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August 2003: Kodak’s latest EasyShare digital camera, the DX6490 zoom, is aimed at ‘advanced amateur’ photographers and features a 4-megapixel sensor plus a high-quality Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 10x optical zoom lens (38-380 mm equivalent) with a f/2.8-f/3.7 maximum aperture.
The new model – Kodak’s first with SLR-like styling – also includes ‘intelligent’ matrix metering, along with low-light precision auto focusing and multiple shooting modes. The long lens gives photographers outstanding framing flexibility, allowing them to come close to the action and fill the frame or achieve more natural poses from subjects by shooting at a comfortable working distance. Its dual-speed zoom control allows DX6490 camera owners to drive the lens from 1x to 10x in only two seconds. Kodak’s Advanced Digital Zoom can be used to extend the total magnification up to 30x.
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The DX6490 is the first to include the new Kodak Colour Science image processing chip, which combines a high-performance digital signal processor with professionally-derived image process engineering. It uses Kodak’s proprietary white balance algorithms, which are based on more than 75 years of Kodak research into the science and emotion of colour. Each time the shutter is pressed, the camera analyses ambient lighting conditions and adjusts the image colour balance to deliver sharp pictures with accurate colour and correct exposure.
The DX6490 also offers full manual control over aperture and shutter speed settings, exposure compensation and sensitivity, and includes aperture and shutter priority modes, as well as sport, portrait, night, landscape, macro and automatic program modes. Four in-camera colour modes (saturated, neutral, black-and-white and sepia) provide additional creative options.
Its new hybrid autofocus system combines rapid phase detection with TTL contrast detection, allowing the camera to be used under a wide range of lighting conditions, right down to very low light levels. External flash synch (at any shutter speed ) is included for lighting subjects beyond the range of the pop-up flash. Other notable features include a TTL electronic viewfinder with diopter adjustment and a large, 2.2-inch indoor/outdoor LCD monitor. 16 MB of internal memory is provided for image storage, along with a slot that accepts optional SD/MMC cards.
The DX6490 also boasts a number of familiar Kodak features, including a ‘Share’ button that allows images to be tagged for e-mailing, printing or marking as favourites plus storage for up to 32 on-camera e-mail addresses. A new album feature, used in conjunction with Kodak EasyShare software version 3, allows pictures to be organised on the camera. Additional features include joystick and jog-dial controls for rapid control access, easy-to-read menu options and the ability to record and play back continuous digital video with audio.
Priced to sell at $1099, the DX6490 is scheduled for release in September. It is compatible with the Kodak EasyShare camera dock 6000, which provides one-touch picture transfer to a connected PC while keeping the camera’s lithium-ion battery charged and ready to go. The DX6490 can also be used with the Kodak EasyShare printer dock 6000. More information on Kodak EasyShare products is available at www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare.
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