Product Reviews (32)
Great camera with impressive zoom
Strengths: 12x Optical Zoom, good size LCD
Weakness: Slow focusing while zooming
This is a great camera to shoot outdoor shots. The 12x optical zoom brings you much closer to far away subjects. Coupled with 5MP, pictures come out great. Well worth the cost for the features available (as i got it for around 230). With manual controls, this allows a lot of flexibility. Slow focusing while zooming is a bit annoying. Battery life is fair. Imo, ae/af, focus and flash buttons aren't in good locations, as they could be accidentally pressed at times. Overall, this is a great camera for an advanced amateur.
By mcheng - Dec 26, 2005
Good value for the $
Strengths: feature set for the money, 12x zoom, image stabilization
Weakness: painfully slow to write, zoom focus also lags
I've been generally pleased with this camera. In daylight, it takes great pictures. It's too fast to think you have shadows to fill flash (often distant dark spots in the image will cause it to pop up its flash). Preset push to 400ISO works reasonably well - a bit grainy, even in fine JPG mode. Love the image stabilization. It lets me hand hold 1/4 second reliably. Super zoom has come in handy. Video (640x480, 30fps) is quite good, even the audio. In value terms, this one hits the mark. I can take the vast majority of the pictures I want and don't have to deal with a high-priced SLR when I'm traveling. Battery life was good for me, but I tend to use the EVF mostly, and LCD only for macro shots. It does well with contrast range, getting detail well in both bright and dark parts of the frame. Color reproduction is excellent, as with all better Kodak models.
By swede42 - Jul 5, 2006
Excellent Choice for the money!
Strengths: Magnificient IS, great lense, excellent zoom, Raw, Tiff format options, all manual settings, easy to navigate menu, vivid colours, Kodak's excellent customer's support!Good battery and fast charger.
Weakness: Hard to focus in low-light conditions, had 2 dead pixels on the CDD (already solved), slow transfer to PC even with a docking station. Made in China, :)) though the batteries are still made in Japan.
I have had this camera for almost 3 months and I am impressed by the pictures it takes. Regarding the macrofocus (mentioned in another review) I find it fine - if one is a bit more diligent in trying few shots on the subject, at least one would come out well...
Another important issue in great favor of the company is that Kodak have excellent customer's support. Shortly after I bought it, I discovered that the camera had two bad pixels on the CCD. After I got in touch with their team, I got the camera repaired quickly and professionally without any questions! I got the camera back (within a week) with the new firmware installed, with image calibration option which solved the problem with the bad pixels forever. I give them A for that!
Overall I am very happy with what I got for 400$. With two batteries and 1 GB SD card, I never happened to run out of storage or power. The biggest shortcoming of the camera until now is that I have to buy a DVD writer for my desktop PC, since I am running out of space with so many cool pix to save..:)
By tzetz - Jun 19, 2006
Haven't had it long but I'm already loving it..
Strengths: I love the 12X optical zoom - for the price, it's awesome. I love the large LCD screen. Great video focus most of the time and good sound as well.. Really good price for all that it offers!
Weakness: It takes longer than the Canon I was using before to upload the pictures.. Which gets annoying. Also, the zoom focus lag is a little long... The flash gets irritating when you can't turn it off.
I really do like this camera. I was using a Canon before, and the LCD screen was tiny... This is a great change.
The price is excellent. I decided I wanted it when I saw it on display for $397, and when we went to get it a couple days later we saw it marked down to only $269. Plus we got the last one in the store. :)
I'm loving the zoom. 12x is like heaven. I can be sitting here on the computer, see my kitten do something cute and snap a picture of her on the other side of the room. It's awesome.
It's noisy, which annoys me. You can hear the zoom adjusting when you're taking videos... That really doesn't bother me enough to make me say it's not worth it, though...
Overall this camera is great for the quality and price. I like it a lot, compared to some other cameras I have used on my way up to this one. I want to get some addons for it and probably upgrade in the future, but this is going to be my main camera for quite a while.
