Kodak Advantix Preview APS Camera
See it at Amazon.com for $75.00Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
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(5 out of 5)The Best Non-Digital Bang for the Buck
I've owned this gem for about six months and taken a few hundred pictures with it since then. I'm glad I bought it. Here's the scoop.
Pro:
1. It allows you to take 4 x 6, 4 x 7, or 4 x 11.5 sized pictures with a touch of a button. Even more impressively, though, you can CHANGE THE PRINT SIZE after you've already taken the picture! So, you take it in one format, examine it through the large display on back, and then can accept that format, change it to a different format, or delete the picture. It's a great feature when you're out shooting scenes or landscapes, and you want to compare how the picture will look in each style.
2. With the right film (400 and above), this camera has taken solid pictures for me. I've had several folks tell me the quality is professional looking. This was one reason why I chose this camera over a digital camera -- the picture sharpness. For those of you considering digital cameras, remember that all but the most advanced of them won't have the tight pixelization of this cheaper APS camera.
3. The battery is long lasting. I'm on my 400th picture or so and the battery is going strong.
4. This camera uses drop and shoot APS film. APS film, unlike 35 MM, allows for the digitization of your pictures direct from your local processor. I've developed every roll with print pictures and a CD-ROM. I can keep the pictures in an album and e-mail some images from the CD to friends and family far away. The Kodak software (Free with the cd) allows you to manipulate the images, make desktop pictures, and other fun stuff. Also, APS processing gets you a neat one-page sheet with the negatives numbered and shown in miniature in case you want to order reprints.
5. The LCD preview, obviously, makes this camera stand out. It's a clear picture (mostly -- see below), and it is 100% accurate in predicting the size and clarity of the final photo.
6. Advanced features -- the camera has some advanced flash features (low light, portrait mode, etc.) that prove useful in some circumstances. More impressive, though, is that the camera has an auto-flash mode that 'knows' when to use the special features.
Neutral
1. The zoom lens isn't as powerful as some other APS cameras, but it does its job. Basically, it allows me to get slighly closer than my eye can see, but you're not going to see a basketball player's eyes if you're shooting from the upper level of the arena. For that, you'd need at 35MM camera with a zoom lens. But, if you're using this camera for ordinary landscapes and close-ups, the lack of a strong telescopic lens doesn't make much of a difference.
Cons:
1. The flash is rather weak, and if you're doing a lot of nightime photography, even with fast film, you'd want to get a 35 MM camera that can accomodate a wider range of flashes and lenses. I've had several good scenes not turn out so well, because I overestimated the reach of the flash.
2. The LCD screen is great with photos in daylight or dusk, but does less well with photos in the dark. I've had a few photos look completely blacked out on the screen but then actually come out looking *okay* when they came back from the lab. But, unless a whole bunch of your photos are taken at night, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Overall:
For what you're paying, you're getting a great APS camera with some digital features that takes great pictures, allows you to correct your mistakes, and preview your work. Unless you're a professional photographer, it's hard to beat. I'd definitely buy mine again.
(5 out of 5)make sure you know what exactly you're getting
first things first, this is a kodak camera, with all the bells and whistles of their most advanced aps cameras on the market now, with one add-on: the window in the back. as a kodak aps camera it delievers some of the highest quality, truest-to-life shots available from a point-and-shoot type camera. ok, so what about the nifty little feature on the back? other reviewers have cited it as a "digital pretender," it is not so. the preview window is an exciting new feature that will soon be copied by many other camera manufacturers. if you belong to the group of people who prefer analog photos to digital ones (i won't list the pros and cons of these choices, but i will say that i prefer the analog), this camera will be fabulous for you; if you want digital, go get one of those. this camera gives you a chance to "see" the picture that you just took, pick which of the aps sizes you want *after* you take the picture, add a preprogrammed title to the back, and chose the number of prints you want. i say "see" because the digital picture on the back is actually taken through the viewfinder and modified with complex algorithms through a specially developed processor, and isn't *exactly* what you will get in the finished picture, but it's very close-more than adequate to be able to make judgments on aps type, number of prints and such. so, what do all of these options allow you to do? they allow you to save money. let's say you take this camera with you on a sightseeing trip to france. you no longer have to rely on fate to get that stunning picture of the arc de triomphe at sunset. the preview window lets you see almost exactly the picture you just took, and if you don't like it, you can take another. however, if you do like the picture you took, you won't have to take a "just in case" shot, since you know you already got it. furthermore, if you take a horrible picture, you don't have to pay for it to get processed now. perhaps most conveniently, you no longer have to order entire rolls of doubles, or go through and order reprints one by one: if 6 other people in your tour group would like a copy of your arc photo, you can simply tell the camera to tell your photo-finisher to make 7 copies. if after you take your arc photo you get someone to take one of you in front of the arc, you don't have to get another copy that no one else will want. for those of us who want an analog camera but lust over the convenience of digital this is by far the best option available as of now.
(5 out of 5)Preview your photos on the LCD screen and still use film
This camera is an amazing hybrid of digital and film technology. It shoots normal APS film, producing negatives and prints like any standard camera, but it also has an LCD preview screen on the back like a digital camera. Some sneaky optics capture the scene simultaneously on the film and on a digital sensor, allowing you to see your image on the screen -- Was it in focus? Did someone blink? Plus, it allows you to select how many copies of that print you would like the photofinisher to make, from 0 to 9. If you shoot a bad picture, choose 0, and you'll not waste any prints. If you shoot 5 friends and everyone wants a copy, choose 5. Most labs offering APS processing will comply with your wishes, as they are magnetically encoded on the film itself. It should help organize your photographs by not wasting bad prints and by allowing "reprints" right at the camera instead of later. The only drawback is that each new image deletes the previous preview, so you can't flip through a whole set. Very cool, overall.
(5 out of 5)Cool!
This is a very cool camera. I am a scrapbooker (I have two small children) and this is right up my alley! I can take a picture, preview it and if it's a good one and I know other members of my family will want copies, I can select extra copies. If it's not, I can select 0 copies and the picture will not be printed. However, it is not erased. It still uses up film. You can also print titles on the back of the picture. How cool is that? Choose between panoramic or regular and it automatically prints that way during photo processing. The viewfinder didn't bother me any and I found the zoom to be adequate for my needs. I would DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS CAMERA.
(3 out of 5)kodak could do better
The camera is a great idea. The ability to tell the developer what to do is a plus also. The view screen is somewhat of a dissapointment. Often the contrast is poor and the three preset brightness levels are not very good either. Of most importance to note is the view finder which is used to set up your photo. I don't know what Kodak was thinking when they chose a view finder this size but if you wear glasses I would not recommend this camera because of the view finder's size. The zoom is not infinite it has three preset levels. Shame on kodak for skimping on this camera. Try the c700 or c800 instead.