Kodak EasyShare Z650 Digital Camera Review
By Emily Raymond
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
June 19, 2007
The Kodak EasyShare Z650 is an ultra-zoom digital camera with 6.1 megapixels and an SLR-like shape. This is less resolution than 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 less than $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. If that still sounds too daunting, the Nikon Coolpix S10 has a 10x optical zoom lens, 15 Scene modes, and no Manual modes to bother with. It comes in a more compact body, too.
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. 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 less than $300. Another option is the similarly priced Panasonic FZ7 with its 6 megapixels, 2.5-inch LCD, and optically stabilized 12x lens.
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 on the screen, which is supposed to be the beauty of the digital photography. The viewfinder is very small and uncomfortable 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. This is especially seen in the reproduction of 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 Samsung NV10 has much smoother 30 fps videos and a bigger 2.5-inch LCD screen to show them on.
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 autofocus 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.
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