I've been wanting a digital camera for a while now. This weekend I went out and picked one up. A nice little Kodak Easy Share CX6330. A nice little entry camera.
Boy, is that an oxymoron.
Easy my foot. The thing comes with a users manual that is 100 pages long. At the beginning of the manual it tells you that you can get a LARGER PRINT version, for download, from the Kodak site if the print is too small to read. (and it is) Oh, and did I mention, it's about 100 pages long. Think of all the fun you'll have printing that thing out. Or, you could just get used to reading it on the computer.
That's like the billboard that said, "Illiterate? Write for help here...". If the font is too small to read, how do you read the information on getting a BIGGER print copy? Just asking.
Anyway, I was about 30 pages into the book and Dudette asked if she could see the camera. But of course dah-ling.
Less than a minute later, with my nose still in the book, she says, "smile", followed with the flash going off. She then shows me the nice little picture of me (reading the book) in the "review" LCD.
Then she goes about zooming it in, zooming it out, changing options, and on, and on, and on.
Ya know, they reserve a special place for people like that.
So far it's been fun messing with the thing. I have figured out that I will need to more memory. And rechargable batteries. And an AC power adapter. And a small camera case. But other than that, I'm good.
Soon, I'll be able to post pictures on a regular basis. And now, I'll be able to "see" and delete the bad shots and retake them, rather than having to wait for the film to run out, only to find the pictures are not all that good. I know I owe billy a picture of me with a bottle of beer. And I promised Bogie a picture of the dragon she gave me for Christmas.
So, once I get the software installed and running, I plan on getting my credit straightened out.
S'all good.
Pictures develop...er, happen. (SMILE..."FLASH")
I was thinking that you were lucky that you actually got instructions included. I don't know how many digital cameras and scanners I have figured out because there was no documentation (either it wasn't included or the item in question was old and the documentation was lost).
I think that Dudette and I will be in that "special place" together!
Posted by: bogie | May 11, 2004 at 07:16 AM
We gals will be sitting in that special place drinking our tea while the guys are still on page 42 of the manual! (Manual? Those things come with manuals?) Mostly, these days, they just give us a website address and say, "Go look."
Posted by: Cop Car | May 11, 2004 at 11:17 AM
Yeah, I've done my time with the, "manual? This had a manual?" type of equipment before. Old and new.
And as far as the "go look" aspect, the book has some of that also. No kidding. On almost any page, there are references to at least 5 other pages/"getting started" software/web sites/ or other support areas. Example from the book, no lie, on page 32, "Reviewing the video just taken", there are three instructions. One has "see page 55", the next has "see page 47" and the last has "see page 52". Three references for three instructions.
That is unreal. Every single page is like that.
Posted by: Wichi Dude | May 11, 2004 at 08:58 PM
Where'd you go? Hope the camera is great for ya!
Posted by: Chelle | May 14, 2004 at 06:42 AM
The FIRST thing my photography teacher told me was "throw away the camera manual." If you need a reference, there are usually books out there that are better.
Then again, he dressed up in very scary drag to illustrate the idea of cross-processing, so take it with a grain of salt.
Posted by: QC | May 14, 2004 at 09:39 PM