Kodak EasyShare M575

The Kodak EasyShare M575 is a pared-down version of the Kodak EasyShare M580 (*Est. $145), a decent cheap digital camera, but neither Kodak performs as well in tests as the top-rated budget cameras from Canon. Unlike the M580, the EasyShare M575 has a less powerful lens (5x versus the M580's 8x), omits the HDMI port, and is a little slimmer (0.7 inches versus 1 inch), but otherwise the two cameras are nearly identical.

Reviewers say the M575 has most of the same benefits and drawbacks as the M580. Both cameras can shoot 720p HD videos, but neither allows you to use the optical zoom while doing so (and since the M575 skips the HDMI port, you can't hook it up to your HDTV to watch your videos). Both lack an optical viewfinder -- as most cheap cameras do -- but they do have big, 3-inch LCD screens, which experts say are a bit fuzzy, dull and hard to see in low light. Both use a 14-megapixel image sensor that turns out decent photos in good light, but reviewers say low-light and enlarged photos aren't great. Some owners and professional testers complain that both shutter and shot-to-shot times are so slow that they miss the moments they were trying to capture. Overall, reviewers prefer the reliable image quality and usability of Canon's inexpensive digital cameras, such as the HD video-capable Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS (*Est. $180).

Steves-Digicams.com is an enthusiast site that publishes thorough, reliable digital camera tests, including one of the most comprehensive reviews we found for the Kodak EasyShare M575. ConsumerReports.org and its British counterpart, Which? magazine, conduct complete tests that are accessible to subscribers. Owner feedback at Amazon.com includes both praise and criticism.