By midnight_tragedy - Jul 29, 2006
Kodaks Best Yet
Strengths: Great optics, best image quality from a Kodak consumer camera yet. Finally a RAW image
Weakness: Slow write in RAW mode, AE,AF button in poor location, I keep hitting it with my palm. Auto focus still not great
I am a pro shooter and have been using Kodak DCS cameras since 1999. This is the first prosumer camera from Kodak that meets my expectations of a quality camera. I have made 11 x 17 prints from fine jpg and am pleased with image quality.
By funzie50 - Sep 30, 2005
Practical and fairly priced
Strengths: 12 x optical zoom, quick start up and shutter, versatile preset shot modes, easy to use, battery life (major plus).
Weakness: None yet found on picture taking. Little slow on transfers to computer, use a card reader, much faster.
Shooting for the school yearbook I already have a camera which I have set for indoor shots. The Kodak 850 is great for action shots and zoom capabilties. The shutter can repeat shots fairly quickly, without spending hundreds extra for a Canon Rebel and the instant turn over. Battery life is great. First day out in 30 minutes I shot 160 pictures (added 512 mb card) without changing the battery. Actions shots and some still portraits without changing off the sports mode. I feel it is a good mid range priced camera for anyone willing to spend $350, consider the extras which will take your photos to another level.
By byates - Oct 11, 2005
Good camera, but....
Strengths: Great lenses, 12X zoom, good picture quality, image stabilization
Weakness: Crappy LCD screen (low resolution), short battery life, noisy indoor pics
I love the fact that P850 uses professional lenses with image stabilization. Very nice pictures. However, the LCD only has 115.000 pixels, when norm should be twice as much. I just quit using LCD when taking pics - EVF has 237.000 resolution. When in Review mode though - pics look nice! All the reviews say that the battery lasts for over 200 pictures per charge. Well, by the time I had taken 200 pictures I had to recharge the battery 3 times. I'll repeat - 3 times! And i am not using LCD, and I even turned off the image stabilization since I'm using a tripod. And still the battery is only good for taking 70-80 pics. That is not cool. Also, I had a weird problem with the camera when i first got it - i couldnt turn it off. I went back to the store and exchanged it. So in conclusion, the camera looks and feels nice, takes good pictures, but I am not very happy with it. Before P850 i had a Kodak DX6490 - i think it was better than P850 and took better pictures too. I think I am going to wait until next year and then will get a Panasonic - gotta love those Leica lenses :)
By vladi123456 - Jan 6, 2006
Good Zoom and MP for the size.
Strengths: SLR like compact body, 5MP, 2.5 LCD, 12x Optical zoom, Schneider Kreuznach Variogon Lens, Automatic and scene modes, 30fps movie mode, can attach extranal flash.
Weakness: Proprietary battery, Low battery life, indoor pictures could have been better, slow operation.
I was looking for a good brand camera with 5mp and good zoom with compact size and Kodak P850 is the answer.
I really like the compact size as compared to SLR's but a 12X zoom. The Schneider Kreuznach Variogon lens produces clear and crisp pictures.The 2.5" LCD is cool too.I haven't explored all the functions and modes right now but had few short sessions with family and the photographs are great.
By vkopp - Dec 8, 2005
Great camera
Strengths: Zoom is great, onboard features are great as well.
Weakness: size
The quality of the zoom is unreal on this camera. I was very impressed with how much detail was still there when the zoom was 100% used. No fuzzyness. My only complaing with the camera is the size - but it's a catch 22. You can't get a good zoom without a good lens, and good zoom lenses aren't small! I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in an advanced, easy to use camera.
By byazji - Dec 22, 2005
Distorted Pixels Shown in Display...
Strengths: Image stabilization was awesome, Focused perfectly and got lighting right every time in auto mode. Took great movies and also has A/V analog outputs for playback to TV/VCR.
Weakness: Seemed difficult to get close-ups in macro-mode.
