ANOTHER VIRGINIA POSTREL MOMENT: The Kodak EasyShare cameras are quite good — I gave the InstaDaughter one for Christmas a couple of years ago — but they’re also kind of . . . ugly and bulbous. They give off that hapless American-manufacturer aura, kind of like most GM products.

But I saw a picture of this one in a magazine and it’s much sleeker and more Leica-like in appearance. And poking around, I notice that most of the new Kodaks are better looking. That makes sense: Given that it doesn’t cost anything to make products look good, why are so many of them ugly? Nice to see some people catching on — and heck, even GM cars are improving.

UPDATE: Went looking at DPreview.com for a review, but this camera’s too new. But they had a review for the similar V610 and they’ve noticed the same thing I did:

Gone are the days when Kodak only sold big, plastic (and dare I say ugly) digital cameras; the V610 is a real head-turner with beautiful detailing and a build quality to die for. The rear is dominated by a huge 2.8-inch screen, though there are a smattering of buttons down the left hand side – and the ubiquitous four-way controller on the right. The front of the camera is clean and simple, and looks a little unusual thanks to the twin lens arrangement (which when not in use is hidden under a brushed metal cover. At around 160g (5.6 oz) it is pretty heavy for such a small camera, adding to the impression the all-metal body gives of being built like a tank. The use of different surface textures and chrome accents gives the V610 a high quality ‘designer’ feel, and sitting with it in your hand it’s hard to believe this little camera has the equivalent of a 38-380mm 10x zoom lens squeezed inside.

Of course, as the review also notes, big, bulbous cameras are easier to hold steady with one hand. But the camera that fits in your shirt pocket is a camera that you’ll take with you, and a camera that you’ll take with you gets more pictures than one that sits in a drawer. Plus, people just like stuff that looks and feels better. I remember my old Alesis mixing board was good, but its controls felt cheap — like a kid’s toy. The Mackie I use now (the Alesis suffered an unfortunate accident) isn’t any better, really, but its controls feel better, so it’s a pleasure to use.