Simple Technology Choices - Digital Cameras - Kodak EasyShare C743 Review

The Kodak EasyShare C743

Ease of Use:Overall Rating:

Reviewed by Jamie Lendino 9/6/06

Kodak packed some mid-tier features into the budget-priced C743, including a 7.1 megapixel sensor, the ability to record video at 30 fps , and a large (for the price) 2.4-inch LCD screen. The C743 also has 32 MB of internal memory, which is a useful feature not always found in lower-end models. Unfortunately, its long recycle time between photos and mediocre zoom performance detracts a bit from its appeal.

We weren’t too impressed with the C743 at first glance. It’s styled nicely enough, but touch it and the camera’s low-cost origins become apparent. The camera contains some great technology and features, at the expense of a body that unfortunately wouldn’t look out of place on a disposable camera.

On the plus side, operating the C743 was a joy. The dedicated Review button made it easy to look at the pictures you just took, while the clear menu text let us experiment with different exposure settings without having to crack open the manual. The dial at the top controls the camera’s main mode, such as picture and video recording. We had to turn the dial several stops to activate close-up mode. A dedicated button would have been better, though there are such buttons for the flash and timer functions.

The C743 takes solid outdoor photos and works well in low light, both with flash and without. It includes a standard 3x optical zoom and has a two-color graph to indicate when you’re heading into digital zoom territory. The optical zoom wasn’t great, though; notice the blurred details on the zoomed outdoor tree shot. Please note that this example photo has been compressed for the web site and does not show the full quality. The camera also records smooth video at 30 fps , though it came out a bit dark in our tests compared to more expensive cameras. Still, it’s better than the usual, choppy 10 fps videos that you usually get with budget cameras.

Overall, the C743 offers a decent balance between size, weight, features, and cost. Don’t be fooled by the megapixel rating; the extra $50 over the cost of the Canon PowerShot A430 and the Fujifilm FinePix A500 isn’t really worth it for image quality, but the larger LCD and smooth video recording make up for the C743’s photo deficiencies.

Pros: Internal Memory, simple to use, smooth video recording, sizable screen
Cons: slow recycle time, cheap plastic construction, poor optical zoom quality

Details:

Price: $199
Dimensions: 3.6 x 2.3 x 1.3 inches
Weight: 5.1 ounces (without battery)
Sensor resolution: 7.1 megapixels
Movie recording: 640x480 at 30 fps
Optical Zoom: 3x
Screen Size: 2.4 inches
Internal Memory: 32 MB
Card slot: SD/MMC

Ease of Use Rating: 4 stars
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars