Digital Camera Review by: Michael Gazzola

A recent new addition to the Kodak line up is the EasyShare Z730. Like many of the new Kodak digital cameras the Z730 is part of the EasyShare range so the camera can simply sit on the Kodak Printer Dock Series 3 and begin printing all or a select few images directly from the camera, without any computer insight. Although if you do wish to edit your digital images on a computer before printing, this is still an option via USB connectivity.

This 5 mega-pixel camera is more bulkier than the new slim line brigade which are available in almost every brand, but will be appreciated by many buyers looking to hold a camera firmly when shooting, rather worrying about weather their new purchase is noticeable in their shirt pocket.

General use of the camera is very simple, with just a hand full of buttons on the body and the rest on a gold old fashion dial that turns and clicks into place for each setting. The ‘Scene’ button offers16 options which will cover just about any general photography situation, plus a further 5 settings on the dial for semi manual control of the camera. And for most buyers, there is Auto too, which lets the Z730 do all the thinking!

The LCD screen on the back is a nice size at 2.2 inches and is accompanied by and optical viewfinder for traditional 35mm compact camera happy snappers.

Images captured are sharp and clean for its class, mainly due to the Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 4x optical zoom 33-132mm (35mm equivalent) lens.

Overall the camera offers loads of functionality, quality image capture for its class and value for money – leaving a few dollars in your wallet after purchase.

Appearance rating	4 stars
Functionality rating	4.5 stars
Image quality	4 stars
Value for money	4 stars
RRP (AUD)	$549
Effective Pixels	5.0 Million mega pixels
Image Sizes	5 Sizes
3:2 Aspect Ratio	Yes, at 4.4 mega pixels
Lens - zoom wide [mm]	33mm (35mm equivalent )
Lens -zoom tele [mm]	132mm (35mm equivalent )
Lens - Optical Zoom	Yes, 4x
Lens - Digital Zoom	Yes, 4x
Resolution Settings	From 2576 x 1932, 2304 x 1728, 2048 x 1536, 1552 x 1164
Shooting Modes	19 Individual. Plus auto.
Manual Focus	No
Auto Focus	Yes, multi-zone and center spot
Focus Range [cm]	50cm to infinity
Aperture Range	F2.8 - F4.8
Aperture Priority	Yes
Macro	Yes
Macro Range [cm]	10cm
Shutter Speeds	Automatic: 1/8–1/2000 sec. / Manual: 64–1/1000 sec
Shutter Priority	Yes
ISO	6 Options. 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 and Auto.
LCD Monitor	Yes
LCD Size	2.2 inch TFT LCD colour monitor
Viewfinder	Yes, optical
Flash	Auto, red-eye, fill, off
Hot Shoe	No
White balance	3 options. Plus auto.
Self Timer	Yes, 10 seconds.
Movie Options	Yes. Limited only by memory card size.
Video Out	Yes. AV out. NTSC / PAL
Storage Type	SD Cards
Storage Included [Mb]	Onboard memory, 32Mb
Image / Audio Formats	Jpeg / MPEG4
Connectivity	USB.
Power Source	USB connection or Printer Dock Series 3
Battery Options	Built-in rechargable battery.
Dimensions	100.3 × 69.2 × 40.2 mm
Weight	224g without battery

---