CAMERA IMAGING SYSTEM STARTED TO FAIL WITH DISTORTED PIXELS IN VIEWFINDER AFTER NINE MONTHS OF USE; THREE MONTHS BEFORE IT WENT OUT OF WARRANTY. KODAK'S WARRANTY WEB PAGE SAYS THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY THE CAMERA GETTING WET OR BEING DROPPED, WHICH IT HAS NOT BEEN TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. KODAK'S WEB PAGE ALSO SAYS THEY WILL CHARGE YOU IF THEY DETERMINE THAT IT WAS DROPPED OR DAMAGED WHEN THE IMAGING SYSTEM FAILS WITH DISTORTED PIXELS SHOWING IN THE DISPLAY. TRIED E-MAILING THE MANUFACTURER FOR AN ADDRESS TO RETURN THE CAMERA TO, BUT YOU MUST AGREE TO THEIR WARRANTY REPAIR TERMS.
By tartpop - Jan 13, 2006
Best Kodak yet
Strengths: Good Zoom, Preset modes, List too long for space
Weakness: Extra Lens expesive
This is my 2nd Kodak Camera, my other is the DX7590. So far it has worked great. Good battery life with quick recharge.
Have a friend that has the Evolt, that cost around $1000. We went on a trip to Ireland and unless you know which camera it was taken on, you can not tell which one they came from.
Very Good Camera, well worth the money.
Pair it with the Kodak 500 Printer and you will have killer pictures.
By McBudd - Mar 13, 2006
Kodak P-850
Strengths: 12x optical magnification, image stabilization, large bright LCD, long battery life
Weakness: No option to turn flash off permanently, on/off switch is awkward
The Kodak P-850 is a great camera for all around use. The 2.5" color LCD is bright and easy to see, even in most bright sunlight situations. However, the electronic viewfinder is easier to use if the sun is directly behind you. The electronic viewfinder is good, though the smaller size does not allow you to see as much detail as does the LCD.
The optical magnification and the image stabilization make it especially good for nature photos. The 12x optical magnification lets you get close images of distant wildlife, and the image stabilization improves the odds of a crisp photo without a tripod. The first photos we made were mostly at near the maximum magnification and were all handheld; the majority of the shots were sharp. The digital magnification was used for a few shots of distant hawks, but these were not useable for such small subjects, though it might be good for distant landscape scenes.
Things I like
The camera fits comfortably in your right hand. The wide - telephoto switch is under your right thumb, which for me was perfect. It doesn't really have a place for your whole left hand to support, so I usually use just my left hand thumb and first finger for added stability. The button to alternate between the LCD and the electronic viewfinder is handy at the top left of the camera for operation .
Battery life has been really a lot better than expected.
The easy share software that comes with the camera is really easy to use.
Things that I dislike
The on/off switch which surrounds the shutter release button turns "on" in what to me seems to be the "wrong" direction, so I consistently turned the camera to the "favorites" position rather than to the "on" position.
There is no default setting that will keep the flash off , so if you don't want it, it must be turned off each time the camera is turned on.
It takes a little over 4 seconds after you turn the camera on for it to open the lense and be ready to shoot. Most of the time is spent in extending the lense - it would have been great if there was a position to leave the lense extended but the camera off.
Things that are ok, but not great.
The battery charger is a separate two-part unit that is not easy to pack in its ready-to-use mode, and if disassembled for ease of packing, one small part (the electric socket prongs) could easily be lost.
By lyni9 - Jan 29, 2006
Freezes up and Crashes
Strengths: 12x optical zoom, good paper weight
Weakness: Picture quality poor in cooler temperatures (anything below 5C ),AE/AF lock and manual settings buttons/toggles in poor location,low resolution LCD,cant shut off flash permanently,etc
Needless to say, I am not happy with this camera. The picture to picture lag is too long, even in jpeg fine setting, forget raw/tiff. I am constantly shutting the flash off and the manual settings are hard to get used to.
It has frozen up on several occasions to the point I couldnt even turn it off. The LCD doesnt give a very true representation of the picture you are taking, because of its poor resolution. Low light level shooting is almost impossible. I have owned both the DX6490 and DX7590 Kodaks, and in my opinion they are far superior to the P850. I definately dont recommend this camera to anyone who has had good luck with other Kodaks models, because kodak dropped the ball on this lemon...
