About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
As seems to be a common theme with beginner-level Kodak cameras, the image quality with this camera is pretty good, and my Kodak EasyShare M590 review shows this model is extremely easy to use, too. Its response times leave something to be desired, though.
Although you'll have some unuseable photos with the M590, this camera certainly does an OK job with image quality compared to other sub-$150 cameras.
Those response times can be a bit frustrating, though.
If I was forced to choose, I'd pick the EasyShare M580 over this camera after my Kodak EasyShare M590 review, even though it's a little more expensive. But if saving money is a key goal, the M590 is a decent inexpensive camera.
Pros
- Decent image quality, at least when compared to similarly priced cameras
- Kodak included several buttons on the back panel, making it easy to find the desired function
- LCD is sharp and fairly bright, even when used outdoors
- Extremely thin camera body and a clean design, with a variety of colors available
- Easy to manage and sort photos in the camera
Cons
- Autofocus is a little slow at times, and the camera's focus is a bit soft on occasion
- Response times are a bit below average
- The zoom lens moves a bit slow, and some wide angle capabilities would be nice to have
- Built-in flash seems to wash out close-up photos fairly often
- LCD seems a bit small compared to the size of the camera
Description
- Resolution: 14 megapixels
- Optical zoom: 5X (35-175mm)
- LCD: 2.7-inch, 230,000 pixels
- Maximum image size: 4320 x 3242 pixels
- Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion
- Dimensions: 2.3 x 3.8 x 0.6 inches
- Weight: 4.55 ounces (with battery and memory card)
- Image sensor: CCD 1/2.3 in.
- Movie mode: HD (1280x720) or VGA (640x480)
Guide Review - Kodak EasyShare M590 Review
Image Quality
Most of the time, the image quality that I found during my Kodak EasyShare M590 review was pretty good with outdoor photos. The colors seem realistic most of the time. However, you will have a few outdoor photos where the autofocus is a little soft and some where the colors are a little off. You'll notice some noise in photos with a lot of blue sky, which is disappointing.
With indoor photos, again, the focus just seemed a bit soft from time to time. Macro mode focus is really good most of the time, though. The colors on indoor photos for the M590 seemed a bit dull, but the overall quality of indoor photos was a bit above average, at least when compared to other cameras in this price range.
Photos shot with the flash were hit and miss in terms of quality -- you'll have some really good flash images, and you'll have some unuseable flash images.
Surprisingly for a sub-$150 camera, the M590's exposure was actually very good. Details aren't lost in the shadows on sunny days, for example, which is pretty rare with budget-priced cameras. Exposure on indoor photos was pretty good, too.
Performance
Shutter lag is a problem with the M590, especially when shooting in auto mode. You can fix some problems with missing photos that feature moving subjects by shooting in the "sports" scene mode, one of 20 scene modes on the EasyShare M590, which help make this camera very easy to use.
Shot to shot delays are an oddity with the M590. While the previously shot image is visible on the LCD, you can press the shutter button halfway to make the camera ready to shoot again; otherwise, if you wait, the camera won't be ready for a few seconds.
The M590's lens has no wide angle capabilities, although having a full 5X zoom is nice in this price point. The lens moves a little slowly through its magnification steps. Autofocus can be a little slow at times, too, meaning you'll need patience.
Design
Kodak has created an extremely thin and lightweight camera with the M590. The lens does not extend beyond the camera body, which contributes to the thinness of this camera. It's a clean, simple design on the front of the camera.
Several buttons are available on the back of the camera, each offering easy-to-use shortcuts to various camera features and menus. These are great for making the M590 very easy to use. However, the large number of buttons has forced Kodak to reduce the size of the LCD, which measures 2.7 inches diagonally. Compared to the size of the camera, the LCD seems even smaller than 2.7 inches.
Two other design features I did not like were the fact that you only can charge the Lithium-ion battery inside the camera, and that the M590 only can use the tiny microSD memory cards.
Finally, Kodak has included the ability to easily share photos and videos with various Web sites and social networking outlets, such as Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube. You also can mark photos inside the camera with "tags," making it easy to sort them later. Ease of use is a primary benefit of the M590.