Tracey Capen

Kodak DX3500

The DX3500 earned the highest image quality scores of any sub-$500 camera we've tested so far. The camera produced impressively accurate exposures and bright colors. Our only complaint was some loss of subtle color shades. Kodak markets this model as a camera for those who want to keep it simple, and for that it hits the mark. Dispensing with all but the most essential buttons, dials, and menu options makes learning how to use this camera very quick. Battery performance is another plus: We took over 200 shots on one set of AA batteries.
The DX3500's simplicity means Kodak left a lot of features on the design table. For example, it's one of the few cameras we've seen that does not have an exposure-value (EV) compensation control; most cameras, at the very least, give you a minimal adjustment. Also missing are user-controlled white-balance settings, or an exposure lock--useful when you want to stitch together multiple shots. You get only two image-resolution settings, 1800 by 1200 or 900 by 600. Again, it's rare that a digital camera does not let you shoot at 640 by 480, a common size for e-mailed photos. (The bundled software lets you save your images at lower resolutions, however.) Want to shoot small objects with the macro mode? It'll be tough; the lens's focus is fixed at 9 to 12 inches in macro.
The DX3500's all-plastic body and overall design makes it look a bit like a toy. In keeping with the ease-of-use theme, Kodak offers an optional $80 docking cradle for the camera--handy if you take a lot of snapshots around the house. The docking kit includes a nickel-metal hydride battery that's recharged whenever you set the camera in the cradle. Transferring photos from camera to PC with the docking cradle is a lot like synchronizing your personal digital assistant. Pressing the cradle's single button launches Kodak's Picture Software and lets you view and make simple changes to your images. Overall, the software is nearly as easy to use as the camera and is plainly designed for casual snapshot-shooters, with a few handy options. You can enter a meaningful file name to give to each of your transferred shots (the software adds a sequential number to each one), and if you're connected to the Web, press the Send button and immediately e-mail one or more shots. The camera has 8MB of internal memory, but it also has a slot for a CompactFlash card. A menu option lets you copy shots from the internal memory to a CompactFlash card, either one picture at a time or all at once. A dedicated button on the camera is used for changing flash modes, and you get the typical choices: automatic, fill, off, and red-eye reduction. The flash range is, however, limited to just over six feet. When in shooting mode, there is a quick review that lets you immediately delete the last picture. The DX3500 has somewhat cartoonish menus, but they are limited in number, easy to navigate, and fairly readable in bright sunlight. This camera is also one of the few models we've looked at under $300 that offers optional telephoto, wide-angle, and close-up lens adapters.
The DX3500 is a fun family camera, especially if your only interest in photography is to record life's more memorable events.

Buying Information

Kodak DX3500 2.2 megapixels, 1800 by 1200 maximum resolution, 38mm focal length (35mm equivalent), f4.5 and f8 aperture range, shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/1200 seconds, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB and video connections, bundled 8MB internal media, slot for CompactFlash card, two AA batteries, 8.9 ounces with batteries; Kodak Picture Transfer Software, Kodak Picture Software v.1.0 software. One-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 11 hours on weekdays. $ 299 2.2 megapixels, 1800 by 1200 maximum resolution, 38mm focal length (35mm equivalent), f4.5 and f8 aperture range, shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/1200 seconds, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB and video connections, bundled 8MB internal media, slot for CompactFlash card, two AA batteries, 8.9 ounces with batteries; Kodak Picture Transfer Software, Kodak Picture Software v.1.0 software. One-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 11 hours on weekdays. 800/235-6325 http://www.kodak.com