Kodak DC3200 Review

Overall Rating

The Kodak DC3200 is a very easy to use digital camera with plenty of features.

Flash way to bright, smaller annoyances

I purchased this digital camera for my daughter who will soon be 14 years old for a Christmas Present.

It is extremely easy to use, almost goof proof. It is well worth the money and I only paid $88.50 for mine since it was the last on the shelf and a demo. I did get everything it came with as they had the box and all the unopened software, cables, etc.

It takes good photos, but they can be over-saturated until you adjust to what setting you want for the white balance and flash. If you are familiar with any photo editing graphics programs, you can just about make any of the photos from this camera perfect. Most photo editing programs have a digital camera box setting to adjust for digital pictures also. A lot of people will be happy with the photos right out of the box with this camera and it indeed does give good 5 x 7 photos as they attest to.

Now, for the annoyances. No lens cover, a dangerous situation for a kid or teenager who handles this camera. You can get if off the Kodak website but it should have been included. SLooooowwwww serial port xfer. On my 233mmx takes forever, on my celeron 450, better. On our Pentium lll 1 ghz computer it is acceptable. It has no bottom mount for a tripod. It is of course all plastic to save cost. It is basically ugly but a very nice size to handle.

I gave it a 4 of 5 rating because it deserves a four, but for a couple dollars more it could have offered so much more. - - A fine entry level digital camera that just lacks those extra touches many of us appreciate. I think most people would be happy with this digital camera for the money.

Dennis

Members' Comments onDennis.'s Review

• George. on 30th Dec 2001

  1. Serial transfer rate is about 35 sec per picture. Get a USB Compact Flash card reader ($30).
  2. Pictures are excellent (almost as good as my Olympus D490z 2.2 Mpixel camera) as long as the flash
  is not need or used. In the "auto flash" mode the flash starts to fire at f/3.6 @1/15 sec.
  Flash implementation is "slow flash", i.e. the digital camera calculates the exposure, say
  f/3.6 @ 1/3 second. This will be the exposure time with a flash added on top of it. If the scene is
  significantly illuminated without the flash, then
  a) the picture will be overexposed (with the higlights blown away) and
  b) the camera and the subjects better not move during
  the 1/3 second, else there will be blur.
  The "slow flash" is actually useful under some conditions and is an option on the Olympus D490z.
  Implementation as the default on the DC3200 is probably a design error which Kodak
  may fix in the firm ware. It makes an otherwise excellent digital camera for the beginner look bad.