By weebmaster - Jan 30, 2006
nice camera
Strengths: multiple manual features ( focus, light metering, multiple bursting modes, etc), can use zoom while filming, great EVF,
Weakness: slow shoot to shot time, zoom sounds on replay, slow fucosing and bad focus on low light enviroments,
greetings
I bought the kodak easyshare P850 on november 14-05, has great looks and feel, but already the LCD has gone bezerk and a pixel in the midle of the CCD has gone dead! and i have to return it in the original geographical area where it was bought ( in florida, im from venezuela ). there is no service for this product (in fact, theres not even the camera on Kodak´s overseas representative? i dont know how they got it in first place)
well ill use it untill i have the chance to go back and return it for a new one, theres no full policy return.
hope the review helped
By iburdeinick - Nov 22, 2005
Dead pixels on its CCD in all 3 P850 I bought!
Strengths: Many button outside the camera for easy use, 12 x optical zoom is Ok
Weakness: Dead pixels on its CCD in all 3 P850 I bought. Slow write to memory card after shooting. Slow fucosing and bad focus on low light enviroments. Very load zoom noise when replaying videos.
Not recommend to buy it. Don't know if I was out of luck, the all 3 P850 I bought from Dell have dead pixel on their CCD. Some are very obvious. At last I gave up and only kept one with 2 bad pixels on it.
By oceania_harbor - Dec 28, 2005
disappointed
Strengths: nice camera over all. very easy to take pictures with. self explanatory for the most part. anybody can work with this camera. but.....
Weakness: camera raw NOT compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS2. And i wasn't able to look at my raw files even in Kodak's raw file feature. i was sent from one update to the next to the next to the next...
i think there is a real problem with the raw file system. as mentioned in my "weakness" section, all i was able to get was jumping from one update to another. for some reason despite updating everything, i still couldn't open my raw files.
I am actually very disappointed as the camera is other than that well worth buying. However, as i so my editing in Photoshop this camera will have to go back to the store. Adobe had in it's most recent raw file update (3.2) the p850 not listed. So don't buy the camera for it's raw capabilities, they do leave to be desired.
By anonymous; - Nov 5, 2005
EXCELLENT CAMERA.....BANG FOR THE BUCK
Strengths: 12x zoom lens with image stabalization
Weakness: LCD diplay could have used higher resolution
Very nice point to shoot camera with all the feature of an SLR camera for the Price of a POINT TO SHOOT camera. All the accessories are are also cheap. But still can't beat the SLR picture quality. I still have to explore more on this Camera. But over all an excellent choice for a nice family camera with loads of features. Good for some fun pictures as well if you are a rookie and trying to learn all the different aspects of photography. And yes when you zoom in it does blur out the background juts like an SLR camera giving picture a nice professional feel. The lens is also great and excellent picture quality.
By javedfkhan - Apr 10, 2007
Easiest camera in the world
Strengths: Zoom is just fantastic. Movie mode is awesome. I picked up the camera on Friday and used it on Sat. without hardly reading the manual. Easy to handle.
Weakness: A little noise on the zoom in the video mode is noticed but the sound and the video outway the noise.
I have owned three digital cameras and this is by far the easiest to use with so many features. Any amateur can use and the pros should give this a higher rating for the money, quality of picture, the hot shoe for added flash and the zoom. This is far better than the Cannon or Sony in the same price and zoom range. Battery is still on the first charge after 15 minutes of video and 103 pictures. It has not even moved off the full mark displayed in the ever so large viewer. Don't wait any longer. Find one for yourself.
By anonymous; - Nov 12, 2006
Ok Camera?
Strengths: 640x480 movie mode makes great video, control buttons on outside make it easy to change settings without going into Menu,12 power zoom and flash shoe.
Weakness: Washed out colors and no edge detail, poor overall sharpness, my 4mgp Kodak 6490 and 7590 both take sharper detailed pictures as do both my Olympus cameras and my old 3.2 Kodak 1s almost as good.
I was very disapointed with this Pro850!! camera after spending over $650.00 for camera, matching flash unit, adaptor tube with Wide angle lens and docking station, and having to return the first one because it took 20 seconds between pictures. as noted my older Kodak and Olympus cameras take sharper clearer images especially in macro which I use alot for pics of my 160 Orchids. I don't think I will buy another Kodak when thier new image processors aren't as good as thier old ones.
