Kodak EasyShare Z740

Resolution / Sharpness
Equipped with a 1/2.5-inch, 5.36-megapixel CCD Sensor, the Z740 will record images up to 2576 x 1932. Extracting from tests we conducted on Kodak’s DX7590, which also packs a 1/2.5-inch 5MP CCD, image quality and sharpness on the Z740 should be quite strong. The DX7590 recorded images at 75% of its intended resolution; if it utilizes the same or a similar image sensor, the Z740 should follow suit. (Kodak refused to confirm one way or the other.)

Picture Quality / Size Options
The EasyShare Z740 records still images at five different resolution and quality settings using JPEG/EXIF 2.21 format. The largest available resolution setting on the Z740 is 5.0 megapixels, spread across a 2576 x 1932 frame. Kodak expresses the image size and quality settings in megapixels/Good, Better, Best. Other options include a 5.0 MP - Best setting which, according to Kodak, is applicable for prints up to 20 x 30. I would not print over 16 x 20 with 5.0 megapixels. There is also a 4.4 MP — Best setting, calibrated for a 3:2 aspect ratio and optimized for quality 4 x 6 prints. A 4.0 MP — Better setting is included for prints up to 11 x 14, as well as a 1.8 MP — Good setting that is primarily for compressed emails and smaller web uploads where quality is not crucial.

Picture Effects Mode
With a long history in film processing and printing, Kodak has always been one of the companies photographers rely on for specific color preferences. Utilizing their exclusive Kodak Color Science Chip, the Z740 looks to apply this tradition digitally by including five selectable color settings. Among these are High Color, Low Color, and Natural Color, as well as Sepia-tone and Black-and-White. This is a solid set of color control options, enabling the Z740 user to impose some control over the primarily automatic image.