Kodak EasyShare Z730 5-Megapixel Digital Camera - Inexpensive and Generally Good
Written: Dec 20 '05 (Updated Dec 27 '05)
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Pros: Easy to use, resolution, manual controls, image quality, large LCD, fast focusing, rechargeable battery
Cons: Joystick (which I dislike), slow startup and shutdown, unresponsive zooming
The Bottom Line: The Z730 is a good 5-Megapixel digital camera with 4x zoom that goes wider than most compact cameras. The camera is easy to use, produces...
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| dkozin's Full Review: Kodak EasyShare Z730 Digital Camera |
The 5-Megapixel Kodak EasyShare Z730 cost me $209, including shipping, which is slightly less than what I paid for the Kodak EasyShare Z760. The camera features 4x optical zoom and large 2.2-inch LCD screen.
What Is Kodak Z730?
The Kodak EasyShare Z730 is a 5-Megapixel digital camera with 4x optical zoom (33-132mm equivalent), SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON optics, a high-resolution 2.2-inch LCD screen, an optical zooming viewfinder, automatic, scene and manual modes, powered by a supplied rechargeable battery. The battery charger is also supplied.
The Z730 stores images and videos in its internal memory (32 MB included) or on Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (optional). The camera has an orientation (auto rotation) sensor.
The camera has an ISO range of 80-160 in auto mode or 80,100,200,400 and 800 in manual modes (ISO 800 is only available at 1.8 MP resolution). The Z730 has aperture of f/2.8-5.6 at wide angle, f/4.8-9.5 at telephoto. The shutter speed range is 1/8-1/2,000 sec in automatic mode, 64-1/1,000 sec in manual.
Getting Started
The Z730 is rather compact and well-assembled. I was pleased that, unlike the Z760 that uses a manual lens cap, the Z730 has an automatic lens lid that opens when the camera is powered on and closes when the camera is turned off. I charged the supplied battery pack using the supplied charger and inserted it into the camera.
I could shoot using the internal memory of the camera, but since I did not want to deal with establishing a USB connection between the camera and my computer, I decided to use an SD memory card that I had (512 MB Sandisk SD Card).
Usage
Although the Z730 looks a lot like the Z760, it does not require you to deal with the manual lens cap and also has a wider coverage at wide angle (33mm vs. 39mm). You turn the camera on by rotating the mode disc on its back panel from the OFF position to something else. E.g. AUTO mode for those who just want to point and shoot. Or A for Aperture Priority. This system is pretty easy and the current icon is back-lit. The shutter release button is on top of the handgrip. The zooming is by means of a zoom control in front of the handgrip. Both are located where you expect them to be.
You adjust parameters (aperture or shutter speed) by rotating the thumbwheel located in the back part of the handgrip in manual modes. It works rather well and is convenient to use - much more so than using the buttons on other cameras.
The shooting process is conventional. Just as with other digital cameras, you pre-focus by pushing the shutter release button halfway, then push it all the way to take the picture. I found that the shutter release button is a little too stiff for my taste.
LCD
The Z730 has a large 2.2-inch LCD screen with good resolution (153,000 pixels) and brightness. The screen increases brightness in the dark (gains up), but that increases the amount of video noise on the screen. The screen is rather fluid, especially in good light.
The camera also has an optical zooming viewfinder with coverage less than that of the LCD (as is usually the case). I discovered that I did not use the viewfinder and used the LCD most of the time.
Ergonomics and Ease of Use
The camera is pretty easy to use, including the menu system and primary controls. The camera has a good feel in your hand and its controls are mostly within easy reach. The Z730 uses typical Kodak menus with large icons and descriptions that are easy to understand. As usual with Kodak menus, the navigation is rather slow, but that is because the speed was sacrificed in favor of the ease of use and convenience.
I always dislike joysticks and the Z730 has one for menu control - a little joystick in the middle of the mode dial. I am not sure I am not the only one who dislikes them.
