Kodak Easyshare Z740 5MP

Epinions.com Review

What is Kodak Z740?

The Kodak Z740 is a 5-Megapixel digital camera that has a 10x optical zoom (38-380 mm equivalent focal length), stores images in the internal 32 MB of flash memory or on the SD/MMC memory cards. It has a USB port for transferring your images to your computer or printers and a EasyShare dock connection.

The camera runs on 2 AA-type batteries or a single larger disposable battery (supplied). The camera has an adaptor that lets you use 55mm filters, that can also serve as a miniature lens hood. The camera has automatic, scene modes and manual modes such as Aperture, Shutter Priority and Manual.


Pcmag Review

The Z740's (f/2.8) to (f/3.7) , 38 - to 380-mm (35-mm equivalent) 10X optical zoom lens provides for plenty of long-range shooting, though we wish it started at a slightly wider angle. One thing that is noticeably missing is an image-stabilization feature, which is necessary on any lens above 7X optical zoom. And for a camera geared toward sharing images, you'd think the LCD would be larger than 1.8 inches, though we do like that the screen automatically adjusts to different lighting conditions. Unfortunately, the electronic viewfinder is simply terrible. It is noisy, blurry, and jumpy, and the colors are far too saturated—to the point where brightly colored objects seem to be glowing.

The controls are well laid out, with dedicated buttons for quite a few functions, including Kodak's signature Share button. A dial next to the LCD lets you select among Auto mode, Scene mode (SCN), P-ASM (Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and Manual modes), Movie mode, and three common preset modes (Sports, Portrait, and Night Portrait). We like that the selected mode lights up. The dial surrounds a joystick, which doubles as an Enter button when you press it directly down. This, however, was one of the most annoying features of the Z740; nearly every time we scrolled through options, we found it very difficult to avoid accidentally pressing the joystick down and selecting something we didn't want.

Generally, the Z740 was a quick enough performer for our needs, especially in terms of recycle time. Menus were easy to read, though the joystick made them difficult to navigate. The zoom controls worked very well, though we were unable to zoom while shooting video. Also, when we zoomed, the autofocus system sometimes had trouble refocusing. We simply avoided using the EVF. The built-in flash pops up automatically, but it can also be opened manually; it was powerful enough for general shooting. In low-light conditions, the LCD became very noisy, but that's usually to be expected. Otherwise, the camera worked quite well, even in bright light. The Share button made it easy to tag images for printing, e-mailing, and adding to favorites (stored in internal memory).



General Properties

10X Optical Zoom Lens

- Z740’s all glass lens
- 10X optical zoom (35 mm equivalent: 38–380 mm)
- 5X advanced digital zoom for 50X total zoom


5.0 MP(Mega Pixel) for stunning-quality

- Prints up to 20 × 30 in. (50 × 75 cm) with 5.0 MP

KODAK Color Science Image Processing Chip

- Scene light source is detected and adjustments are made to capture bright whites and true , vivid colors under difficult lighting conditions—fluorescent, tungsten or daylight.

- Scene content is analyzed for luminance, focal distance, subject matter orientation and color to determine the correct exposure and capture the natural details, accurate flesh tones, and rich colors you see in your composition


High-resolution indoor/outdoor display

- View brilliant, sharp images even in direct sunlight
- Review vertical shots vertically with auto picture-rotation


Manual and custom controls

-Turn your creative vision into reality with a full palette of advanced program, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual and custom controls.


Continuous shooting modes

- First burst mode—captures up to 4 frames in rapid succession at 2 fps
- Last burst mode—captures up to 30 frames at 2 fps, with the last 4 frames saved


Color Modes

- High color—for vibrant colors
- Natural color—for natural-looking colors
- Low color—for muted colors
- Sepia—for an antique appearance
- Black and white—for a classic look


Continuous Video

- Capture up to 80 minutes continuous video with audio, depending upon size of external memory card; or 5-, 15-, 30-second clips


Accesories

- KODAK MAX Digital Camera Battery, CRV3 or equivalent
- USB cable and audio/video cable
- Shoulder strap
- Lens adapter/hood
- KODAK EASYSHARE Software CD with interactive software tutorial
- Getting Started Kit
- Custom camera insert that fits optional Series 3 Camera Dock or Printer Dock
- 32 MB internal memory


EASYSHARE Z740 Zoom Digital Camera Specifications


Kodak Z740 at Amazon