Viewfinder (2.5)
The viewfinder is small but very clear, and it’s easy to see to the corners, even for folks who wear glasses. Unfortunately, at close range it is inaccurate, and in macro mode it is completely useless. Structurally, the viewfinder on the Z700 is a clear notch down from the Z740. Lacking an eye cup or even rubber outline, the viewfinder on the Z700 is about what you'd expect from a pocket-bound point-and-shoot rather than a bulkier compact. Kind of a lame place to skimp out!
LCD Screen (2.0)
The 1.6-inch, 72,000 pixel LCD display adorning the back of the EasyShare Z700 is pretty small in sheer size and frankly pathetic in terms of image quality. By today's standards, 130,000 pixels of resolution should be the minimum. Cut that in half and that's what the Z700 offers. While the fixed screen will reproduce nice color tones, displayed images will appear heavily pixillated and difficult to discern. Users wishing to upgrade can look to the EasyShare Z740, which offers a larger 1.8-inch screen, composed of 134,000 pixels.
Flash (7.0)
The stock flash unit fixed to the Z700 is small and placed close to the lens, so it casts pretty harsh light. Because it’s in the right place (directly over the lens), it should not make the ugly shadows encircling subjects that many in-camera flashes do.
The plastic window covering the flash tube is frosted, improving the evenness of the flash’s light across the field of view. It is not a powerful flash, pegged by Kodak as having a maximum range of about 12 feet. In a room with a low, white ceiling it will probably do well. Outdoors in the dark, 12 feet is optimistic.
Zoom Lens (6.5)
The EasyShare Z700 is fitted with an all-glass Kodak Retinar 5x optical zoom lens that offers a variable focal length equivalent to 35-175mm in 35mm format. The 5x zoom range spans from a slight wide angle to a moderate telephoto focal range, with an additional 4x digital zoom available when desired. With the limited wide angle perspective, users will have to back up and tell large groups to squeeze together to get everyone in. At the telephoto end, you’ll have plenty of magnification for taking portraits from 8 or 10 feet, but is not enough for baseball, soccer, or wildlife photography. It’s also hard to control the zoom accurately with the rocker switch and stop the lens at a precise point of view. This may become frustrating and does not seem to be avoidable. The lens has a limited aperture range of f/2.8-f/4.8.
