Kodak EasyShare P880 Zoom Digital Camera and EasyShare Photo Printer 500
reviewed by Robert Pritchett
Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, New York 14650 Product site: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-locale=en_US&pq-path=7373 Released: August 2, 2005 $600 USD camera; $150 USD Flash adapter; $200 USD printer. Requirements: Macintosh - G3 or later; Mac OS X 10.2 8 or later; 128 MB RAM; Safari; 200 MB hard drive space; CD-ROM drive; USB port; 800x600 display. Windows system – Windows 98 or later; 233 MHz processor; 64 MB RAM; Internet Explorer 5 or later; other requirements same as the Mac. For those who want to be professional. Comes with: EasyShare P880 camera; lithium-ion rechargeable battery; charger, dock insert, lens cap and hood, neck strap, USB and A/V cables; CD-ROM with EasyShare software, manual. Specs: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=9/19/7372/7373/7375&pq-locale=en_US Features: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=9/19/7372/7373/7374&pq-locale=en_US EasyShare System: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=9/19/37&pq-locale=en_US Sharing: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=11&pq-locale=en_US Strengths: First lower cost 8 megapixel “D-SLR”. Some internal image editing, including RAW. Handles color balance well. Kodak-quality prints. Weaknesses: No FireWire port. RAW editing not available for the Mac. USB port is not USB 2.0. Delays between shots as it processes the shots. LCD imaging response could be better. External power supply not included. Other Reviews: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/Kodak/p880-review/index.shtml http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/kodakp850/ http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/kodak_500_printer.html |
|
The Kodak EasyShare P880 plastic-cased digital camera with built-in 32MB (without the memory card) can do 2 RAW shots or one TIFF shot at 8 Megapixels (MP) or 56 or so shots at .8 MPs (Fine quality). It also does about 15 seconds of video with sound using that built-in 32 MB memory.
The 1700 mAh Lithium-ion battery can handle up to 285 shots before it needs to be recharged. I’m assuming that is without using the built-in pop-up flash. The battery charger is one of those flip-plug-into-the-wall types that recharges at 3 hours, so extra batteries will be needed and perhaps a couple of those 1 GB or 512 GB memory cards will do for a day’s work.
The unit does come with an external power port, but for some reason, the box doesn’t come with the $30 USD 5-volt wallwart.
The camera is only half the story. Okay, maybe a third. Digital photos need to be transferred either to print or to screen to be useful for “instant gratification”. Transfer can be accomplished using the EasyShare app for both Macs and Windows systems. Install EasyShare from the CD, register, and then download the update. The included USB cable can be used to connect to a computer or the Dock insert can be used on top of an HP or other compatible photoprinter that uses PictBridge. The P880 is designed to work best with the HP EasyShare 500. Online printing can be had for 15 cents for 4x6, $1 for 5x7, $4 for 8x10, $18 for 16x20 or $23 for 20x30.
Button-centric
The P880 has something like 16 buttons on the sides, back and top as well as menu options visible using the color LCD display. If you have smallish hands, and are right-handed, this will feel a little more comfortable than for someone who is left-handed and/or ham-fisted. Viewing can be accomplished using either the viewfinder or the LCD display. The viewfinder has better optical functionality than the LCD display.
|
|
|
|
The manually operated lens is a wide-angle 24-140 mm version that can go out to 5.8X or with the internal advanced digital zoom can be extended electronically to 11.6X. There is an LED sensor on the front that responds to low light and acts as the time-delayed blinker.
A button for switching between the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or the LCD is a left-handed function. On the back is the 2.5” (6.4 cm) with 5 brightness levels for indoor/outdoor use. There is a left-handed analog Diopter dial that requires some manual dexterity intended to adjust sharpness of the viewfinder. Also on the left side are 4 buttons that interoperate with the LCD screen can be used to control flash, exposure, ISO and white balance.
The top left side buttons are zoom and focus. The hot shoe in the middle is for the P20 external flash.
The right-sided buttons on the top are the Program (favorite shortcut settings for capture and review) and Drive (shutter controls for bursting, exposure and time lapse) and mic. Towards the front is the multifunction shutter/on/off/demo button that controls picture-taking. And the mode dial offers 11 functions from audio to video. I set it to auto, mostly. The other letters and images allow for tweaking picture-taking and settings.
The other buttons on the right side back are the analog Command dial that acts more like a course adjustment for aperture, shutter, exposure and flash and requires some right-handed horizontal manual dexterity to operate. Below it is the Set button for the Command dial. Below that is the AE/AF button that temporarily locks selected functions.
To the left of the Command dial is the Status button labeled as “i” that toggles levels on the displays. The Review button gets used heavily, but the joystick may be used even more, except perhaps for the Delete or menu buttons. The Menu button opens options for capture, review, share favorites and setup. The last button is used as the Share button and it can tag images for printing, Emailing and saving as favorites.
Sides and Bottom
On the right is the memory card access and on the right bottom is the battery compartment. On the left side is the other way to add an external flash sync port, speaker, and below the 5.8X logo is the rubber flap that reveals the USB1.1 port (not USB 2.0) and external power receptacle. Oh, and the tripod screw hole is moved to the left so that the dock port is centered on the camera.
Back to the front, there is also a plastic ring that is a hood intended to keep flash or sun from interrupting the image capture.