By tbjr - Nov 9, 2006
Kodak EasyShare P850 Digital Camera
Strengths: Excellent quality camera with 12x zoom, ability to zoom while doing video, manual focus if you wish, and other features that make the camera great for a photo enthusiast.
Weakness: Learning to use all the features will take some time. The Auto mode could use some work so that all pictures are their best quality.
I have a Kodak DX6490 which is a good camera, but Kodak did a much better job with designing the EasyShare P850 camera. The P850 is a much better buy for someone who has taken pictures for years and want a camera that is not fully automatic. The P850 allows you to setup your own shooting modes and recall them when needed, allows for a more powerful external flash, and has a long 12X zoom lens. It may take me a while to adjust myself to all the features the camera has to offer.
By poppy1 - Jul 30, 2006
Easyshare p850 digital camera
Strengths: Great camera, easy to use.
Weakness: Noisey zoom, especially noticable when replaying a video.
Very versiatle, good range from zoom to macro. Especially like the image sablization. Also like the image stabilization feature. Cropping on camera is also nice. I like the non glare viewing window.
By anonymous; - Jul 26, 2006
Very Impressed and Very Happy
Strengths: Easy to use - excellent zoom and picture quality - excellent action photos. Large, clear LCD display on back. Terrific video capability as well!
Weakness: Only one generic automatic picture mode - no particularly special modes for sports or close-ups, etc.
Well, I finally went digital, moving away from my Canon Rebel EOS film camera to this Kodak P850. I'm having a blast. This is a great camera. All my digital toting friends are very impressed with the quality of the photos. I took some night photos at a major league soccer game that turned out unbelievably well. Easy to use and a lot of fun. I will use this for a long time. Bonus: outstanding video quality - really much better than I had hoped for!
By kentwaller - Jul 24, 2006
Kodak P850 Rocks!
Strengths: Great pictures, inexpensive, user control of settings, zoom, nearly foolproof, takes inexpensive SD cards
Weakness: Electronic zoom is a bit too fast to get the right magnification, bigger than a pocket camera, Other reviews have been too harsh on this great camera
Tis replaced my 3 Megapixel camera and I must say that the images are fantastic and the camera is nearly foolproof.
I immediately updated the firmware (yes, it ships with the old original firmware -- still). No big delays on shutter lag, just great pictures. Others commneted on the poor LCD display quality. Who cares! It is good enough to see what you took and it is good enough to delete the bad pictures. A bit tough to see the LCD in direct sunlight. I use the eye piece most of the time anyway.
I got this camera for such a low price (just under $250.00)and it is THE BARGAIN in the 12X zoom 5.0 Megapixel category.
User adjustments include the ability to tweak the ISO, F stop, etc. if you are so inclined or just point and shoot. Video is actually good on this camera.
SD cards (1 Gig for me) are super cheap from Tech-Bargain resources so there is no need to downsize images and there is plenty of room for video too.
I wish that the camera used regular AA batteries since I have so many NIMH batteries already, but it comes with a super small (folding AC prong) adapter that is probably the smallest that I have ever seen.
Just amazing for the price and the prior reviews here without the firmware upgrade are just not correct with regard to shutter lag, shut-off or lost pictures. Just no problems and great pictures at an insanely low price.
I wanted my 13 year old son to learn a bit about photography and this offers enough flexibility but without the risk of losing a big-buck investment. But in the end. It takes great pictures!.
By retro74 - Jun 23, 2006
Good, the best
Strengths: Its take realy good pictures, and I had a Kodak EasyShare DX6490 and it can't take so nice images as that modell can, so I say, that it's more better tan the DX6490.
Weakness: Nothing
This camera can take the sharpest picture in the bridge category, so I prefer this model. But it's true, that if you want to read the memory card you have to use a card reader.And I like taht in zoom it cant focus quickly, because you can take a lot of bad picture by focusing at taking a picture, but if you choose a white thing, and you zoom to that you can easy focus, then you press the shutter button half, and it will take the correct focus.
It can take realy good pictures in ISO 400 and 800 apart form it noisi you can edit it whit a free software called Noiseware Community Edition.
