Kodak EasyShare Z612

Front
The front of the Kodak EasyShare Z612 has a prominent lens barrel which extends from beyond its housing when the camera is turned on. This lens is a Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens with an optical image stabilizer to compensate for the hand-shake which will be noticeable at the high end of this camera’s 12x zoom capabilities. The lens is protected by a housing that extends out from the body of the camera about 1.5 inches, so even when retracted, the presence of this zoom barrel is noticeable. The user may place a lens cap over the face of the lens when not in use to protect this feature from damage. The lens cap easily attaches to the neck strap, which has a connection on the left and right sides of the camera.

When facing the lens of the camera, the user will notice two sets of two small dots symmetrically spaced so that the in-camera flash, which is positioned directly above, connects to the lens housing at the same point as these two audio features. The microphones for the Z612 are well placed and should avoid getting covered by wandering fingers.

The self-timer/AF assist light is located slightly above and to the left of the microphone to the left of the flash. A right-hand grip protrudes out from the body in a visual homage to the grips of SLR cameras. The right-hand grip has a polished silver center which splits the handle neatly while drawing the eye up to the controls of the camera which rest above on a polished silver surface.

Back
The back of the Kodak EasyShare Z612 offers two viable viewing options and a host of external controls. The 2.5-inch LCD screen is slightly raised from the camera and framed by a quarter-inch frame, constructed out of the same material as the camera. The LCD screen is on the left side of the camera and provides a resolution of 230,000 pixels over 2.5 inches.

A circular electronic color viewfinder is centered directly above the LCD screen. This placement will inevitably lead to the user smearing a face across the LCD directly below it. The circular viewfinder is surrounded by a black square of rubber intended to function as an eyecup for this feature. The electronic color viewfinder has a resolution of 202K pixels. The EVF/LCD toggle is located directly above the left corner of the LCD screen and can be easily activated with the thumb of the left hand when holding the camera in a two handed shooting stance.

The zoom toggle for the Z612 is located above and slightly to the right of the upper right corner of the LCD. The focal length control is a rocking zoom lever. Beneath the zoom lever and along the right side of the LCD are three buttons, with the uppermost controlling the level of information displayed on the LCD. The review button is located beneath, followed by the delete button. All three buttons are circular, stand out from the body of the camera slightly and have full text labels.

Between the review and delete button and set slightly to the right is the four-way control, well sized and well placed for access with the thumb of the right hand. The four-way control has a centrally placed OK button which allows users to set controls within the menu. Beneath the four-way controller is the menu button. Finally, running along the bottom edge of the camera, the red centered Share button is clearly labeled.

Moving back up to the top of the camera, the jog dial is located on a section of the camera that bulges slightly outward. This jog dial protrusion also functions as a nice thumb grip.

Left Side
The left side of the Kodak EasyShare Z612 has only two features of note: an eyelet for the left side of the neck-strap at the top of the camera, and beneath it, the in-camera speaker for monitoring audio levels and quality during movie playback.

Right Side
The right side of the Kodak EasyShare Z612 has a strap eyelet that mirrors the one located on the left side. A port cover located directly beneath this strap is opened via a tab at the top; it remains connected to the camera along its lower edge. The port cover conceals ports for USB / A/V out as well as In for optional alternate powering. The ports are spaced with an appropriate amount of room between each so that users won’t need to be concerned about accidentally unplugging either feature when switching cables.

Top
There are numerous features located on the top of the Kodak EasyShare Z612, with a number positioned on the polished metallic surface atop the right-hand grip. The most forward control is the large and rectangular shutter button, which spans nearly the entire width of the grip. It ensures that even the clumsiest of users will make a shot.

Behind the shutter button and towards the lens is the flash button, which can be pressed to cycle through the flash control options of the Kodak EasyShare Z612. Behind it is the focus button. Lastly is the burst/self-timer button. All these controls can be accessed via the index finger of the right hand.

Between the flash and the right-hand grip are two essential controls for the Z612 with one, the mode dial, sized for access and maximum control. The mode dial settings for the Z612 allow for the user to switch between the following modes: Auto, Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual Mode, Favorites, Movie Mode, Scene Mode, Night Portrait, and Sports Mode. Since all of these modes are represented as symbols only, it will be up to the user to memorize the icons.

The somewhat undersized on/off switch is located to the front of the mode dial, an awkward position for quick activation. The flash to the left is an in-camera flip-up flash that will automatically open when the shutter is depressed half-way and extra light is needed.

Bottom
The bottom of the Kodak Z612 has a port cover on the right side. This cover is opened by pressing it in and pulling it to the right, which exposes the battery and memory card slots. The dock connector is directly to the left and towards the back of the camera and allows direct connection to either EasyShare or ImageLink printing systems. The tripod socket is directly in front of the dock port and enables the user to connect this camera to a tripod for night and portrait photography. The tripod socket is constructed out of metal so users won’t need to worry about damaging the threads.