For photographing book pages, you usually don’t need flash if both the camera and page are completely still. A tripod or copy stand is more important than very powerful lighting.

A good approach is to use any DSLR or mirrorless camera on a stable support, set ISO 100 and around f/8, then let the camera use a longer exposure. Even if the shutter stays open for a second or more, that’s fine for a stationary page. Use a remote release, self-timer, or phone app so pressing the shutter doesn’t shake the camera.

Continuous lamps can work well; four household lamps near the page should generally provide enough light. The exact wattage matters less than getting even illumination and avoiding camera shake.

Also watch exposure: if the page is white, automatic metering may try to make it look gray. Add about +1 to +2 stops of exposure compensation, or adjust manually, so the paper stays white while the text remains readable.

Compared with your old Kodak, a DSLR or mirrorless camera will perform much better in this situation, so your current test results are not a good indicator of what a newer camera can do.