Kodak C190 Review

The Kodak EasyShare C190 is based around a twelve megapixel 1/2.3" CCD imager coupled to a Kodak-branded 5x zoom lens with a 35 - 175mm equivalent focal range - a fairly tight wide angle to a useful telephoto. The Kodak C190 has a 2.7-inch LCD display with 230,000 dot resolution, and there's no optical viewfinder. They're an increasingly rare option these days, but cameras with optical viewfinders add a good degree of versatility, letting you get the shot when you can't make out the LCD in bright sunlight, or save battery life by disabling the LCD when accurate framing isn't vital. It's a shame that the C190 lacks the option, but certainly understandable given the pricepoint. Images are stored on Secure Digital cards including the higher-capacity SDHC types, or in 32MB of internal memory.

The Kodak C190 offers a generous 18 scene modes to help beginners achieve the results they're looking for without the need to understand subtleties like shutter speeds, apertures and the like. The C190 also includes face detection, which is used to take account of your subject's faces when calculating exposure variables. Exposures are determined using multi-pattern, center-weighted or center-spot TTL metering, and 2.0EV of exposure compensation is offered in 1/3EV increments. Five white balance settings are available including an auto mode, and ISO sensitivity is controlled automatically from 64 to 400, or manually from 64 to 1,600 equivalents. The EasyShare C190 also offers a movie mode, capturing 30 frames-per-second VGA (640x480) or QVGA (320x240) clips, in QuickTime Motion JPEG format.

The C190 offers a USB 2.0 connection (type unspecified), through which images and movies can be transferred to your computer. Power for the C190 comes from two AA batteries, with the company listing Alkaline or Lithium disposables as compatible, as well as NiMH rechargeables - surely the better option for most uses. Kodak includes alkaline disposables in the product bundle, so be sure to factor in the cost of some rechargeables and a charger when making your purchase, unless you already have these on hand.

List pricing for the Kodak EasyShare C190 is about US$130. Available body colors for the C190 include silver, blue or red.