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While most of us can ensure the relative safety of our electrical gadgets, there are those who need them to perform confidently under tougher-than-average conditions. Construction workers, emergency services, insurance adjusters and even outdoor enthusiasts regularly find themselves in dusty, dirty or wet environments and need to know that their equipment can keep up.
These are the conditions you would be mad to take a digital camera into - unless it was Kodak's new DC5000, the first rugged weatherproof digital camera we've tested. Note the term weatherproof. The DC5000 is not waterproof, nor designed to be submerged or have water poured over it. It is, however, fairly resistant to rain and excessive dirt or dust, meeting the IEC 529 Class 4/IP 54 standard.
From the outside, the DC5000 is certainly chunky. Measuring 140 x 89 x 83mm and weighing 459g without batteries it's actually quite a monster compared to the current raft of increasingly waif-like digital models. It does, however, feel reassuringly solid and capable of taking on some rough treatment. Like other sports equipment, there's also something quite satisfying about the rubber exterior, dust-proof seals and over-sized controls you can handle while gloved-up.
One such sealed door on the side opens to reveal the power, TV video output and serial/USB connectors, along with a Type I Compact Flash slot (sadly not capable of taking the IBM Microdrive, but then, would it really like being knocked around by the DC5000's target techno-ruffians?). Underneath, another door opens to accept four AA batteries. Kodak supplies a set of alkalines, but it's up to you to buy some rechargeables and a recharger.
On the inside, the DC5000 is a remarkably familiar camera - it is in fact essentially a Kodak DC280, rubbered-up for a bit of rough trade. Now, although the DC280 was a pretty good camera when it first came out, the digital goalposts have been moved considerably. Fortunately for Kodak, the DC280 was slightly ahead of the game on first release, so its spec just about compares with today's competition.
The DC5000 is a 2.1megapixel camera, but unlike the 1800 x 1,200 resolution of other 2.1 models, Kodak uses a CCD that delivers 1760 x 1168 pixels. An additional 896 x 592 pixel mode is offered, as are three levels of JPEG compression - there is no uncompressed TIFF mode. At the best-quality resolution and JPEG setting, the DC5000 delivers typical image files between 590Kb and 980Kb, which results in around 10 pictures on the supplied 8Mb memory card. Rather disappointingly, the optical zoom lens is only 2x, equivalent to a 30-60mm focal length on a 35mm film camera; the actual specification is 6.5-13mm, f3~3.8. The closest macro focusing distance is a distant 25cm.
The DC5000 is pretty much an automatic affair with no manual control over its two aperture settings or the shutter speeds between 1/2 and 1/755 seconds. You can, however, adjust the exposure compensation from +/-2EV in half EV steps and choose between multi-pattern or centre-weighted metering. The flash can be forced on or off, left to auto or set for red-eye reduction.
All in all, it's an easy camera to use. The menus are intuitive, and it's possible to directly adjust the flash, macro and self-timer modes from three buttons on the top alongside a clear LCD panel. The supplied software is also good, including a utility to remotely configure and control the camera from your PC. Ultimately though, the DC5000 is nothing more than a weatherproof DC280 which, despite delivering good-quality pictures, is showing signs of age. On the other hand, what other options are there for rugged-style environments.
If you're a consumer worried about a little splashing, you could go for the far more desirable Canon Digital Ixus or Sony DSC-P1 and invest in their (admittedly expensive) optional marine housings. These are unlikely, however, to cut the mustard for the kind of people mentioned at the beginning of this review, for whom the DC5000 represents a welcome and reasonably priced introduction to digital photography.
Contact Kodak 0870 243 0270
www.kodak.com
See also:
MGI's hugely successful video-editing package gets a facelift and a few new features. 20 Dec 2000All Digital Cameras
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