Value (7.0)
For about $350, the Z700 bundle includes what a casual user needs to both take and print snapshots. Add a $40 SD/MMC storage card and a USB equipped computer, and it becomes a practical option for organizing images as well. With an Internet connection — and broadband is pretty much mandatory for this part — the Z700 and the included software will pretty much walk you through the process of sharing images and printing them online.

$350 is a very good price for this range of capabilities. If you were ambitious and went about creating a comparable package, combining various manufacturer’s equipment, you could probably piece together a more capable system — a higher-resolution camera and a printer that makes larger photos, but it would likely creep towards the $500 range.

Comparisons
Canon PowerShot A520 — Available online for less than $270, the A520 offers several advantages over the Z700: the LCD is larger, at 1.8 inches instead of 1.6; with far more resolution - 115,000 pixels, instead of 72,000 on the Z700. The PowerShot A520 contains a macro setting that will focus to 5 cm, far closer than the Z700’s 10 cm. The A520 is also formed into a significantly smaller casing, at 3.6 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches. On the other hand, the EasyShare Z700 offers a faster burst mode, recording images at 3 frames per second, while the Canon manages only 1.9 fps. Also, in terms of lens flexibility, the EasyShare has a strong advantage, offering 5x optical zoom, rather than the A520's 4x optical range.

Fujifilm FinePix S5100 – At $379 (USD), the 4 MP S5100 is very comparable to the Z700. It has a much longer zoom — 10x as opposed to the Z700’s 5x — but since neither camera has image stabilization, the 10x might not be very useful for most snapshooters. The Fuji’s advantages over the Z700 include a pop-up flash, rather than the Z700’s fixed flash; more white balance options; and a slow-speed flash sync option. The Z700’s advantages over the Fuji include the Z700’s fill-flash setting, its size (at 13.7 ounces, the Fuji is almost twice the weight of the 7.7-ounce Kodak); and the Z700’s excellent integrated package for printing and Internet-based services which offers far more simplicity throughout the process.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC70 - At $300, the Panasonic LC70 is a very attractive alternative. Its lens is only a 3x zoom, but the glass lives up to the Leica brand reputation it carries. The camera’s performances in our resolution tests were excellent — far better than the Z700’s lackluster results and if zoom range is not a major draw, seems to be a far stronger lens.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters —Easy to use and moderately capable, this camera hits the bull's eye dead-center for the snapshot crowd.

Budget Consumers —Packaged with the printer, the Z700 can be had for under $340, which is a good price for the combo. A definite option for the budget-consumer.

Gadget Freaks —The Z700 lacks styling, quirky or unusual features, or really anything clever. It is simple and easy-to-use, but in an over-explained way that is ideal for a specific crowd, but does not go beyond. It doesn’t have the elegant simplicity of, say, an iPod.

Manual Control Freaks —The Z700 just doesn’t offer enough manual control for the true freak, and the control that is available is pretty well buried in the menus.

Pro/Serious hobbyists —The image quality isn’t good enough for most of these folks, and the manual controls are far too limited. For the artsy devotees of blurry images — the Holga and Diana crowd — all the explanations in the menus will feel like a waste of space.