Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

The Kodak EasyShare Z700 packs 4 megapixels into a chunky camera body that looks like it came straight out of I, Robot. It could introduce a new generation of point-and-shoot cameras. The Z700 is part of Kodak’s new Z-line and is one of the first products to be ImageLink compatible, a designation that several companies have picked up to make home printing easier. The camera has a 5x optical 35-175mm zoom lens in front of its Kodak Color Science Chip, which is known for its accurate color reproduction capabilities. With multiple scene modes and automatic picture rotation, the user-friendly Kodak EasyShare Z700 will make its debut in February for a retail price of $399 (USD).
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Focus
Auto
The auto focus of the Kodak EasyShare Z700 operates through the lens and is effective as close as 2 feet in normal mode and 2 inches in macro mode. Its closest focus is 33 feet in Landscape mode. The user can select whether the auto focus should be continuous or activated by depressing the shutter release button. Two auto focus modes are also available: Multi-Zone and Center Spot.

Metering
Exposure metering is configured through the lens with the following options available: Multi-pattern, Center-weighted and Center-spot.

Exposure
The following exposure modes are available on the Mode Dial: Auto, Scene, Sport, Landscape, Close-up, and PAS. The “PAS” option is actually three settings grouped into one spot on the dial: Program Auto, Aperture-Priority, and Shutter-Priority. There is an exposure compensation function, adjustable from -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments.

White Balance
This EasyShare model has a slightly disappointing white balance selection. Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, and Fluorescent are its only offerings, leaving the user without a Manual white balance setting to work with.

ISO
The Kodak EasyShare Z700 can be adjusted manually or left to the camera’s automatic selection. In the automatic mode, the ISO range is a bit short and restrictive at 80-160. When manually adjusted, the user can choose between 80, 100, 200, and 400.

Shutter Speed
The Kodak EasyShare Z700 can shoot from 8-1/1600th of a second in its automatic modes. In the PAS modes, the shutter speed can be adjusted in the same range.

Aperture
The Retinar 5x optical zoom lens on the Z700 has apertures of f/2.9-f/5.8 in its widest setting and f/2.9-f/8.8 in the telephoto setting. These are adjusted automatically unless the user enters the PAS modes.

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