Unpacking the Kodak Easyshare V1253 HD camera

Oh my, I’ve never been this excited to unpack a point and shoot camera. Kodak recently launched their new line of V-series cameras. A little bit of history: the V-series leads the point and shoot camera industry by introducing new features that you wouldn’t usually find in point and shoot cameras. The V570 for instance had a dual lens that supported wide angles. The V610 introduced Bluetooth connectivity to casual cameras. And now, the V1253 HD camera introduces HD-quality photos and video recording. Yup, HD video recording on a point and shoot camera.

The Easyshare V1253 is priced locally at P21,995.00, which is quite over the $300.00 price point in the USA and online stores. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t it make this camera the cheapest HD video cam in existence (admittedly, I’m not expecting the BEST in quality from this compared to a real HD camera, but you get my drift …)

The obvious difference between the V610 (last year’s flagship model) and the V1253 is the percentage of real estate the screen takes up. Not only does the V1253 have a wider 3.1 inch screen, it also has a smaller overall real estate. Please note that there is a more affordable V1233 HD model that boasts the same features as the V1253 except that it has a 2.5 inch screen. The V610 boasts a 2.8 inch screen.

In terms of image size, the V1253 allows for a maximum resolution of 12MP (4:3) and the smallest allocation for 1.2MP. A 1GB card can get you 270 shots. In terms of video, the camera supports five resolutions – 1280 x 720 (HD720p HQ), 1280 x 720 (HD720p), 640 x 480 HQ, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240. A 1GB card supports around 8 minutes of recording time on HQ HD and 16 minutes for the regular 1280 x 720 HD resolution.

Here’s the thing. The V1253 HD camera does not come with an HD TV dock. It only comes with a variety of chargers, TV out cable. From what I understand, you will need to purchase the dock to be able to view your photos on HD mode (I may be mistaken here – please give me time to work on the camera):

The KODAK EASYSHARE HDTV Dock connects to your HDTV to process pictures from KODAK HD-enabled digital cameras, SD memory cards or USB drives to deliver an outstanding visual experience to share with family and friends. The launch of the HDTV Dock, not only makes viewing images in HD possible, but also makes it easy. [read]

Writing this out of the box narration leaves me with more questions than answers. I’m excited to try out the new HD features. Honestly, I’m not too keen on the photo aspect – but on the video, for obvious reasons. I’ll be doing some recording experiments with Kate for our show and see what happens. Stay tuned for more reviews and photos from this camera.