Kodak DX6440 Digital Camera
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The camera

When turned off, the Kodak EasyShare DX6440 is a boxy camera with rounded edges and a lens that's hidden behind a protective metal shutter. Turn the circular Mode dial on the back from the "off" position, and the camera wakes up by extending its lens barrel about 0.7 inch or 17 millimeters.

Most controls are on the back of the camera, where they're easy to reach with the left and right thumbs. In the center of the back panel, next to the Mode Dial, is a large 1.8-inch color LCD that can be used for taking pictures or reviewing images.

Kodak has more than a century of experience in designing consumer cameras, and I was especially impressed by two design decisions made by Kodak's engineers:

• The camera has just enough buttons and controls to get the job done; more advanced features are accessed through menus on the LCD. This approach makes the DX6440 a good choice for a "family camera," since casual users can use the basic controls and settings while advanced users can enable such features as shutter priority, aperture priority, spot metering, etc. through menus.

• Though compact, the DX6440 is large enough to hold easily (thanks in part to a rubber finger grip), and its controls aren't too tiny for middle-aged eyes or children's clumsy fingers.

One thing I didn't like was the zoom control, which is a thumb-operated rocker switch on the camera's upper rear corner. This design works well when you're holding the camera in front of you and framing shots with the LCD, but it's less convenient if you've got the camera pressed against your eye while you use the optical viewfinder.

I did like the 4X zoom. The zoom range of the lens is equivalent to 36-144mm on a 35mm camera, so it offers more telephoto "reach" than the 36-105mm lenses on most digital point-and-shoot cameras.

I was also pleased with two other design features:

Batteries. The DX6440's rechargeable NiMH AA batteries are good for 200 or more pictures per charge, and you can buy extra rechargeable batteries at any camera or electronics store. If you'd rather not bother with recharging, or if you want a "just in case" backup, you can use disposable CRV3 lithium batteries instead. (Lithium batteries should be good for hundreds of photos and will last up to 10 years in your camera bag.)

Memory. The DX6440 uses SD or MMC cards, which are about the size of postage stamps. (I'd suggest buying several 256Mb SD cards and a storage wallet if you're planning a long vacation.) Just as important, the camera has 16Mb of internal memory, which can be used as a "reserve tank" for extra pictures if you fill up your memory card.

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