Kodak EasyShare M1033

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Features

Like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX520 and Samsung NV24HD, the 10-megapixel M1033 is also capable of capturing 720p-quality video clips at 30 frames per second. Playback is smooth on both the camera and our display, with the audio being reasonably clear considering that it records only in mono. One thing we noticed was that if you are using a standard SD card, you can record only 30 seconds of clip before the shooter's buffer runs out of memory and stops recording. So use an SDHC media instead. The package doesn't include the AV cable to connect the point-and-shoot to other displays. Instead, you have to purchase the optional EasyShare HDTV dock.

Colors were rich and vibrant, and we think this has to do with Kodak's in-depth knowledge of shades and hues.
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The Smart Capture feature is similar to Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) mode which recognizes the scene and automatically sets the appropriate scene mode for the best capture. It worked best when we tested this under bright sunlight, but when we brought it indoors, the M1033 took a while to switch from landscape to portrait mode.

Kodak's proprietary Perfect Touch Technology analyzed the image we captured and, when needed, applied a set of algorithm to make the colors more vibrant or brighten up shadow regions. In Smart Capture mode, this action is performed automatically. For images captured in other modes, you can activate this feature during playback. The Perfect Touch Technology is also present in Motorola's MOTOZINE ZN5.

Although the macro focusing for the shooter is not the fastest in its class, it is typical of compact shooters to have difficulty focusing on closeup subjects. Once our test unit locked on the subject, it tracked and refocused when necessary. This made up for the sometimes inaccurate slow focusing.

The 3-inch display wasn't easy to view under sunlight, but worked fine indoors.
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For those who like their screens big, the M1033 should satisfy. The 3-inch LCD displays 230k colors though, while it worked well indoors, we had some problem viewing it under sunlight. There is a High Power mode to boost the brightness, but that didn�t help much, either.

The 3x optical zoom is the bare minimal zoom range for point-and-shoots these days. And while the trend seems set to be at wide angle (at 28mm), the M1033 has a focal length of only 35mm to 105mm.

One gripe we had with the snapper was that it would revert to the default Smart Capture mode when powered down and switched on again. We would have liked it better if it retained the last settings.

The shooter is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-ion cell, which can be charged only in the camera. This proved to be quite a hassle as we were not able to snap while the point-and-shoot was charging. This could pose quite a problem when on vacation.

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