Gotchas
Why not USB 2.0? I have no idea why the P880 doesn’t do USB 2.0. Probably for the same reason it doesn’t do FireWire; cost and licensing issues. I personally think this is a major faux paux. If I had designed this camera, I would have reduced the button-happy count and analog-entry buttons to joystick functions and perhaps some screen-touch technology. That said, the file transfer through a powered USB port didn’t flinch once.
By reducing the button count, the screen could then be upped another 1/2 inch and meet the current technical industry level of a 3” screen. The current LCD technology “artifacts” with banding and dithering issues in playback mode. Maybe move the EasyShare photo printer LCD screen to the P880.
And what’s with the RAW functionality not being available for the Mac anyway? If we have Adobe CS 2, there is a plugin workaround for downloading RAW images so they can be tweaked. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html RAW images are “unprocessed” and can be tweaked to infinity without destroying the original. I bet that would be nice to have directly from the camera for the Mac as it is for the Windows systems.
And I think that the dock connector needs some kind of dust cover.
I think Kodak could add a memory card (512 MB) in the box, but it would add another $110 USD or so to the basic package. Buying this camera will require a card for anyone who is more than an occasional shutterbug.
What keeps this camera from being a “true” D-SLR is that there is a processing gap between taking that first picture and the next unless you take advantage of the multi-shot mode. Same with the frame rate for video (1.3 fps).
Fun stuff
I really liked the picture-in-a-picture showing the focus distance when between macro and infinity. No, it doesn’t take the images that way, it is just to sorta-kinda show where the focus ring is in relation to the bigger picture (pun intended).
The options in the menu screens can keep us going through eye-candy for some time.
Oh, and video/movie-mode. I think that is a great feature for a $600 USD camera!
And the threads for adding lenses. Nice touch!
Playback is great for video and seems to do well with the audio in and out.
Image quality really is Kodak-quality.
Custom-button settings.
No-redeye technology. This is really a great plus.
And that hood to keep the Flash and sun from interfering with the lens.
Accessories: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-locale=en_US&pq-path=7376 Look for the telephoto lens and lens adapter and external P20 Zoom flash and Photo Printers. Maximum print size is 30” x 40” (75 x 140 cm) by the P880, but these small printers obviously don’t handle that size.
I was given a $150 USD external flash prototype (P20) to look at. It requires 2 AA penlight batteries to run it’s intelligent flash system LCD display. The light can rotate upwards by 45, 60, 75 and 90 degrees. Recycling is 10 seconds between flashes. Light distance goes out to 30 feet (9.1 m) and 33 feet (10 m) at wide and telephoto. With ISO 200, the range doubles. How? The unit has a motor inside that works with the auto-zoom feature. Manual mode is also available. You ought to hear the purring when the P880 is in auto-mode and the flash is are both in auto-mode. http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=261&pq-locale=en_US
The other item that came to me for review was the $200 USD EasyShare Photo Printer 500. EasyPhoto Printer 500.
It prints permanent waterproof pictures and can be used with or without a computer. It has a 3.5 CD screen for reviewing before printing using “Perfect Touch” technology and also has Bluetooth enabled and Wi-Fi capable and can take all kinds of memory cards using one of three slots. It can also do 4 print sizes, one of 4 x 6 inch (10.2x15.2 cm), two of 2.1x3.3 inch (5.4x8.5 cm), four of 2x3 inch (5.1x7.6 cm) or nine of 1.3x2 inch (3.4x5.1 cm) and uses 4 color modes and one picture can be printed in 1 minute. Color and paper kits can be had for $25, $40 or $47 USD for 40-pack, 80-pack or 160-pack. Unlike the P880, it comes with a Voltage adapter. It also comes with a USB cable paper tray and 10-page starter kit. If the $25 kit is ordered, that makes prints be 62.5 cents each or if the $47 kit is ordered that drops the price to 29.3 cents each. Online print services begin at 15 cents for a 4x6, so you figure it out if it is worth the effort/privacy/security or not.
Why does the printer take 60 seconds per print? Probably because it send the paper through yellow, red (magenta) and blue (cyan) passes before it coats the print with the waterproofing material (XtraLife). Images can be loaded either from the camera directly, or via one of three memory card slots (CF, SD/MMC/Memory Stick/xD or SDIO) or from a computer via USB1.1 cable ports. There is no Dock port on the printer. And if the printer is out of 4x6 paper or the color cartridge is low, forget trying to transfer. It also needs about 5 inches (12.7 cm) of space behind it so the paper can do its 4-pass function. Don’t le the cables drape behind the unit or the paper will jam. You probably would be better off going with the Printer Dock instead, because it will recharge the batteries; http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/z740_printerdock.html.
One thing is for sure, the printer cartridge is a dye sublimation transfer system designed to work with Kodak paper only, so those color and paper kits are critical for running these printers. Believe me, you will not like the results using non-Kodak paper designed for this printer. I was unable to give this a full workout (the ink cartridge went “low” before the paper ran out), but when the paper light and cartridge lights are on, this unit will not perform. Supplies are critical for performance.
I have to give back this camera/printer system because it is a 30-day loan. Is the P880 a dream camera? If you want a D-SLR camera for a lower Prosumer price, this may just fit the bill. Professionals may snicker, but the camera and film companies are moving away from the film process and “bringing it home”, making it more affordable for the casual camera buff. This one really would meet my needs if the gotchas list were resolved. I found EasyShare worked much better with the camera to the computer to the printer than directly between the camera and the printer.
This is an exciting time to be dabbling with camera equipment! Kudos to Kodak for thinking of the Mac!
