Kodak DX3500

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Anyone who has ever felt threatened or confused by the proliferation of seemingly nonsensical acronyms associated with digital photography will love Kodak's latest digital camera offering, the low-cost DX3500. Featuring a 2.2-megapixel CCD and fixed lens with 2x digital zoom, this camera is designed specifically to be simple to use and inexpensive to own. Indeed, the DX3500 may just be the digital replacement for the family compact.

The Kodak EasyShare Initiative
Facing a future where conventional film, paper and chemical-based photography are slowly being outdated by the immediacy and convenience that digital photography embodies, Kodak has developed the EasyShare Initiative to make digital photography something that everyone can participate in.

No fancy names. No expensive cameras. No accessories to buy. The initiative begins with the Kodak DX3500 camera and its more advanced sibling, the DX3600. Borrowing the idea of a dual-function cradle from Palm, the cameras in the Kodak EasyShare Initiative use a common USB interface cradle to charge and transfer images to the computer. A single "Connect" button on the cradle downloads all the stored images in the camera to the PC desktop.

The easy-to-use and simply named application, Kodak Picture Software, then takes over and presents the user with a happily designed user interface, complete with nice big buttons. Windows and Macintosh compatible, the limited special effects included allow the user to change a color image into a sepia-toned or black-and-white version. The Kodak Picture Software even offers the ability to send the desired images via email without the need for an independent email client.

Once in the computer, Kodak has the Personal Picture Maker 200 color inkjet printer for printing photo-quality images. Send your images to the Print@Kodak online photo lab and Kodak will send you the printed photo quality images printed on Kodak's own Duralife paper. Print@Kodak is intelligent enough to detect your file's resolution, and will alert you if the resolution is not adequate for the photo-realistic results. An order tracking service is even included to help you keep track of the resulting prints.

Finally, The Camera
Do not let the simple design and clean shape of the DX3500 fool you into thinking any less of its specifications. Although the more expensive DX3600 has a 2x optical zoom lens and a movie clip mode for capturing short video clips, both cameras share the same 2.2-megapixel CCD which is capable of delivering 8x10 inch prints without complaint.

The 8MB built-in memory is supplemented with a CompactFlash card expansion slot ready to expand its memory capacity. The center-weighted metering, combined with four different flash modes, produces consistently acceptable images. The fixed 38mm lens (35mm equivalent) with 3x digital zoom captures two image resolutions (1800x1200 and 900x600) with an automatic film sensitivity of ISO 100/200. The 1/8 � 1/1200 second shutter speed range is automatically controlled and is sufficient to cover most shooting conditions. Unfortunately, the built-in flash is extremely weak, and is effective up to only 2.3m from the subject.

Flick the switch on the side of the lens a notch to place the DX3500 into auto mode. An additional notch then places the camera into macro mode, ready for close-up photography at 22-30cm from the subject. A 10-second self-timer helps reduce camera shake for long exposures or simply gives you sufficient time to squeeze into the picture. The 2AA Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are recharged every time the camera is placed onto the docking station.

Simple, Inexpensive, Basic
Admittedly, the Kodak DX3500 does feel somewhat like a toy with its plastic body and 205g weight. But together with the Kodak EasyShare Initiative, the DX3500 signifies Kodak's attention on the neglected masses who desire a simple and inexpensive digital camera to satisfy their most basic needs. It will be interesting to see what the pioneering fathers of photography will make of the digital imaging revolution that has taken us over. However, I am sure they will approve of Kodak's efforts to make photography a simple matter of capturing the world in the blink of an electronic eye.