Foreword:

A budget camera that delivers great image quality coupled with HD video capture? Look no further than Kodak’s EasyShare M1093 IS that sells direct for $159.95. With optical image stabilisation, a large LCD screen, and a decent user interface, the M1093 gets the job done with as little frills as possible.

With the dimensions of a deck of cards (2.25×3.25×0.78 inches HWD) the M1093 is very plain looking. But being a budget camera with an impressive list of features that does not matter much. The UI is intuitive and usable while the buttons, though not very comfortable, are all part of the great quality at cheap prices bargain.

+Ves:

• The quality of images from this compact camera is great. Little to no color fringing was present, and the camera excelled in extremely bright conditions, beating some costlier cameras at their game
• The images are sharp and there was very little noise all the way up to ISO 800 – a star performer.
• At the center, the camera captures 2482 lines per picture height that decreases by 28 percent as you move to the outer regions. This results in a crisp picture throughout.
• The optical image stabilization works like a charm and with a fair amount of shaking, takes decently sharp images.
• HD video output at 720p are stunning and are saved as .MOV files which can be uploaded to YouTube instantly. The camera also supports zooming while shooting that some other expensive cameras like Canon’s PowerShot SD970 IS do not allow – a killer deal.

-Ves:

• The speed of shooting is not an area where this camera excelled. Though initially the camera takes the industry average time of about 4.13 seconds from start up to first shot and the average 1.89 seconds between shots, after three shots in the memory’s buffer, shot time increased to 8.98 seconds. Shutter lag tests came out to 0.89 second between shutter press and imager capture – quite a bit if compared to its competitors.
• HDMI-out HDTV playback is not directly possible with this camera, with an optional cable with component video and RCA playback needed for a proper HDTV connectivity.
• A proprietary USB cable (included) is used to charge the batteries – a universal mini-USB cable would have helped, or one that is able to plug into a computer’s USB port and charge up the batteries.

Final Word:

Though not the speediest of cameras, the M1093 packs a solid punch with great and sharp image capture and cheap price. Its large display is something that is not found in costlier cameras, and that coupled with HD video capture should certainly be a good point to consider when buying a budget camera. Highly recommended!