Kodak EasyShare C875 review

A camera doesn't have to be ambitious to be worthwhile. Sometimes a digital camera should just cut through the gimmicks of touch screens and Wi-Fi and focus on producing good images. Bells and whistles can be nice, but the most important aspects of any camera are its lens, sensor, and image processor.

Kodak succeeds in this respect with the EasyShare C875, the high-end member of the EasyShare C series of snapshot cameras. This solid 8-megapixel point-and-shoot doesn't have any outrageous gimmicks, but it produces good pictures and offers plenty of advanced controls.

The C875 is a fairly chunky little camera, measuring 1.5 inches wide and weighing just over 6 ounces. It's really too big to fit in most pants pockets, but it makes a great jacket or purse camera. The right side of the camera sticks out a bit to hold two AA batteries and offer a nice grip.

The camera's controls are pretty standard: a mode dial on top, a joystick on the back, and various buttons for other functions. Unfortunately, the buttons feel awkward; they're too small and shallow to press comfortably. Also, large-thumbed users will find the tiny zoom rocker difficult to manipulate, and the joystick's occasional sticking and slipping may make you wish for a more conventional directional pad.

Beyond its 8-megapixel sensor and 37-to-180mm-equivalent 5X optical zoom lens, the C875 is a fairly nondescript camera. It sports a broad variety of shooting modes, including Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, and Manual modes for advanced users and a handful of scene presets for casual users. Though it lacks an image stabilization feature, the sensor can be cranked up to ISO 800 for low-light and zoom shots.