EasyShare M580 From Kodak

If you're looking for a camera with big zoom, without breaking the bank, the 14.1-megapixel Kodak EasyShare M580 is a fantastic choice. This pocket shooter delivers 8x optical zoom, along with excellent image and HD-video quality, all at a $199.95 (direct) price that's hard to beat. The M580 doesn't have the slim build you'll get on some other cameras in this price range (like the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS ($229.99, ) or the Sony Cyber-shot W350 ($199.99, ), but what the M580 lacks in portability, it makes up for with excellent image quality, a large LCD, and big zoom.

Specifications
Type
Compact
Megapixels
14 MP
Media Format
Secure Digital High Capacity
35-mm Equivalent (Wide)
28
35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto)
224
Optical Zoom
8 x
LCD size
3 inches
Wireless Connectivity
No
HD Video Capture
Yes

Design and Features
Undoubtedly the best feature of the M580 is the 8x optical zoom lens it packs into a 1-inch thick body. The nondescript camera comes in a metallic hues including bluish gray, purple, and pink, measures 2.3 by 4 by 1 inch (HWD), and weighs in at just over five ounces. The lens' focal length extends from 28-224mm (35mm equivalent), with corresponding aperture of f/3.3 (w) to f/5.6. Typically, a $200 camera comes with 4-5x zoom (in the vicinity of 28-112mm), so the M580's 8x zoom is a nice bonus. To compare, the 10x zoom on the pricier FujiFilm Finepix F80EXR ($299.95, ) starts at 27mm, and reaches all the way to 270mm. (Remember, always check the focal length to determine the true zoom distance of a camera's lens).

The M580 lacks the zoom in/out trigger on top of the camera that most manufacturers use, instead opting for a rocker-style button on the back of the camera. The rocker works fine, but it definitely takes some getting used to. Most of the camera's other controls, including a dedicated button for switching between automatic and manual modes, a flash toggle, and a directional pad for navigating the menus, are straightforward and simple to use.

The large, 3-inch, 230,000-dot LCD is about as large and sharp as they come in this price range. The same display specs are often found on more-expensive cameras like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V ($299.95, ) or the $300 FujiFilm FinePix F80EXR.

The user interface isn't flashy, but it gets the job done and makes the M580 fast and easy to operate. The UI mostly consists of black and white menu text with selected items highlighted in red, all projected on top of your image.

If the process of copying photos to your computer and sharing them on the Web or via e-mail intimidates you, the M580 is even more compelling. The camera includes PC software that syncs with the camera whenever it's connected via USB. When the camera is disconnected from a computer, you can tap the Share button, and it will let you flag the photos you want to share. You can enter e-mail addresses, or send them to Facebook, Flickr or Kodak Gallery. Once you plug the camera into your computer, the software will send the flagged photos.

Performance
Taking photos with the M580 feels really fast, especially since shutter lag time is low. I measured an average of just .4 seconds between hitting the shutter button and image capture—you won't find a compact camera that's faster in this regard. Less impressive, the camera boot ups and shoots its first picture in an average of 3.5 seconds, and there's 2.3 seconds of wait time between shots.

In PC Labs, we use the Imatest suite to objectively measure image quality, and sharpness results for the M580 were spectacular throughout the frame. The camera scored a center-weighted average of 2,127 lines per picture height (2,241 in the center, 2,093 part way between the corners and the center, and 1,769 in the corner regions). Even the pricier $300 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V couldn't deliver those scores, averaging just 1,796 lines (1,987 in the center, 1,686 part way, and 1,357 in the corners). In my tests, chromatic aberration was not significant, so images from the M580 won't show noticeable color fringing.

If Imatest measures 1.5 percent or more noise within an image, the image will look grainy. Tests showed that the M580 can crank out images with low noise when you're in good lighting conditions (ISO 100-400), or using the flash. At ISO 100, 200, and 400, images averaged .66, .68 and 1.08 percent noise—all three are excellent results. The higher sensitivities (required for low light situations without the flash), however, didn't produce usable images: ISO 800 and 1600 jumped up to 1.81 and 3.05 percent noise. To be fair, not many cameras in this price range can deliver clean images at higher ISOs—that's where D-SLRs come in. A notable exception: the Sony Cyber-shot HX5V averaged just .87 and 1.4 percent noise at ISO 800 and 1600.

Videos are recorded in high-definition at 720p30 and look great. They're saved as .MOV files, which can be quickly and easily uploaded to Facebook and YouTube. While recording video, the M580's lens will not zoom or refocus. This is not uncommon in lower-price pocket cameras, as lens noise would be picked up in recordings. You can use the digital zoom, but you'll end up with pixelated footage.

Connectivity options on the M580 are better than most cameras, regardless of price or type. There's a micro-USB port for connecting the camera to your computer, and a mini-HDMI port for image and video playback on HDTVs. These are industry-standard connectors, so you can buy replacement cables anywhere—the USB cable is included, the HDMI is not. The M580 can also charge its battery via the USB cable, so there's no need to tote a separate battery charger.

The Kodak EasyShare M580 packs a lot of value into a budget camera. You get excellent image quality, a longer-than-average zoom lens, and a large LCD all for less than $200. The camera lacks a few features picky photographers might miss—a small build, a zoom trigger, and optical zoom in video mode, but there's no denying that you get a lot for your money with the M580.

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