Performance
The Z730 extends its lens pretty slowly, which translates to a startup time of 3-4 seconds. Shutdown is similar in duration. This is on par with cameras like Samsung Digimax A7, but slower than some others. The camera features zooming that has average speed but could be more responsive.
The Z730 focuses fast - under a second, even in relatively dark areas. But sometimes, in dimly-lit conditions, it fails to focus entirely. The shutter lag is short (well under a second) and on par with competitors. The camera can take pictures at about 1.5 second intervals, which I find sufficient for all purposes. In burst mode, it can take 5 photos within 2 seconds (2.5 fps).
Battery Life
I have not fully tested the battery life, but took about 50 pictures (some with flash) and the battery has not shown any signs of discharging.
Picture Quality
The Z730 has a good automatic white balance system and has usable presets for manual white balance, which let you adjust to different lighting conditions.
The camera produces very good pictures with richly-saturated colors, sharp edges of objects and low noise at lower ISO settings. The lens is generally sharp, which is good for a compact 4x zoom. I have to note that the lens goes as wide as 33mm, which is wider than most consumer-level compact digital cameras and is useful when traveling or shooting outdoors.
The camera has noise levels that are very low at ISO 80-100, low at ISO 200 but get high at ISO 400, making it suitable for 6x4 and 5x7 prints only. The ISO 800 can only be used at 1.8-Megapixel resolution, which renders it only usable for email-quality photos only.
The photos at ISO 100 are sharp up to 10x8 at full resolution.
Computer Connectivity
I did not use the USB connector of the camera but removed the SD card and used my memory card reader instead. The camera stores images in JPEG format and videos in QUICKTIME format (MPEG4). Videos can be recorded at 640x480 pixels at 12 fps or 320x240 at 20 fps. The still photos can be taken/stored at 5.0MP, 4.4MP (3:2 aspect ratio), 4MP, 3.1MP and 1.8MP. There are two levels of compression: standard and fine. I suggest that you use Fine compression to avoid artifacts. SD cards are pretty cheap.
Pros
Ease of use, good resolution, manual controls, flexible shutter speed and ISO, good image quality, large LCD, fast focusing, uses compact and inexpensive SD cards, rechargeable battery supplied.
Cons
Menus are controlled by a little joystick (which I dislike), slow startup and shutdown, unresponsive zooming, occasional failure to focus in low light.
Bottom Line
The Z730 is a good 5-Megapixel digital camera with 4x zoom that goes wider than most compact cameras. The camera is easy to use, produces good pictures, has good feature set and is well-built. I recommend it if you don not need higher resolution or plan to take a lot of photos in very dim light indoors.
My Reviews of Other Digital Cameras
Canon:
Canon Digital Rebel XT with Lens Kit
Canon Powershot S2 IS Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A620 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A610 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A520 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A510 3.2-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A410 3.2-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S70 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD200 3.2-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD300 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD30 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD400 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD450 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD500 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD550 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Panasonic:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ1 4-Megapixel Digital Camera with 6x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 6x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ4 4-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Olympus:
Olympus D-595 Zoom Digital Camera Review
Olympus SP-310 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Olympus SP-350 8-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Olympus Stylus 500 Digital Camera Review
Olympus Stylus 600 Digital Camera Review
Olympus Stylus 800 Digital Camera Review
Olympus EVOLT E-500 Digital SLR Camera Review
Sony:
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H1 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-M1 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P200 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S40 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S60 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S90 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T5 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T7 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W5 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W7 Digital Camera Review
Fuji:
Fuji FinePix A345 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix A350 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E500 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E510 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E550 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E900 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix F10 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix F450 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix S5200 Digital Camera Review
Kodak:
Kodak EasyShare C340 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare P850 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare V530 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare V550 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z700 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z730 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z740 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z760 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z7590 Digital Camera Review
Konica Minolta:
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Digital Camera Review
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 Digital Camera Review
Nikon:
Nikon D50 Digital SLR Camera Review
Samsung:
Samsung Digimax A7 Digital Camera Review
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 209
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
dkozin
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Location: California
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About Me:
I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
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