Customer Reviews

Kodak EasyShare ZD710 Digital Camera, 7.1 Megapixel, 10x Optical + 5x Digital Zoom

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this camera before my trip to Las Vegas in March 2008. The last time I went to Las Vegas I took a Sony camera and was very disappointed with all of the blurry pictures I ended up with. It was a total waste of time even taking the pictures. With this new Kodak ZD710 I had 1 blurry picture out of over 350 total. I am very pleased with the color, lighting and very sharp images. I had no trouble with the lens cap like the previous review stated. The cool thing is the camera automatically kicks off the lens cap when you turn the camera on. You will never take a picture by accident with the lens cap on again. Overall, its is a great camera. Great color, lighting and the biggest for me only on blurry picture. That picture was taken as a test while traveling 40 miles an hour down the strip. Just my two cents.

I've had this about a month now, with one week taking lots of photos. I can't speak for the repair service of how well it holds up in the long run. I've been quite happy with it so far.

Pros:
- incredible 10x optical zoom. Listed as 38mm-380mm, although it was hard to see a difference compared to my 300mm "real" lens (which is plenty).
- very lightweight
- lots of settings offering lots of control, including a very nearly manual option.
- marvelous panoramic stitch function
- image stabilization
- good (short) shutter lag time
- two AAs keep it lightweight and make it easy to find batteries when yo need them (works best with rechargeable NiMHs, of course).
- Plays directly to TV very easily
- easy to process and transfer image files

Cons:
- slow to process. It will take a picture when you click the button (no lag there), but AFTER the shot it takes time to save the file.
- lightweight construction at the expense of sturdiness
- turning it on, even to review photos, opens the lens, pushes off the lens cap, and opens the flash.
- lens cap sometimes comes loose.
- SLR shape and point-and-shoot size make it a little awkward to find the right carry case.

Other:
- it's tiny compared to a real SLR - should really compare to a point-and-shoot

A few personal observations:

Switch it on and the (tethered) lens cap flies off and the flash pops up!
Quite impressive unless you want to be unobtrusive. Just manually remove lens cap and open flash.

Great being able to toggle to EVF for demanding lighting situations.
And with the nothing-left-of-the-lens design my nose doesn't get in the way and smear up the back of the camera.

The neck strap hooks on both sides of the camera and is great for composing and stabilizing shots using the external display.

Nice flat base means you can put it on a table for an autotimer shot of the group with you in it.

Video is impressive. At full res (640x480) about 5min/GB.

Overall picture quality is pretty good.

The zoom rocker (on the camera back) falls well to the thumb, leaving the index finger free for the shutter release. The joystick control for menu navigation and review was not what I anticipated, but works well.

I wish that rechargeable batteries had been supplied - camera takes AA x2 or equivalent.

Overall, a pretty good camera for someone who wants a compact but not tiny camera with awesome optics, but who is way too cheap for a DSLR.

This is a great camera, the movies are nice too. Great focusing abilities. The lag time after capturing the shot is a little annoying, but I typically do not need to take pics right after each other too frequently.

The cameras design gives the subject a good feeling that your picture is going to turn out well.

I found that the best case for my needs for this camera is actually the lowepro telephoto lens case Lowepro Lens Case 1 (Black)The fit is very snug, but not too snug. It also eliminates the need for the lens cap. There is room at the top to hold an extra two re-chargable batteries. I attached a Nikon lanyard instead of the includeded neck strap in case I drop it while taking pics, as I am a klutz. The lanyard also makes the camera more transport friendly when it's in the case. Other cases did not fit into my roller laptop bag properly.

I added this camera to my christmas list after reading reviews online. This is our second Kodak Easy Share that we have owned and both have been great cameras.

Lots of options for you on this camera and the zoom is incredible!!

The only one holding me back from giving it 5 stars is the lag time between taking pictures. But I have found the lag time really only shows up when my battery is running low. I have also found that if you want to take another picture without waiting for it to show up on the screen to just push the zoom and it will move right to taking your next picture.

I really like this camera. The settings are great mix of of buttons on the camera and through the menu. It takes GREAT pictures. I put them side by side with a friend's Canon Rebel XT and at the 7mp size, you couldn't tell them apart. The one huge, annoying issue is the lag time between pictures. It is 8 seconds between pictures. That is the worst of any camera I have owned. Even with quick view off, it doesn't make a difference. As much as I like the quality of the photos, I wouldn't buy this again.

I got this camera because I wanted one that I thought would have good advanced features for me to use and yet be easy enough for my spouse to use and share the photos. There is a time lag between shots, unless you set it for 'burst' mode -- there is a button for that on top. There can also be a lag between button-push and capture if you are not in action mode. For accessories, I recommend at least a 2 GB SD card and some high-capacity batteries that are 2200 or 2500 mAh rechargeable, otherwise it really runs through alkaline batteries. I also wanted a camera that would use regular batteries, because I hate having to get batteries that are customized. We got an Energizer AA rapid charger with car and wall plugs and a spare set and never had a problem with running out of power or memory. You can also use this camera to take video. The Kodak easyshare software is easy to set up and makes a new folder every time you download your photos.

My husband bought this camera for me as a Christmas gift in December 2007. It still works great, takes wonderful pictures, and I love it. This is a great camera for anyone who wants to get into taking photos but isn't sure if they are ready yet to drop the serious cash you need to when you buy a "real" professional camera.

The drawbacks: My lens cap doesn't stay on very well. It's hard to find accessories. Zoom doesn't get you quite close enough to take really close up shots and as I mentioned above, accessories (such as lenses) are hard to find. When you do find them, they are way too expensive to purchase for a camera that wasn't very expensive. It's not worth buying lenses and such for this camera. Once you are ready to take the next step in your photography, save up and buy a professional camera. Until then, enjoy the crisp and clear photographs you can get with this little gem!

The camera was a factory refurbish and came packaged as promised, The camera is great, shipping was on time.

I have had this camera for a few months now. the pictures turn out excellent , except when the batteries are going low then photo gets blurry thou that is expected to happen. Bright colors and with auto focus it pretty hard to make a blurry photo. It turns on the lens caps flys off and ready to go. Very east to use and has other settings for like sports and night time, but auto works the best.
I bought it to replace my last Kodak that over 2 yrs had taken its last fall from my hands. This one so far has been dropped in the snow and on concrete and still works and look like the day I bought it. Its light weight but can take a fall. the worst that happens when falls the lens cap comes off, simple fix.
If you buy the speical battery and not just use the double A, it will last forever. I have had it since Oct of 07 replaced the battery once. However for a week I did use a whole box of double A it went through 2 every 30 photos.
as a minor problem the lens cap dose come off way to easy but if you keep in a case its fine.