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Kodak EasyShare V803 (Mystic Purple)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co. Part number: 1307503
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Unless you absolutely need a camera in your favorite color, give this one a pass.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/02/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Kodak EasyShare V803 (Mystic Purple) price range: $249.95
- Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
- Reviewed on: 03/20/2007
- Released on: 01/15/2007
The good: Comes in several different colors.
The bad: Awkward, unresponsive controls; terrible noise; mediocre performance.
The bottom line: Unless you absolutely need a camera in your favorite color, give this one a pass.
We don't say this enough, but when it comes to gadgets, substance trumps style. Even if a gadget is pretty and stylish, it's worthless if it doesn't do what's intended. Sure, Kodak's EasyShare V803 might be pretty and stylish. Unfortunately it's also a very poor digital camera.
Despite its fat, candy bar shape, the V803's smooth curves and array of colors make it quite comely. Unfortunately, the camera's sleek design makes for an uncomfortable control scheme. A handful of tiny rectangular buttons strewn across the top and left side of the camera back access the V803's different modes and menus. The buttons feel unresponsive and are placed so that you have to use two hands while operating the camera, and we had a hard time trying to distinguish between them by touch. Also, you have to use a small, awkward-to-manipulate joystick to navigate the camera's various settings and menus. In our field tests, it often mistranslated directional taps and button pushes for each other.
Besides its colorful, curvy body, the V803 doesn't have any unique or notable features. The 8-megapixel camera uses a 36mm to 108mm-equivalent 3X optical zoom lens, and features a 2.5-inch LCD screen. Besides those main features, the camera has onboard image editing features with Kodak's "Perfect Touch Technology," as well as the standard array of scene presets and modes. We were pleased to see what Kodak calls the Maintain Settings mode, which saves your preferences for settings such as ISO, white balance, flash, and pixel resolution, so you don't have to reset them each time you turn your camera on, as you had to with some previous Kodak models.
The V803 performed reasonably well, though it takes far too long to start up. After a 4.3-second wait from power-on to first shot, we managed to take new photos every 1.4 seconds thereafter. With the onboard flash enabled, that wait increased to 3 seconds. The shutter was acceptably responsive, lagging 0.6 seconds with our high-contrast target and 1.6 seconds with our low-contrast target. The camera's burst mode only takes four shots at a time. In our tests it snapped them over 1.9 seconds for a respectable rate of 2.1 frames per second.
Noise and artifacts plagued the V803's images, softening and obscuring fine details. Photos shot at settings as low as ISO 400 displayed notable amounts of grain, which only grew worse at higher ISO settings. At ISO 1600, static-like speckles completely covered the image, softening all but the largest and most prominent details and rendering it almost completely unusable.
It's telling that the second paragraph of Kodak's press release for the V803 starts with a quote from chief marketing officer Pierre Schaeffer rather than a product manager or engineer. "As consumers look for more ways to expand their picture taking experience, the Kodak EasyShare 10- and 8-megapixel digital cameras make it fun to personalize the camera look and feel," said Schaeffer. Unfortunately, the same company that ushered in color photography with Kodachrome now seems more interested in the color of the cameras than the technology inside them and the usability of their design. Unless you plan on making very large prints, you'd be better off sacrificing a megapixel and buying something such as Canon's PowerShot A560. Its images might still be noisy at high ISOs, but its controls are easier to use and it doesn't take forever to start up.
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User reviews
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Good service good pictures
by tjprus on March 13, 2009
Pros: my display went out. kodak has amazing repair. Ship the camera to their repair people. Within 10 days I had it back, fixed, for free. Emails tracked the progress. Very pleased.
the camera works pretty well. I got a lot of service. Easy to learn.Cons: The garbage can icon is cryptic. what does it mean?
The review mode toggle is not good. often it exits the menu.
The modes menu is hard to see, tiny icons, why so small.
the shutter speed is delayed in auto mode often. You miss action pictures.Summary: I may buy Kodak M980 for about $400. It claims to have solved the shutter speed AF slowness.
It can store pictures in RAW format; which is a more professional ...Summary: I may buy Kodak M980 for about $400. It claims to have solved the shutter speed AF slowness.
It can store pictures in RAW format; which is a more professional format. I wonder if GIMP will edit that format.
I was highly impressed with the service on my repair and thats a big reason to stay with Kodak -
Cheap, colorful, durable, and best of all it takes GREAT pictures
by Tifytara on July 24, 2008
Pros: Small, purple, durable, awesome digital quality, and easy to understand
Cons: Nothing Yet ;)
Summary: I must say that this is the best camera I have ever had! I took it with me to my trip across seas and dropped it many times, but it ...
Summary: I must say that this is the best camera I have ever had! I took it with me to my trip across seas and dropped it many times, but it still worked. I had it in the rain, on the beach, in the cold caves, in the airplane, on top of the tree bridges, and out to dinner, and not once did it fail me. This camera takes awesome pictures, it has very good color contrast and depth. The different settings on this camera give you a lot to choose from, which I liked, especially for taking pictures of the sunset on the beach. The only problem I have had yet is that the camera froze once, but all I had to do was let it sit for about an hour and it came back, nothing was lost either. When this camera dies I don't know what I'll do.
