Great Digital Camera

We purchased the Kodak 4530 in 2004 when we were expecting our first child. Since then we have taken over 8000 high quality photos. At 5 mega pixels it is now one of the lower mega-pixel cameras but we have always been happy with the quality. We have had many of the pictures blown up (up to 20x30)and they have not gotten grainy. The 3x optical zoom is sufficient for everyday pics. I have taken pictures of everything from people, animals, scenery, still shots and action shots.

The camera has 5 different modes for taking pictures and an option for taking video.

The "Auto" option is the one we use the most and is for general picture taking.

Sport mode for action shots.

Night for low light shots where you want both the subject and the background visible. I have found that the Night mode doesn't take great pictures. You can see the subject but the background is usually blurry if it is visible at all.

Landscape for distant scenery shots.

Close Up mode for taking pictures of objects closer than 28 inches. When using this mode the camera automatically switches to the LCD display. You can switch to the LCD display at any time but I prefer to use the view finder.

The camera has a built in timer so we have been able to take family pics without any one missing from the photo. You do have to reset the timer option after each picture.

My only complaints are the Kodak battery life and the shutter speed. We have to keep the camera on the dock when we are not using it or it dies within hours of use. We recently started using Eneloop batteries and are much happier with how long they last. The shutter speed is pretty slow. My daughter is now 2 1/2 years old and moves very quickly. I have missed many good pictures because she moved before the camera took the pic.

Otherwise we would highly recommend this camera.