Viewfinder (8.0)
Photographers who haven’t converted to the new school wave of gigantic liquid crystal displays as viewfinders will be happy to find a viewfinder within a small eye cup on the Kodak Z740. The viewfinder has a circular glass window that has a rectangular frame on the inside and a rubber coating on the outer rim. The rubber eyepiece around the viewfinder is the same material that the right-hand grip is made from, so don’t expect it to look clean. Also, if your eye is close enough to enjoy the cushioning of the rubber, then your nose is probably greasing up the LCD screen – not a flattering thing. The electronic viewfinder has 201,000 pixels of resolution and will come in handy when photographers are low on battery power or in excessively bright light and have a hard time viewing the LCD screen. Perhaps an electronic viewfinder is too new for traditionalists who prefer optical, but who can complain about a viewfinder with 100 percent field of view?
LCD Screen (6.0)
The camera’s LCD screen takes up the majority of the back of the camera body. This is true even considering that it is much smaller than the similarly shaped DX models. The 1.8-inch LCD screen boasts 134,000 pixels and a brightness control that can be adjusted for optimal viewing indoors and outdoors.
Flash (8.0)
The Kodak EasyShare Z740 has a built-in flash that automatically pops up just above the lens when the camera is turned on, but can be manually pushed down and later reopened with the flash button to its left. There are several flash modes that can be changed with the button atop the camera body: Auto, Off, Red-Eye Reduction, and Fill. Flash intensity can also be adjusted from +/- 1 in ½-step increments. When the lens is completely zoomed out, the flash can reach 2-16.1 ft. In the telephoto mode, the flash can reach from 6.6-12.1 ft. The flash modes are a bit limited, but the flash reaches farther than most compact models and certainly provides enough lighting for the point-and-shoot audience who will use this digital camera.
Zoom Lens (7.5)
The Kodak Z740 aims to bring the benefits of long zoom to the masses of point-and-shooters. This EasyShare comes with a Kodak Retinar 10x optical zoom lens that is all made of glass. In 35 mm photography, this lens is equivalent to 38-380 mm. The zoom on the camera is audible; it’s not horribly loud, but it’s not as quiet as most digital cameras’ lenses. If users want a wider angle on shots, they can use the optional 0.7x accessory lens offered by Kodak.