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Beautiful Pictures from a Beautiful Camera
by Missy0823 on March 23, 2007
Pros: 8 different colors, beautiful pics
Cons: Not enough hand room, took a while to put in the battery
Summary: I usually hold CNET's reviews very high, but this time I totally disagree with the editor. Some of the stuff they mentioned were totally exaggerated.
The reason why I ...Summary: I usually hold CNET's reviews very high, but this time I totally disagree with the editor. Some of the stuff they mentioned were totally exaggerated.
The reason why I chose Kodak was because my parents have a Kodak digital camera and that takes beautiful pictures, so I knew I couldn't go wrong. This is my second digital camera (my first was a Sony) and I love this camera; I have it in mystic purple. After you charge the battery, the camera doesn't take a long time to turn on. You hit the power button and it turns on. You point, shoot, and it takes the picture. It's not that hard. It's a simple camera!
One of the problems that I did have was trying to get the battery in the compartment. It fits either way you put it in except if you put wrong, the door won't close and the correct way, the door will close. Also, I don't like the fact that the battery and memory card share the same space. Also, I like holding my digital camera by its sides, but the side the lens extracts (left side) there really isn't enough room for you to hold that side. But, all of that's minimal, in my opinion.
This camera is great for people on a budget, only $199.99, and for people that want a camera in their favorite color.
When it comes to electronics, your opinion on the item is all up to you. Take some of these reviews with a grain of salt. Just ask yourself what you're looking for in a camera and if you find one that fits all your needs, just buy it.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
- Part number: 1307503
- Description: The V803 is all about fun. Fresh colors. Dynamic ways to personalize. Capture the world your way with the V803. With a full line of accessories - including bags, skins, and wrist and neck straps - you can do more and have more fun with your camera. Make your pictures as vivid as the moment you took them. Print better, brighter pictures using KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology. Reduce blur caused by camera or subject movement. The V803 is part of the KODAK EASYSHARE System; so sharing your pictures is amazingly simple. Just press Share.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Width 4.1 in
- Depth 1 in
- Height 2.1 in
- Weight 4.4 oz
- Enclosure Color Mystic purple
Main Features
- Resolution 8 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Total Pixels 8.32 megapixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 8,000,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/1.8 in
- Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO auto (80-160)
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
- Shooting Programs Snow, Text, Beach, Candle, Flower, Museum, Sunset, Panning, Children, Close-up, Anti-blur, Fireworks, Landscape, Back light, Sports mode, Panorama left, Portrait mode, Self-portrait, Night portrait, Panorama right, Night landscape, High sensitivity
- Special Effects Sepia, Neutral, Low color, High color, Black & White
- Max Shutter Speed 1/1448 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 8 sec
- Exposure Metering Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- White Balance Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Shade, Daylight, Fluorescent, Tungsten light
- Digital Video Format QuickTime (MPEG-4)
- Still Image Format JPEG
- TV Tuner None
- Video Capture QuickTime (MPEG-4) - 640 x 480 - 59 sec - With 32MB card, QuickTime (MPEG-4) - 320 x 240 - 199 sec - With 32MB card
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory 32 MB Flash - Integrated
- Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
- Integrated Memory 32 MB
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 3264 x 2448 : 14 - With 32MB card, JPEG 3264 x 2176 : 15 - With 32MB card, JPEG 2560 x 1920 : 22 - With 32MB card, JPEG 2048 x 1536 : 32 - With 32MB card, JPEG 1920 x 1280 : 42 - With 32MB card, JPEG 1920 x 1080 : 48 - With 32MB card, JPEG 1280 x 960 : 72 - With 32MB card
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Flash OFF mode, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
- Effective Flash Range 2 ft - 10 ft
- Features AF illuminator
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - F/2.8-4.9
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 36 - 108 mm
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 5
- Min Focus Range 23.6 in
- Macro Focus Range 5-70cm
- Lens Aperture F/2.8-4.9
- Optical Zoom 3 x
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Manufacturer Kodak
- Features Built-in lens shield
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 10 sec
- Additional Features Blur warning, DPOF support, Direct print, Audio recording, Auto power save, Date/time stamp, Built-in speaker, Cropping an image, Histogram display, Sharpness control, PictBridge support, USB 2.0 compatibility, Digital image rotation, In-camera movie editing, In-camera red-eye removal, Camera orientation detection, Digital image stabilization (video mode)
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 154,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x Docking station, 1 x DC power input
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Software
- Software Kodak EasyShare, Drivers & Utilities
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or later
- Peripheral Devices USB port, CD-ROM drive, SVGA monitor
- System Requirements Details Windows 2000/XP - 128 MB - 200 MB
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Carrying strap
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable, 1 x A/V cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Supported Battery Kodak KLIC 7003
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year limited warranty
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Product series
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Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
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Kodak EasyShare V803 (Pink Bliss)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
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Kodak EasyShare V803 (White Glaze)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
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Kodak EasyShare V803 (Cosmic Blue)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
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Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
-
Kodak EasyShare V803 (Mystic Purple)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
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Kodak EasyShare V803 (Red Shimmer)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
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Kodak EasyShare V803 (Golden Dream)
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
Specs: 8 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 32 MB - Integrated
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Eastman Kodak Co.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Eastman Kodak Co. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.kodak.com/
- Address:
343 State St.
Rochester, NY 14650 - Phone: 800/521-0788
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