Selecting a digital camera is often a daunting task for the casual photographer. Kodak has tried to make taking great pictures hassle free, and with the EasyShare C533, the company has a winner. You'll be capturing scenes, editing them on the fly, and printing out good-looking results without breaking a sweat.
Look and Feel
At 3.7 x 1.1 x 2.6 inches, the C533 is a tad larger than the typical 5-megapixel camera. We didn't mind the slightly boxier size because it made holding and carrying a bit more secure  . With batteries installed -- either one lithium rechargeable battery or two AA batteries -- this camera weighs around 6 ounces.
The built-in flash opening and view port are strategically placed along the top and outer edge of the camera near the telescopic lens, making it rather difficult to stick a finger or thumb in the way of taking pictures.
The dials and shutter button are similarly well placed -- it's easy to manipulate them with a thumb when holding the camera in one hand. Even a two-fisted grasp results in a comfortable stance with easy-to-find controls.
We didn't like the 1.8-inch color LCD screen, however. If Kodak is going to offer a camera larger than the typical 5-megapixel digital box, it should have enhanced the viewing experience with a bigger LCD.
Features
The C533 comes with Kodak's EasyShare software, a very user-friendly photo-management and editing program. To tag a picture for sharing while viewing it in the camera's LCD viewer, just press the Share button, which cues up the image for printing, e-mailing, scrapbooking, or whatever other fate you have in store for it.
The C533 takes sharp, clear pictures. Kodak cameras in all shapes and sizes are known for their picture quality, and this new model is no exception. You can also capture short video clips with accompanying audio, thanks to a built-in microphone. There are two video resolutions, in VGA at 640 x 480 pixels and 11 frames per second (fps), and in QVGA at 320 x 240 pixels and 20 fps.
The paltry 32 MB of resident memory won't store more than a few seconds of sound and video or a few dozen photos at higher resolutions, so we recommend getting a large-capacity SD/MMC card for the expansion slot.
Performance
Just because the C533 is a no-frills, entry-level digital camera doesn't mean it can't do the job. We loved the 13 still capture modes and the three color modes, which help take the guesswork and the chance out of taking pictures. With a turn or a flip of the dial, you can literally set it and forget it. (continued...)
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