Kodak EasyShare Z650 Easy Digital Camera Review

The Kodak EasyShare Z650 is an ultra-zoom digital camera with 6.1 megapixels and an SLR-like shape. This is less resolution than is offered by most recent cameras and its 10x optical zoom lens is shorter than many current models too. Still, the Z650 is easy to use, provides automatic and manual control, and sells for under $300.

This camera is good for photographers who want to develop their skills and have outgrown the typical 3x zoom camera. You can start out using the 16 scene modes or fully automatic mode, experiment with a few more controls in the program mode, manually adjust half of the exposure settings in the priority modes, and finally take full control in the manual mode. To help you along the way, there are menus with large fonts and a friendly interface with an interesting mode dial for easy access and a joystick for navigation.

The 10x lens does not have the benefit of image stabilization, an unfortunate omission because most other manufacturers are including it as a standard feature now. The image stabilization minimizes the effects of shaking hands and is especially useful in video where jerky movements are recorded live. It’s too bad the Kodak Z650 doesn’t have this, but perhaps it’s a plug for the Kodak EasyShare Z712, the next model up. The Z712 has the same resolution, but a 12x lens with image stabilization, a bigger and smoother LCD screen, and an improved movie mode. It also sells for under $300.

Kodak’s Z650 has a list of lackluster components. It has a 2-inch LCD screen with only 110,000 pixels so the image is quite grainy. It’s hard to check if an image is in focus or for anything else on the screen, which is supposed to be the beauty of the digital photography. Take a picture and then look and see how it turned out. The other viewing option is the 0.2-inch electronic viewfinder, which is very small and not very comfortable but has much better resolution at 201,000 pixels.

There is a pop-up flash above the lens that illuminates subjects within 16 feet of the camera. When the flash is turned off and the camera is set on a tripod, subjects still remain decently illuminated. However, colors approach neon tones. The color inaccuracies aren’t great even in perfect lighting, especially blues and greens. Don’t expect landscapes to look just the way you saw them; that blue sky will look darker and the green grass more saturated.

If you’re looking for a digital camera to double as a camcorder, the Kodak Z650 won’t be a good pick. It has a horrific movie mode that has decent resolution at 640 x 480 pixels, but records at a very slow 11 frames per second, which results in incredibly choppy footage. Again, the lack of image stabilization hurts the Z650, as movies look jerky.

The Kodak EasyShare Z650 has a meager set of manual controls including shutter speeds from 8-1/1000th of a second, apertures from f/2.8-8, ISO options from 80-400, and color effects that can be counted on one hand. The 3-area auto focus system and substantial shutter lag aren’t very attractive either. In the end, the Kodak Z650 has a great interface and is one of the best cameras in terms of direct printing, but its components and control options are comparatively uninspiring and its competition too fierce.

Kodak EasyShare Z650 - THE BOTTOM LINE.... Rating: 360.57

Likes

- Accurate electronic viewfinder - Large controls - Easy to use - Sturdy port covers

Dislikes

- No optical image stabilization - Small joystick navigation - Plastic body - 2-inch LCD with only 110k pixels

Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS Rating: N/A	Nikon Coolpix S10 Rating: N/A	Samsung NV10 Rating: N/A	Canon PowerShot A630 Rating: N/A	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 Rating:318.30
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
- 12x optical zoom lens - Optical image stabilization - Manual focus - Smoother 30 fps movies - Stereo audio - Flash compensation - 2.5 inch LCD with 115k - 7.1 megapixels - 230k pixels on electronic viewfinder - 2 fps burst mode - More ISO options up to 3200	- More compact - 2.5 inch LCD with 230,000 pixels - Face priority auto focus - Automatic exposure fix in playback mode - 30 fps movies - Pictmotion musical slide shows - ISO up to 800 - Interval timer shooting - Flash effective to 17.7 ft	- More sophisticated design - Much more portable - 15-1/1500 shutter speed range - ISO from 100-1000 - 30 fps movies - Smart Touch interface more comfortable to use - Slimmer at 0.8 inches thick - 10.1 megapixels	- Folding, rotating 2.5-inch LCD screen - 8 megapixels - More compact - Manual ISO control to 800 - Manual white balance - 21 scene modes - My Colors effects - Better 15-1/2500 shutter speed range - 1.8 fps burst mode - 350 shots from four AA alkaline batteries	- Optical image stabilization - Better color reproduction, but not much better - Faster startup time - 2.5 inch LCD screen with 114,000 pixels - Flash effective to 17.7 ft - Widescreen or standard movies, both at 30 fps - 3 fps burst mode - Manual focus - ISO up to 1600 - 60-1/2000 shutter speed range
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
- Manual, priority, and automatic modes - SLR-like shape - 32 MB internal memory - No custom white balance - 16 scene modes - Pop-up flash - 8-1/1000 shutter speed range - f/2.8 max aperture - Great direct printing: compatibility with PictBridge, ImageLink, and Kodak EasyShare printers	- 6 megapixels - 10x optical zoom lens - SD card compatibility - $349 retail - Similar 1.6 fps burst mode	- No manual focus - SD/MMC compatibility - No image stabilization	- SD/MMC compatibility - Manual, priority, and auto modes - f/2.8 max aperture - Stitch assist panorama mode	- 6 megapixels - Similar SLR-like shape - Similar sub-$300 price - Manual and priority modes - f/2.8 max aperture - Plastic body - Joystick controller
Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse
- More expensive, but not much more, at $299	- Ugly split body design - 15 scene modes - No manual modes - 16 MB internal memory	- Two metering modes instead of three - 11 scene modes - 20 MB internal memory - 3x optical zoom lens - $399 price	- Shorter 4x optical zoom lens - 16 MB SD card included - Optical rather than electronic viewfinder - Flash effective to only 14 ft	- Only 114,000 pixels on electronic viewfinder - 15 scene modes - No internal memory