>>> I need a new camera like my husband needs a new gun, but I want a digital >>> camera that I can use with one hand while riding. I don't necessarily need >>> the video function. I really like my little Flip camera.
I used to think of Kodak's as low-end cameras as far as quality, but I just bought my third digital Kodak. I have a more expensive Konica Minolta with a 12x optical zoom, but I never bother to get it out - it's heavier, the battery life isn't so great, and it has so many options that it takes longer to setup when those "Kodak moments" strike. I love my little Kodak V610, but they don't make them anymore. It has a dual lens (automatic-switching) with a 10X optical zoom total capacity and it's still very small. I would love to really get into it the way Mic has, but for now, I enjoy the very good (albeit not professional) quality I get out of these little ones, with the convenience of having a camera that can hang around my neck, or easily fit in a tiny saddle bag. I like the convenience of being able to use disposable AA batteries that I can buy anywhere I need them (like on vacation or on the trail, when finding an outlet to recharge batteries isn't always easy), but the smaller ones like the V610 can't handle the bulk of the AA's. I just found a discontinued Kodak M853 at Office Max on sale for a great discount - about $100. It's even smaller than my V610, but has more pixel capacity while using the same batteries and memory cards as the other one. Since I now have two that use the same accessories, I didn't mind buying a couple more spare batteries that are interchangeable between the two cameras. Since Cary takes pictures too, we can justify having two similar cameras - that may not make sense for everyone though. We hope to be having lots of "Kodak moments" any day now, when the two foals finally come out to play. :) Karen Thomas, NC
