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Kodak EasyShare P880 Kodak re-enters the enthusiast market with a great 8-megapixel offering Select a topic Reference: Datasheet P880 Sample Images P880 IMATEST Results --------------------------------- 1. Overview and Highlights 2. User Report 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure and Flash 7. Shutter Lag/ Cycle Time Tests 8. User Interface 9. Camera Modes and Menus 10. Image Storage and Interface 11. Video, Power, and Software 12. Test Results and Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on P880 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 11/23/2005

Viewfinder

The Kodak EasyShare P880 features both an electronic optical viewfinder (EVF) and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor for image composition. The rear-panel LCD has 115,000 pixels, while the EVF sports 237,000 pixels. Surprisingly, the two displays seem to reveal about the same level of detail when you're viewing them. The EVF/LCD button on the camera's rear panel switches the display between the two displays. The EVF is essentially a miniaturized version of the larger LCD display, and thus shows the same information and menu displays, albeit on a much smaller screen. A dioptric adjustment dial on the left side of the eyepiece adjusts the view for eyeglass wearers. The manual doesn't state the range of adjustment of the dioptric adjustment, but at the nearsighted end of its range, it managed to accommodate even Dave's 20/180 uncorrected vision. The EVF optics also have a relatively high eyepoint, so eyeglass wearers should be able to see the full viewfinder area with their glasses just above or gently touching the eyecup.

The Kodak P880's generous 2.5-inch color LCD monitor is clear and bright, designed for easy viewing indoors and out. In its normal display mode, the camera reports a wide range of camera settings, as well as battery power and the AF area. You can add a small histogram to the display simply by pressing the Information button. Histograms are useful in determining any over- or underexposure that might occur in the image, as they graph the full tonal distribution of the current scene. Though the P880's histogram display is quite small, you can still get a sense of the tonal distribution and make the appropriate changes. A Highlight Clipping display mode blinks any overexposed portions of the frame, which in my opinion is actually more useful than the histogram, since you can more easily see which areas are blown out, and even very small areas of lost detail are shown clearly. The Information button also accesses a limited information display, and a plain image display (without any information) for unobstructed viewing.

A brightness control option under the Setup menu offers five LCD brightness levels, helpful for improving viewing in unusually dark or bright conditions. In Playback mode, the P880 offers an index display for reviewing multiple images at a time, as well as a magnification option that enlarges captured images as much as 10x.