A Review: Kodak EasyShare Z740 Digital Camera

The Kodak EasyShare z740 is not Kodak's newest model of this design. There are a couple more with higher megapixels, but the same basic design. The z740 is a good choice to go ahead and buy without breaking the bank.

The z740 looks like a more "professional" type camera. It has the zooming lens in the front and an attached len cover. It is 5 megapixel, and has a 10x optical zoom, perfect for zooming in to catch the kids at sporting events. The LCD screen is 1.8 inches, large without being TOO large.

The z740 package usually comes with a battery (non-rechargeable) shoulder strap, cords (usb and audio/video), lens cap and hood, software, and an insert for camera docks. It also comes with a getting started kit, including a manual that is well worth reading. The manual will tell you in easy terms how to get the most from the camera.

With the z740, you can take great looking pictures with minimal effort. It comes with several "modes" such as a sports mode, nighttime mode, etc, but most pictures can be taken in auto mode. When you turn the camera on, the lens cap comes off and the flash automatically opens. From there it is pretty much point and click. You can hold the shutter button down half way to focus if need be, but the camera does a pretty good job on it's own.

The camera has buttons on the back for reviewing the pictures you have taken, zooming in to look at them closer, and deleting, making it easy to keep only the pictures you are sure you want. It is compatible with Series 3 printer docks, but also holds an SD card for printing pictures elsewhere. There is also a 32MB internal memory and a feature for protecting your favorite photos from being deleted.

The z740 will fit standard tri-pods, making it ideal for taking stills as well. There is a self timer so you can also get in the picture. There is also a burst mode, so it can take several pictures in rapid succession, great for blowing out birthday candles or getting that slam dunk.

Another cool thing about the z740 is your ability to take pictures in normal color, black and white or sepia tones. This gives a lot of range to your photographs. The scene modes from the camera are: children, party, beach, flower, fireworks, snow, backlight, close-up, night portrait, landscape, night landscape, museum/manner, text, self portrait, portrait and sport. This also gives you a wide variety of options in picture taking.

The software is also easy to use. Once it is loaded onto your computer, all you have to do is connect the USB and the camera and turn the camera on. It will load your pictures into the software. From there, you can edit, such as removing red-eye, lightening up the picture or making it a bit clearer, and you can also do some other cool things. Pictures can be made to look like cartoons, look like they are being viewed through a fish eye lens, and even have the edges of the picture turned dark so the subject shows better.

This camera is so simple and easy to use, it can be recommended for just about anyone. Buttons on the back are clearly marked and easy to understand. Although it is not Kodak's "newest " camera, it is well worth the money.