Kodak EasyShare Z7590 First Impressions Review

Model Design/ Appearance
This camera looks almost identical to its sister series camera, the DX7590. The design is reminiscent of an SLR with a larger right-hand grip and an electronic viewfinder. This model is black and has panels of plastic and rubber around its housing. Although it is SLR-shaped, the Kodak EasyShare Z7590 is still compact enough at 3.9 x 3.2 x 3.2 inches to hold with one hand. With the black finish and polished silver highlights around the lens, this model has an attractive look. It doesn’t have the sleek out-on-the-town look that slim cameras achieve, but it has a subtler look of professionalism.

Size/ Portability
This EasyShare model is not marketed to be a compact camera, although it is quite compact for its SLR-like shape. It weighs 12.3 ounces without the battery or SD card, so a camera bag and neck strap may make prolonged shooting more comfortable. The Z7590 has loops on both sides of the camera to string a neck strap into. The camera body has square-like measurements at 3.9 x 3.2 x 3.2 inches. The Kodak Z7590 would be bulky for a pocket, but could easily fit into a purse or handbag.

Handling Ability
As stated before, the EasyShare Z7590 is slightly bulky, but handling shouldn’t be awkward. Users can hold on to it with one hand, but will want to use two hands for more stable shooting. The right-hand grip and rear thumb grip make handling while shooting much more comfortable for this size of camera.

Control Button/ Dial Positioning/ Size
The Kodak EasyShare Z7590 has the same layout as its sister series model, the DX7590. The mode dial seems oversized — which isn’t a bad thing - and the power button and zoom switch undersized, but the rest of the control buttons seem to be sized just right. Everything is spaced properly and placed intuitively.

Menu
When the designated Menu button is pressed, a list of options appears that can be scrolled through with the toggle in the center of the mode dial. The menu options remain the same throughout all of the menus: Self-Timer, Picture Size, Compression, White Balance, Exposure Metering, Focus Zone, AF Control, Color, Sharpness, Set to Default, Album, Image Storage, and Setup Menu. The other manual controls, such as aperture and shutter speed, can be found and selected on the LCD screen.

Ease of Use
As the EasyShare name implies, Kodak digital cameras are simple to use. For those accustomed to the layout of EasyShare cameras, the layout of this model won’t be a surprise. The Kodak Z7590 is easy to navigate with the toggle located in the center of the mode dial. The toggle is a bit small, but still easy to use. Perhaps the only downside is finding the manual controls. They are not in the Menu like most cameras, but are found with the photo info and the toggle.