To sum up I can say, that this is one of the two top from the Kodak, and it easily find
By anonymous; - Jun 19, 2006
Nice camera - when it works
Strengths: Nice lens, image stabilization works pretty good
Weakness: Low resolution LCD, very short battery life - lots of stuff, actually - just read my opinion below
This is my second P850 in 3 months. First one - I couldn't turn it off - I had to remove the battery. This second camera - I've had it for a few months, and it’s acting weird again - when I turn it on and start taking pictures - it just starts turning itself on and off every 10-15 seconds. And again - I have to remove the battery to stop that, because simply switching the camera On and Off doesnt do anything - it keeps turning itself on and off after you turn it back on. Unfortunately, I didnt buy an extended warranty, so I have to deal with Kodak service department - but the thing is - I really dont want this camera anymore. I've had two P850s, and they both had issues. I bought P850 because my previous camera was DX6490, which was great - but after having p850 - I dont think I am going to buy another Kodak again.
A few good things - image stabilization works great. pictures in daylight look pretty good.
A few more bad things - battery life - i can only take about 80-90 pictures per charge - that is just not cool. automatic flash is always on - you have to turn it off every time you dont need it. Also, flash takes a long time to recharge, so when taking pictures at night - half of them turn out underexposed, becasue the camera takes pictures even while flash is still charging. And last but not least - if you want to use higher ISO settings - pictures look very noisy. I hear all the people complaining about Panasonic cameras being noisy. Well, this Kodak is a lot worse. So in my opinion - nobody should buy this camera until Kodak fixes the issues. And even then i wouldnt - i am done with kodak
By anonymous; - Jan 27, 2006
KODAK P850
Strengths: 12Xoptical zoom, good lens, big LCD, long time of battery use , with good stablization when zooming
Weakness: record with internal machine sound, record film can't play using Realplay software on computer, big dot on LCD , no delay phote function, easy dirty of some plastic parts
this is my second digital camera. It's a fairly good. My first one is sony P10. This has good lens, big LCD, long time of battery use, It can be easy to zoom very far thing without blurring because it has stablization.
By anonymous; - Dec 10, 2005
Kodak P850 Digital Camera
Strengths: Nice zoom and stabilization feature. Bust mode is nice to have for taking sports pictures!
Weakness: I just wish it was more megapixals.
Great Camera, I love it! Check the features out and you will know what i mean. The shutter speed is not as fast a some, but it not horrible.
Hope this helps!
By anonymous; - Dec 8, 2005
Kodak P850
Strengths: features are clear and easy to manupulate.I like the body except silver color zoom. Anyway my pictures are great.
Weakness: None so far.
I like it because , I was looking for high zoom with a high megapixel and the p850 fits into that category.The price is fair. the lcd is larger like that very much
By anonymous; - Nov 28, 2005
Best Kodak Digital Camera For Party Photos
Image is Excellent according to 9 Digital Camera experts. -- "the best photo sharing system in the industry."-dcresource.com -- "The P850 takes very good to excellent images with low noise levels."-digitalcamerareview.com -- "The colors are accurate -- the custom white balance had no problem with my quartz studio lamps"-dcresource.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Video,...
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By reviewgist.com - Jan 5, 2010
Kodak EasyShare P850
Testseek.com has collected 24 expert reviews for Kodak EasyShare P850 and the average expert rating is 65 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.
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By testseek.com - Feb 9, 2009
Kodak EasyShare P850
Kodak's EasyShare line of digital cameras has long been a favorite among a wide range of consumers, as they pretty universally live up to the "Easy" part of their name. While somewhat more advanced than the typical EasyShare model, the new Kodak P850 offers a wide range of exposure and creative control without compromising usability. The P850 offers partial and full manual exposure modes for the...
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By Imaging Resource - Dec 15, 2005
DCRP Review: Kodak EasyShare P850
If the competition wasn't so fierce the P850 would be near the top of my list of ultra zoom cameras. Unfortunately the competition is the Canon PowerShot S2, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5/FZ30, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1. Although I think there are better ultra zoom cameras out there, the P850 is absolutely worth a look.
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By DCResource - Dec 3, 2005