Kodak EasyShare V550 review

Try as we might, we've found it really difficult to be inspired by the majority of Kodak's recent offerings, but the new V550 may be be about to change all that.

Housed in a slim 22mm-deep, well-machined aluminium casing with touch-sensitive panels and classy Schneider zoom, the quality of the V550 is several leagues above what we've come to expect of late.

The camera has the requisite large screen, 5-megapixel CCD and 3x (36-108mm) optical zoom. But, the V550 differs from most pocket-friendly point-and-shoots as it has an unusually long feature list with some sophisticated options. Most of them are extremely useful, such as a sensible array of scene modes and extended Mpeg-4 movie capability. The V550 is also part of the EasyShare system that includes some attractive optional accessories, including the compact series-3 printer-dock and the new personal Picture Viewer.

While the camera is pocket-sized, the metal body is substantial and feels heavier than it looks, weighing around 160g. Most of the controls are logically arranged and responsive, but they're quite small and, rather oddly, square-shaped. The monitor is a large 2.5in type, and the generous 170-degree viewing angle means that not only is it easy to see, but the experience can also be shared with several other people. Moreover, with 230k pixels it's considerably more detailed than previous types we've seen, but images just aren't as sharp as they could be and it marks easily.

Despite the camera's small size, Kodak has found room to include a tiny optical viewfinder - useful for saving battery power. It proved very valuable at times, as the 740mAh battery capacity is on low side.

Images are stored on the 32MB internal memory or an optional SD/MMC card.

All the shooting modes, including the excellent, flicker-free 640 x 480 pixel QuickTime movie option, are selected from a back-lit, touch-sensitive panel next to the power button and shutter release. In addition to the snapshot auto-mode, the V550 boasts 19 scene-based presets, but no semi-auto modes, nor manual exposure for direct control.

Kodak's choice of presets is genuinely useful and includes options for shooting difficult back-lit scenes, sports and fast-moving subjects, and there's even a low-light option for photographing interiors or parties. By and large they work well, but don't count on this last option emulating the excellent Natural Light mode of Fuji's Z1

as sensitivity rarely goes above ISO 160, which often isn't high enough to prevent camera shake. Given the V550 has a manual ISO 400 option, it's a missed opportunity, but if you drop to a 1552 x 1164 pixel image then there's a maximum ISO 800 available.

Autofocus is pretty much a standard affair. There are three focusing points with a central single override, and focusing is fast. Plus, it's complemented by a green AF-assist lamp for accurate focusing in low light, but the monitor blacks out until you lift your finger from the shutter button. This makes back-to-back shooting more complicated, though there's a four-frame, 3fps burst option. Results were good, though. Few cameras can be left to auto white balance under indoor lighting and that's true of the V550. The preset options help, although there's no custom override. Image quality was excellent. Under natural light, colour accuracy was very high, with only a slight shift using higher sensitivities, and noise levels were appreciably low too. Despite the V550's undeniable strengths, competition is extremely tough. For the same money you can buy the much slimmer Sony Cyber-shot T7, or for around £40 less, you can pick up the superb Canon Digital IXUS 50, both of which have the edge.