Kodak's 4MP superzoom bridge from 2003 — Schneider-Kreuznach 10x zoom (38-380mm equiv), manual controls
The Kodak EasyShare DX6490 was a 4-megapixel superzoom bridge camera announced in August 2003, the flagship of Kodak's EasyShare line at the time. It brought a long zoom and enthusiast controls to Kodak's otherwise simple dock-based system, and introduced the Kodak Color Science image processing chip.
Its headline feature was a Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 10x optical zoom equivalent to 38-380mm with an f/2.8-3.7 maximum aperture, backed by 3x digital zoom. The 4-megapixel CCD delivered 2304x1728 images, with aperture-priority, shutter-priority and full manual exposure alongside sport, portrait, night, landscape and macro modes. Video ran at 320x240 with sound at 20fps, storage combined 16MB internal memory with an SD/MMC slot, and power came from a rechargeable lithium-ion pack.
This was the affordable long-lens option of its day and now appeals to CCD-era enthusiasts who want manual control and telephoto reach in one body. Handling is chunky but comfortable with a proper grip; autofocus and card writes are slow by modern standards, and higher sensitivities get noisy quickly.
The proprietary lithium-ion battery and charger are the key check, as genuine Kodak spares are long discontinued and third-party cells vary in quality. Test the full zoom range for smooth motorised travel, check the rear screen for bleed, and try a small SD card — large modern cards may not be recognised.