Kodak EasyShare Z7590 First Impressions Review

Front
When viewing the Kodak EasyShare Z7590 from the front, the right-hand grip protrudes on the left side and the lens protrudes an equal distance on the right side. The grip has a rubber panel with a vertical groove about the width of a finger. Above the rubber panel is the jog dial, which has notches that can be easily turned with the index finger while in shooting position. In the valley between the grip and the lens is the microphone, which looks like two holes. The right side is made up mostly of the Schneider-Kreuznach 10x optical zoom lens. The lens extends outward in one segment. Above the lens are two LED lights, each on one side of the metering mechanism of the camera; these are on a raised section of the camera that will slope into the top of the camera, where the flash is housed. On the slope, but visible from the front, is the brand name, "Kodak."

Back
The back of the Z7590 is reminiscent of Kodak EasyShare digital cameras. The 2.2-inch LCD screen on the left is surrounded by a black border with the Kodak brand name printed on the bottom in white lettering. Below the brand name is the camera name: "EasyShare Z7590." Directly above the LCD screen is the electronic viewfinder, surrounded by a rectangular soft plastic eyepiece for added comfort during shooting. To the left of the viewfinder is a single polished silver circular button labeled "EVF/LCD." This button switches the display from the viewfinder to the LCD screen, as both cannot be viewed simultaneously. To the right of the viewfinder is the power button, labeled "On/Off." On the far right side is the small zoom switch that slides horizontally. To the right of the LCD screen are several more controls. At the top is a button labeled with an "I"; this is for image information such as shutter speed and aperture and such. Below the Info button is the Kodak trademark Share button, highlighted with a red surface. Below that button is a large mode dial with an almost overwhelming number of icons and letters, each symbolizing a shooting mode. Most of them are intuitive; for example, a green camera with the word Auto beneath it represents the automatic mode. Below this dial are three buttons, each self-labeled: Delete, Menu, and Review. The back panel of the camera has five dots in the top right where the thumb would naturally rest while shooting. These dots act as a grip for the user.

Left Side
The left side of the camera is covered by rubber port doors. A middle panel has the words "10x Optical Zoom." The port door below the panel houses the DC-in, AV-out, and USB jacks. The door is labeled and has a raised lip at the bottom for easy opening. Above the panel is another rubber door, with a raised section at the top for easy access. This door covers the jack to the accessory flash. At the top right of this side is a polished silver-colored loop to attach the neck strap.

Right Side
The right hand grip takes up a large portion of this side, although there is a plastic door that opens to expose the slot for the optional SD/MMC memory card. Above the door is the second silver-colored loop for neck strap attachment.

Top
On the left side of the top is a rectangular raised section. On the back side of the section is the viewfinder and on the front side is the camera’s metering sensor and LED lights. On the top of this raised section is a square hatch for the pop-up flash that is manually opened. To the right of this section is the large right-hand grip. Next to the raised rectangle are four buttons. Three oval-shaped buttons are aligned horizontally. From the left, these buttons operate flash controls, focus modes, and burst settings. Above them is the button to open the flash, which must be slid to the right. To the right of these buttons is the built-in speaker, which looks like a bunch of dots shaped into a circle. Above the speaker are the words "5.0 Megapixels," followed by the shutter release button at the top of the right-hand grip. The top of the right-hand grip has a brushed aluminum panel that looks lighter than the rest of the black camera body. The panel surrounds all of the buttons and provides some aesthetic interest.