera, why use anything else?