The Kodak Easyshare V705 adds a new Ultra-wide model to Kodak's Easyshare line using KODAK's RETINA Dual Lens Technology . This camera is designed to have a point-n-shoot simplicity but carries enough manual control to allow for a lot of creativity. With features like Ultra-wide-angle and 5X optical zoom range SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH C-VARIOGON Lenses, 7.1-megapixel imager, KODAK PERFECT TOUCH and Anti-blur Technologies, and an on- camera panorama stitch mode makes the V705 a new innovative and user-friendly camera.

The slim stylish metal body is attractive yet fits into your palm with ease, and its compact size fits most pockets or purses. Kodak positions the top control buttons for the main features and then lines both sides of the color LCD with the rest of the controls including an easy to use joystick. The buttons are very small and can be a bit difficult to use. This layout will need two hands to operate well. The large and bright 2.5-inch LCD monitor is very usable outdoors in sunlight, and provides auto gain-up when used indoors or in low-light conditions. The wide angle display is easy to view while in playback mode and when using exposure compensation it shows the results before you shoot your picture. There is no optical viewfinder on the V705.

A unique feature of the V705 is its dual SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH C-VARIOGON lens. It combines a fixed focal length 23mm ultra wide angle lens and a 39-117mm optical lens, each with its own 7.1-megapixel image sensor allowing for an Ulta-wide angle and a midrange telephoto. The camera does a good job of selecting between the two lenses with only a slight pause detected during this shift. By combining these two lenses, the user can have a zoom lens for telephoto shots and a dedicated ulta-wide for group and interior shots. The 23mm ultra wide lens covers from 24 inches to infinity but does exhibit some barrel distortion. Kodak provides a built in Distortion Compensation that helps reduce this effect. The Distortion Compensation is controlled from the setup menu and is On by default. Another creative feature of the V705 is its Panorama Scene mode that has an in-camera process to stitch a sequence of two or three shots into a single panoramic image. After you take the first shot, the V705 provides a guide for composing the next shot in the form of an overlay from the first picture. The panoramic sequence is ended by depressing the OK button, or continued by taking the third shot; the stitching process then begins automatically. This is both easy to use and effective for shooting panoramic images with up to 180-degree field of view. The use of a tripod is recommended for best results, but surprisingly good images can be obtained hand-held. See our Sample Photos for an example of a 180-degree hand-held panorama.

The shooting performance of the V705 was on par for a digital camera in this category. Power up to first image captured measured 2.6 seconds. Shutter lag measured 1/10 of a second when pre-focused and 2/10 of a second including autofocus; those times include the approx. 1/10 second delay in the live image of the LCD viewfinder. Rapid shooting in single shot mode captured 4 images at 1.2 second intervals, with subsequent shots coming at 3 second intervals. With flash, the capture interval ranged from 1 to 8 seconds depending on subject distance, but subsequent shots could be taken even though the flash was not recharged and ready. Burst mode captured 4 images in 1.1 seconds, with subsequent images coming at 2 second intervals as the camera's buffer remained full; it took a slow 14 seconds to write the full buffer to the SD memory card. The LCD viewfinder displays the last captured image during burst image capture, helping you follow a moving subject, but some will miss the presence of an optical viewfinder in this mode. All test were done using a Lexar 32X 1GB SD card, using 7.1MP image size. Times may vary depending on lighting conditions, camera settings, media, etc.

The V705's image quality is quite good for a compact digital. Outdoor shots were well saturated with a bit of pin cushion distortion at full telephoto. Chromatic aberrations were well-controlled, with only a slight amount of purple fringing in high contrast areas. At low ISO settings images had little or no noise, and at high setting, (ISO 400 and above), noise can be found, however resolution can be set as high as 7.1-megapixel at speeds as high as ISO 1000.

With indoor shooting you are limited to a flash range of 10.2 feet. With the ultra-wide lens this allows for a lage group to be covered but the flash will not illuminate a large room. The red-eye reduction flash mode was effective on most subjects, but there is a delay when using it. The AF system worked quite well with the lens in low light conditions, and is helped by its focus assist lamp. At close range the flash performs well, making it good for portraits and individual objects. I was also able to produce great flash shots using the flash when in macro mode.

Movie mode captures QuickTime video at 640x480 or 320x240 including sound, with a frame rate of 30fps. The length of a clip is limited by the amount of space left on your SD card or the internal memory. Movie quality was good and the camera performed well while indoors and the optical zoom is usable while filming however you will be able to hear the zoom mechanism at work on the sound track. The onboard microphone does pick up subject area sounds with good clarity. Review mode offers several useful movie editing features, including creating a single still image, setting up action prints, and creating smaller file size videos for sharing with the on-camera video trim feature.

Power for the V705 is supplied by a proprietary KODAK Lithium-ion rechargeable battery (KLIC-7001), and it uses this small battery efficiently, capturing about 150 shots before a low battery warning. Because the V705's Li-ion battery is a proprietary design, I suggest that you obtain a spare, keeping it fully charged to avoid the disappointment of finding a dead battery during a unique photo opportunity.

Bottom line - With a street price of $250 or less, the Kodak Easyshare V705 is a very stylish digital package for anyone wanting point-n-shoot simplicity and it's easy to carry. With its 23mm ulta-wide-angle lens, along with a 5X zoom, 22 scene modes, and Kodak's PERFECT TOUCH and Anti-blur Technologies the V705 provides an appealing package. Since this camera is part of the Kodak Easyshare System you can easily edit your pics with the included software, share them over the Internet, or dock with an Easyshare printer and print your photos with ease.