Kodak V530

Reviewed May 2006

Characteristics

The Kodak EasyShare V530 uses a 1/2.5 inch, 5.36 million pixel CCD (2690 x 1994 pixels) of which 5 million pixels are effective to yield a maximum image size of 2576 x 1932 pixels.

CCD sensitivity starts at 80 ISO and can in some modes be user set to 100, 200, 400, or even 800 ISO, albeit only when the image size is set to 1.8 megapixel. In addition an Auto ISO mode is available, and the default when the camera is powered on, which allows the V530 to adjust CCD sensitivity from 80 to 160 ISO as required by the amount of light available to the camera.

The V530 is equipped with the same 3X Schneider-Kreuznach C-Variogon aspheric zoom lens found on other V cameras. The lens has a focal length of 6.2 to 18.6 mm, the equivalent of a 36 to 108 mm. Apertures start at f2.8 when the zoom is set to the wide angle end and f4.8 at the telephoto end.

In addition, the camera includes a 4X digital zoom which interpolates the central portion of the image up to the selected image size when used up to a 2.4X magnification, and which when used from 2.4X to 4X to obtain an even bigger magnification effect, crops the image to a 1 megapixel size (1024 x 768 pixels).

To help avoid too much deterioration of the image quality when the digital zoom is used, the slider that indicates the zoom position on the monitor changes from blue to red early in the digital zoom range to indicate that the resulting image will no longer be large enough to produce a 4 x 6 inch print.

The shutter speed range of the V530 covers from 1/8 second to 1/1700 second when the camera is in the Auto shooting mode and, as it is with the aperture, is entirely under the control of the camera. Nevertheless, a Long Time Exposure can be set in the menu, offering settings that start at 1/2 and extend to 8 seconds, making it possible to capture night time photos (see the Test Photos section of the review).

The V530 provides a choice of five image resolutions:

• 5.0 MP: 2576 x 1932 pixels,
• 4.4 MP (3:2): 2576 x 1716 pixels, a format proportional to 4 x 6 and 5 x 7 prints.
• 4.0 MP: 2304 x 1728 pixels,
• 3.1 MP: 2048 x 1536 pixels,
• 1.8 MP: 1152 x 1164 pixels.

All images are recorded in the JPEG format, and there is no possibility of selecting the compression applied to the images.

The image resolution, along with a few other image related settings are found in the Capture menu. Although the capture menu is similar whether the camera is set to Auto or one of the Scene modes, some settings are not accessible in some scene modes, making the Auto mode the most complete:

• Self-timer: starts the 10 second Self-timer which can be used to capture a single photo or to start capturing a video. Whatever the mode, including the Custom mode, the Self-timer must be re-selected for each shot that requires it.

• Burst: allows capturing up to 5 high resolution (5MP) images at 3 frames per second, but auto exposure, auto focus, and auto white balance are performed at the first frame only.
• Picture Size: serves to set the picture size (see above).
• Video Size (shown instead of the previous option when the camera is set to capture video): 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) or 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA).
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Tungsten (incandescent), Fluorescent or Open Shade.
• ISO Speed: Auto (between 80 and 160 ISO), 80, 100, 200, 400 or 800 ISO (only with 1.8MP image size).

• Colour Mode allows selecting the effect applied to the image as it is being saved:
  • High Colour increases saturation,
  • Natural Colour the default setting,
  • Low Colour decreases saturation,
  • Black and White,
  • Sepia.
• Sharpness: this option makes it possible to increase or decrease the image sharpness (High, Normal or Low).
• Exposure Metering: selects the metering mode Multi-Zone, Centre-Weighted or Spot.

• AF Control provides two options for the way the auto focus operates:
  • Continuous AF: adjusts the focus constantly, shortening the time it takes for the camera to be ready to capture a photo, but discharging the battery more rapidly.
  • Single AF: the default, only auto focuses when the shutter release is pressed halfway.
• Focus Zone serves to select the zone the auto focus system takes into account when operating:
  • Multi-zone finds the focus point using 3 horizontal AF points.
  • Centre-zone only focuses on the subject at the centre of the frame.

• Long Time Exposure: exclusively available when the camera is set to the Auto mode, allows specifying the long exposure time (0.5, 0.7, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4 or 8 seconds).

• Set Album (separate for stills and videos): Off (default) or On. This option allows creating an album into which albums or videos will be stored. These names must be created using the EasyShare software supplied with the camera, and then have to be imported into the camera.
• Image Storage controls where images are stored:
  • Auto (default) the camera uses the memory card if one is in the camera. If not, the camera uses internal memory.
  • Internal Memory—the camera always uses internal memory, even if a card is installed.

• Reset to Default (only shown when the V530 is set to Custom mode): serves to reset all camera parameters to their default values.
• Video Length (only shown when the V530 is set to the Video mode): allows limiting the video length to 5, 15 or 30 seconds or let it continue until the memory card is full.
• Image Stabilizer (only shown when the V530 is set to the Video mode): On or Off activates the electronic image stabilizer to improve video stability.
• Setup Menu: provides access to the Setup menu. The contents of the Setup menu are covered in the Interface and Software section of the review.

The Playback mode menu is considerably shorter, but also offers an access to the Setup menu as the last option:

• Album: using the EasyShare software included with the camera, it is possible to create up to 32 album names and save them to the camera's internal memory. This makes it possible to associate images or videos to any of the albums, which will cause them to be transferred to the appropriate album when images are downloaded to the computer.
• Crop: makes it possible save a new image a portion of an image that has been magnified on the monitor, without affecting the original image.
• Make Picture (replaces the Crop option when a video is on-screen when the menu button is pressed): serves to capture a frame of the movie, and record it as a still image (640 x 480 pixels).

Slide Show: presents one image after the other automatically. The interval between images can be preset to be between 3 and 60 seconds in 1 second increments, the slide show can be preset to loop back to the beginning at the end or not, and transition effects can be selected.
• Multi-up: presents the saved images as thumbnails, 9 per screen. The same function can be called up by pressing the down arrow of the 4-direction controller while the camera is in Playback.
• Copy: serves to copy one or all images from the internal memory to a memory card, or vice versa.

• Protect: allows tagging images as "protected" so they cannot be accidentally deleted. Nevertheless, protected images can be erased when the memory is formatted.
• Image Storage: decides which images are going to be used for review, those stored in the internal memory or those stored on the memory card.
• Setup Menu: provides access to the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section of the review for more information about the Setup menu).

The slot is open — not covered by a door — and is compatible with either SD (Secure Digital) or MultiMedia (MMC). The card is popped-out by pressing on its edge and the moment no card is present the V530 switches to its internal memory. Worth noting, a card can be inserted while the camera is on.

The chart below shows the approximate number of images and the recording time available for videos for both the V530's internal memory, and an optional 512 MB SD card.

A rechargeable Lithium ion battery powers the V530. The battery is housed in a compartment underneath the camera, behind a latching door that secures the battery in place. The battery is recharged in approximately 3 hours using the AC Adapter included with the camera either by plugging the adapter directly into the camera or, if the camera was purchased in the package that includes the Photo Frame Dock 2, by plugging the adapter into the dock and placing the camera on it.

Aside from the DC-IN jack on the top left side of the camera, the socket for the Photo Frame Dock 2 is the only external connection for the V530.

The Photo Frame Dock 2, which can be sold separately but was included with the V530 reviewed here, serves to connect the camera to a computer via its USB 2.0 connection with the supplied USB cable or, using the same jack, to a television with the AV/out cable, also supplied.