Kodak C663 Design

Kodak C663 Design

Just about small enough to squeeze into most pants pockets, the Kodak C663 measures 3.3 x 2.5 x 1.4 inches and has a solid, well balanced overall feel. With card and batteries, the camera weighs just 7.5 ounces and has a functional design with a solid grip that makes it easy to "one-hand." Nice metal accents on the camera give it slightly higher-end look, though with a 1970s sensibility.

The telescoping lens takes up the right side of the camera's front panel, surrounded by a steel ring and a thick, plastic lip. When the Kodak C663 is powered on, the lens extends outward and retracts when the camera is turned off. An automatic, shutter-like lens cover slides out of the way whenever the camera is powered on, and automatically closes to cover the lens when the camera is switched off. Also on the front panel are the viewfinder window, flash, light sensor, AF assist / self-timer lamp, and microphone. A solid handgrip provides a good hold, compliments of the camera's battery compartment, making it easy to shoot with one hand.

On the right side of the Kodak C663 (as viewed from the rear) is the SD/MMC memory card compartment, beneath a hinged, plastic door. Opening the door reveals the actual card slot, as well as the USB/AV Out shared connector jack. Directly above the compartment is a metal eyelet for attaching the wrist strap.

The opposite side of the Kodak C663 features the DC In jack (uncovered).

On the Kodak C663's top panel are the camera's speaker, Drive button, Flash button, Power/Mode dial, and the Shutter button.

The rest of the Kodak C663's controls are on the rear panel, along with the real-image optical viewfinder and 2.5-inch LCD monitor. A series of raised bumps serves as a thumb rest on the right side, reinforcing the front handgrip. In the top right corner are the zoom buttons, which control both optical and digital zoom in Record and Playback modes. Directly left of these is the Share button. Lining the right side of the LCD monitor are the Delete, Information/Display, Menu, and Review buttons. The joystick in the lower right of the rear panel navigates through menu settings, and confirms selections when the stick is pressed in.

On the bottom panel of the Kodak Kodak C663 are a tripod mount, dock jack, and battery compartment. The plastic, threaded tripod mount is just off-center from the lens and too close to the battery compartment for quick battery changes while working with a tripod. The battery compartment features a locking, hinged door, which slides forward to open. The dock connection jack connects the camera directly to the EasyShare dock for quick image downloading.

Kodak C663 External Controls

Power/Mode Dial: On the right side of the Kodak C663's top panel, this notched dial places the camera into Favorites, Auto, Landscape, Close-up, Scene, Program/Manual, or Movie modes.

Shutter Button (see image above): In the center of the Power/Mode dial, this button sets focus and exposure when halfway pressed, and fires the shutter when fully pressed. In Playback mode, pressing this button returns the camera to the selected Record mode.

Flash Button: To the left of the Power/Mode dial, this button cycles through the Auto, Fill, Red-Eye Reduction, and Off flash modes.

Drive Button: Directly left of the Flash button, this button cycles through the Kodak C663's First Burst, Last Burst, and the two-and 10-second Self-Timer drive settings, before returning to the normal single-shot mode.

Zoom Lever: Tucked in the upper right corner of the Kodak C663's rear panel, this lever controls the optical and digital zoom in any record mode. In Playback mode, the lever controls the amount of digital enlargement applied to captured images, to a maximum of 8x.

Share Button: Located between the optical viewfinder and speaker, this button lets you tag images for printing, emailing, or as a favorite image. (A heart icon appears on "favorite" images.) Pressing this button automatically displays the Share menu with the following options:

• Print: Designates the number of copies of the current image to be printed.
• E-Mail: E-mails a low-resolution copy of the image to a recipient, based on a saved address book.
• Favorite: Marks the current image as a "favorite."
• Print All: Prints one copy of each image on the memory card or internal memory.
• Cancel Prints: Cancels a print order.

Delete Button: Adjacent to the top right corner of the LCD monitor, this button calls up the Delete menu in Review mode. You can delete individual images or all images on the card. There's also an option to cancel.

Information/Display Button: Below the Delete button, this button controls the information and image displays on the LCD monitor.

Menu Button: Next to the lower right corner of the LCD monitor, this button displays the settings menu in Playback or Record modes.

Review Button: Directly below the Kodak C663's Menu button, this button activates Playback mode when pressed in any record mode. Once in Playback mode, pressing the button again, or the Shutter button, returns to the Record display.

Joystick: Located in the lower right portion of the rear panel, the joystick navigates through menu options in any settings menu. Pressing the joystick in confirms menu selections. Moving the joystick up or down in any Record mode adjusts the exposure compensation setting. In P/M mode, moving the joystick left and right selects among available options, including Mode, Aperture, Shutter speed, EV compensation, ISO, and focus method.

In Playback mode, the joystick scrolls through captured images, when moved left and right. Toggling the joystick down enables an index display. For captured movie files, pressing in the joystick begins playback. During movie playback, moving the joystick up and down adjusts the playback volume.