Kodak EasyShare CX4200
While it shares a number of similarities with the CX4230 and CX4300, the CX4200 is Kodak's absolute entry level model, and it shows.
The body of the CX4200 is essentially identical to those of the 4230 and 4300 cameras; the unit switches on via a stiff switch underneath the lens, the shutter buttonsits alone on top of the camera and a variety of buttons control the action on the preview LCD on the back of the camera.
The CX4200 uses Kodak's easy to use menu system, where individual options are represented both in text and symbolically superimposed on the preview LCD. Like its brethren, it comes with a decent 16MB of internal memory, with the option to upgrade via standard SD/MMC cards. It's a 2.0 Megapixel camera, and the 16MB of memory is good for 17 shots at best quality (1632x1232 Resolution).
We've said it before and we'll say it again; digital zoom isn't worth having. The CX4200 offers a 2X digital zoom that jumps forward into the image, which can be particularly unsettling. Power is supplied via standard AA batteries or a lithium battery, although the supplied battery isn't rechargeable; you'll need to purchase Kodak's Camera Dock (AU$149) in order to gain battery recharging capability.
The single biggest appeal of the CX4200 comes from its price; at AU$299 it's the second-cheapest camera in our roundup, and given its feature set it does represent good value for money. If your budget does stretch to it, however, we'd recommend its CX4230/4300 brethren, which come with optical zoom and greater resolution respectively. At the lower end of the market, though, it's harder to do better than the CX4200.
Kodak CX4200
Company: Kodak Australia
Price: AU$299
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 03 9353 2222
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I have just seen an advertisement for the CX4230 in a pop up when I went to the Korean Herald newspaper at http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/index.asp . It was selling there for 185000 Won which equals AU$204, half what we would pay for it. I wonder why we can't get it at that price here?