Kodak Digital 1500628 C123 12MP 2.4 LCD Dig Cam-Grey

We recently purchased this camera for our Disney Cruise. Our seven year old son was scheduled to snorkle with stingrays on Castaway Cay and we wanted to capture that experience. We were able to take photos and video of him with the stingrays, some of it underwater. The camera took clear pictures and video. The only drawback was it is hard to see the screen (so you know what you are photographing) and there is no viewfinder but that problem was easily outweighed by the price. We are very pleased with our purchase!

UPDATE: Kodak's bankruptcy and exit from the digital camera business probably means that these cameras will be gone forever! I have the updated C135 in pre-order, but I'm not holding my breath. Amazon says it's 'unavailable,' but my account's order status has the C135 shipping in April. Who knows? All I know is that I'm glad I own a backup C123 in the box. The C135 is supposed to have digital stabilization, as opposed to no image stabilization in the C123 - but the C123 still takes great pics for its intended purpose.

although it's more orange than red, i like my new c123... i carefully read every review, and although i can understand why some folks are disappointed, i am more than happy with this camera after playing with it, taking indoor, outdoor, and yes, even close-up shots!

the controls are fairly intuitive, but i found that i had to set up the camera before it would take acceptable pictures (specifically, the 'sharp' selection under 'Sharpness' on the Capture menu; you may also want to manually select an ISO if you're going to be in the same lighting conditions for your picture session - see below)

this camera works with my version of iPhoto on an older iMac, so i'm grateful - the kodak setup was fairly easy: plug in the camera, turn it on, install the resulting kodak.pkg from the Desktop, etc. ... i use 'Other Application' for the 'Computer Connection' item under the Setup menu...

UPDATE: i have since found that there is no reason to use any Kodak software with my C123 and iPhoto, since iPhoto recognizes the C123 and imports pictures with no problems - and especially since i can (if i wish) send iPhoto pics straight to facebook if desired (something i rarely do)

this camera's firmware is deceptively sophisticated, but honestly, these were all the initial settings i used...

you *will* have to hold this camera steady! it does NOT have 'shake reduction' featured in most higher-end cameras...

that said, anyone who knows photography knows that it's not the camera that makes the best pictures, but the photographer's eye (and to a degree, technique)

i was a bit apprehensive about the lack of macro shots, but tried a 24" flash pic of some stuff on my desk - the picture came out perfectly sharp and acceptable, considering this is an inexpensive camera

i next tried to take pictures indoors, with no flash, use the digital zoom about a third out... first, i tried the 'Auto' ISO mode; next, i set the camera to ISO 80... carefully bracing the camera, i squeezed off one shot each of a stack of books about 20 feet away in the living room...

the results were as i expected: the ISO 80 picture was noticeably 'sharper'... so there is a some manual control available to the picture taker...

i have no intention of going snorkeling with this camera, but wanted something that will be impervious to dust, dirt, or sand at the beach - in this regard, this little kodak will fit the bill perfectly... it's compact, uses AAs, has simple controls, tripod socket, and accepts an SD or SDHC card (although it did not like my 16GB Adata, but worked fine w/a 4GB microSDHC in an SDHC carrier taken straight from my Canon A570is and stuck in - even the Canon's pictures showed up under the C123's preview! w00t!)

five stars for this camera for me - i look forward to an improved model or firmware... i also recommend going to kodak's web site to get the 'extended c123 user guide' - there are more hints and tips in the manual

Have only had this a couple of weeks but this camera is turning out to be great for the pool.

A great price for a camera I can re-use and not have to worry about getting wet.

Takes great pics in/under the water and you can also record videos (no zoom when in video mode).

When turning on it is ready to take pictures very quickly.

So far it has not eaten batteries, which is good because it does not appear to turn off automatically.

Has other modes if you want to use the camera for more than taking pictures in the water but we have not really tried them out.

ETA:

Soon, I am going to attempt to upload a video taken in our pool. Also, wanted to add one great thing about this camera - we left it out side overnight and it rained. It was really a relief to know that my camera didnt get ruined simply because I forgot to bring it in after swimming!

Kids are having a great time using this camera, so much so I may have to go ahead and pick up a 2nd one! It is really holding up to being roughly handled.

added a very short clip of my dog. my son uses the camera 1st above the water then underneath and then above again. I have also noticed that when in video mode, the camera is picking up sound underwater! it's pretty cool, I wasn't expecting that.

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