Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

The Kodak EasyShare Z740 and Z700 are the founding members of Kodak’s new Z-line of digital cameras, unveiled at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. The Z-line, situated between the previous CX and current DX lines, is another series in the “ultra zoom” segment. The EasyShare Z740 hosts a 5 MP CCD with a 10x optical all-glass lens, which offers a 38-380mm (equivalent) zoom range. The Z740 is designed to appeal to the slightly more advanced point-and-shooter, with its intuitive interface, available accessory lens and advanced telephoto range, along with a generous range of manual control and preset options, without sacrificing ease of use and handy direct printing.
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Connectivity
Software (6.5)
Like all EasyShare models, the Z740 comes with Kodak EasyShare Software that is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh. The Z740 comes with Version 4.0.2 software. It takes about ten minutes to completely upload; while it’s loading, users view a slide show of Kodak EasyShare promotional pictures (laughing people, children, etc.). The software is simple to use, which is perfect for the point-and-shoot crowd. Users can crop, remove red-eye, add special effects, and make color and contrast changes to their photographs. Anything more elaborate than this will require a different imaging software program, but the EasyShare Software covers the basics.

Jacks, ports, plugs (7.0)
The EasyShare Z740 has a USB port on the bottom that locks into the EasyShare Printer Dock Series 3 or other compatible Kodak camera docks. This digital camera has a port for an external power source, as well as an A/V out port for transferring images and movie clips to televisions and VCRs.

Direct Print Options (8.5)
Like its EasyShare counterparts, the Kodak Z740 has a trademark Share button designed specifically for one-touch printing. When the camera is docked onto the Kodak Printer Dock Series 3, a press of the button will print a 4 x 6-inch picture in about 2 minutes. The printer, which can be bought in a bundle with the camera or can be sold separately, is PictBridge and ImageLink compatible. If users choose to use a different printer, they can do so with the USB cable connection.

Memory (8.0)
The Kodak EasyShare Z740 uses SD or MMC cards up to 512 MB. The camera does not ship with a card because it includes 32 MB of internal memory. This is intended to be used for the camera’s Favorites folder, so users can recall photographs quickly for showing off later.

Other features (7.5)
Accessory Lens Compatibility– The Z740 is compatible with the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 0.7x wide-angle lens and other polarizers and filters that are available through Kodak. The 0.7x magnification Schneider-Kreuznach lens is constructed of 4 glass elements and is equivalent to a fixed 26.6 mm lens in 35 mm photography. The optional lens retails for $149.95.

One Year Manufacturer’s Warranty – Kodak includes a limited one-year warranty on the Z740, which covers any defects or manufacturing flaws. The warranty does not cover an accidental dip in a vat of lemonade or a trip beneath the car tire. This offer is only extended to the original purchaser of the camera and will be honored by Kodak, who will replace or repair the defective product at no cost to the user.

Self-Timer – The Z740 contains a self-timer mode that takes pictures after 10 or 2 seconds. These can be found on the same button as the burst settings.

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