Kodak V550 Review

Click to take a 360-degree QTVR tour of the V550

The EASYSHARE V-series digital cameras are the smallest and thinnest cameras that Kodak has ever produced. Smaller and thinner than a deck of playing cards, the V530 and V550 are designed for those who seek high-style, compact personal electronics that combine excellent image quality, performance and simplicity.

The EASYSHARE V550 breaks new ground in blending video and still photography. For the first time, videos can be automatically turned into stop-action still pictures perfect for printing and sharing. Record longer, TV-quality videos with sound -- up to 80 continuous minutes -- while using less memory storage. Avoid on-screen shaking with built-in digital image stabilization technology, and zoom-in on video subjects while recording using the 3x optical SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH lens. Then watch the videos with friends on the big, bright, 2.5-inch LCD screen, viewable from nearly any angle.

Crafted to capture every pose, the V550 is equipped with 5-megapixel resolution for breathtaking prints up to 13 x 19 inches. The included Photo Frame Dock 2 provides one-touch picture transfer to a connected computer while keeping the cameras' high-capacity battery charged and ready to go. It can play video and photo "slideshows" on the cameras' high-resolution LCD screen or your TV set, providing an additional degree of elevated design and innovation to EASYSHARE V-Series camera owners.

The V550 is available in Silver or All-Black finish

The black and silver metal camera bodies, paired with luminescent blue indicator lights, beg to be shown off. A brilliant 2.5-inch, very high-resolution LCD screen (230,000 pixels) is viewable from almost any angle (170 degrees) and can used to preview the shot -- as can the optical viewfinder -- before instantly sharing the picture with friends.

The V550's USB connectivity and Kodak EASYSHARE Software version 5.0 (available as a free download from kodak.com) makes combining, rotating, and adding music to video clips a breeze.

Kodak V550 Features:

• 5.0 megapixel (effective) CCD for prints up to 13 x 19 inches
• Super-slim metal alloy body, less than an inch thick
• 3x SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH optical zoom with 36-108mm coverage (35mm equivalent)
• KODAK Color Science image processing technology for proper exposure, white balance and color saturation
• 2.5-inch Wide-view color LCD display with 230,000 pixels of resolution
• 3 frames/sec Burst mode up to 5 images in any quality
• 640x480 MPEG-4 movie mode, 30fps with audio, up to 80 minutes
• Auto, Portrait, Movie and 19 Scene modes
• Multi-zone AF and Center Zone AF with focus-assist lamp
• TTL Metering: Multi-pattern, Center-weighted or Center Spot
• Selectable ISO sensitivity: Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 (1.8MP only)
• Long shutter speeds: 0.5 to 8 seconds
• Built-in multi mode flash
• Customizable startup sound themes and camera sound effects
• 32MB internal memory + removable SD card storage
• Rechargeable Li-ion battery and Photo Frame Dock 2 included
• Auto-Connect USB for hassle-free downloads
• Imagelink and PictBridge compliant for direct printing
• Compatible with optional Easyshare Printer Dock Series 3

The EASYSHARE V550 camera is available now for US$399 (MSRP).

Kodak V550 Specifications