Kodak Easyshare V1273

While a lot of camera manufacturers are still trying to find their place in the digicam market, Kodak has been lucky (or smart) enough to get a good footing. They have stuck to the consumer camera category with models that are easy to use in every possible way. Now they have come up with a technology that they call Smart Capture, which replaces the aged auto mode. But does it make a difference, or is it just old technology renamed? That's exactly what we intend to find out.

Though the V1273 offers the standard 3x optical zoom, it boasts a huge 12 megapixel image resolution. If you're familiar with image cropping, the resolution boost would help you a great deal in compensating for the lack of zoom.

The reason why the screen is so huge is revealed shortly after you turn it on — it's a touchscreen! You don't require a stylus to operate this screen; in fact it's quite finger-friendly and responsive. Everything from changing the camera settings to typing the photo tags can be done with ease on the screen. There's a nifty slideshow mode you can start by just sliding you finger over the previewed image. Unfortunately there's also a drawback — it's impossible to view the screen under bright direct sunlight.