->Best Price

After trying my daughter & Son-in-laws camera I knew this was a good deal. Better yet, having bought it here online, I got an even better deal than they did when it first came out.

I use this for pleasure, (vacations, etc), and professional, (real estate - listing photo's), and it works great. Easy to use, and the pictures usually turn out perfect, (unless I move too much on max close up shots, then use a tripod which helps to minimize any blur).

Great deal as an entry to mid level digital camera. Get the 2g card and you'll have more room than most will ever need.


->Best Price

I've had this camera for almost 2 weeks now--and so far I just love it. I bought it to replace a 4-year-old Minolta Dimage digital, which while it took good pictures was clearly outmoded, had a small screen that was unusable in daylight, an inadequate rangefinder viewfinder, and lousy battery life (even with Ni-MH rechargables). So I was ready for something new and more advanced.

After doing lots of homework reading specs and customer reviews, I settled on the Z612 Kodak. What initially attracted me was the 12X zoom, which I couldn't be happier with. But the other features are equally good. The LCD screen is spectacular and I can't say enough for the electronic viewfinder, which is bright and clear (I generally am used to the "put the camera up to the eye" mode of picture taking, so I love the EVF). So far I've only taken photos indoors, mostly of my cats and husband, (which means with flash) but they have all come out sharp, clear, and with terrific color. After finally figuring out how to work my fancy-schmansy HP photoprinter, I printed several 4X6 prints in 6 mp that are now hanging above my desk and are just amazing. I can't wait to get this thing out of doors.

I love the different shooting modes. The controls are very intuitive and easy to reach with the right hand while I have the camera up to my eye. The symbols for each function and mode in the viewfinder and LCD screen are easy to read and understand. I'm still learning, but have recently figured out burst mode, which will be great when I'm shooting from moving boats in Switzerland this summer.

So far battery seems find, but I will have to do more shooting to find out how long a charge lasts. I love that the battery and charger were included in the package. That's $20-30 right there in savings.

My only quibbles, not enough to downrate the camera is that I wish they'd included the full manual in the box. I had to download 90 pages and print them on my computer, which was a pain--and a waste of paper and ink. The little start-up manual that comes with the camera is not all that helpful, not to mention that I misplaced the English version and had to try to read the Spanish version.

The only other complaint is that the manual and website contains little information on what kind of memory the camera needs and how much it can handle. I took a leap of faith and bought a 2GB SD card, and, thankfully it works with the camera, but I had little to go on.

And finally, the price on the Kodak z612 cannot be beat -- in fact it was nearly half what I paid 4 years ago for the Minolta and is at least twice the camera.

All in all, I love this camera.


->Affordable

Just got my camera two weeks ago and so far I have no complaints. Excellent pictures, easy to use, I couldn't be happier.


->Prices

I purchased the Kodak EasyShare z612 based on the positive reviews on Amazon. I ck'd CNET and the review was negative...so I figured people who had the camera and were satisfied were the best bet for purchasing it. I have been delighted with the zoom...wow!! and the quality of photos...looking forward to years of use!!


->Buy

I purchased 5 of these cameras for our Police Department. They have been raved about every since. This camera is a big large but the trade off is there isn't anything or any place this camera can not capture a great picture. From fingerprints to fast action shots this is the camera for you. Our department has really utilitzed this camera and the battery life is amazing. Even if it runs out of juice the charge up time is quick and it is back on the job. I really can't express in this amount of space how much this camera will surprise you. The quality of the picture is just amazing. As you can tell I wish I had one of these myself.


->

This is a great camera for anyone, whether a skilled photographer or just learning. There is a larger variety of settings that are easy to control, and the zoom and picture quality is amazing. I would recommend this camera to anyone that's looking for quality digital memories!


->Compare

I bought this camera to replace an older fuji model. Can't say how big an improvement it is! The image stabilization is a god-send! The only thing I've got to say negativly about it...the digital zoom is a bit hard to control, but for most things, the regular optical zoom is plenty.

Very good camera, and I would highly recommend it as a great starter camera.


->Comparison

When turning on this Z612 6.1 MP Digital Camera, it sounds a slight "Da-Da-Da..." noise. I suppose this is due to the automatic focusing function that is endurable. But when I took the video recording, the noise was clearly recorded by the camera. This seems abnormal. I don't know how to abate the noise.

Thanks,

Jiang Dong


->Deal

this is an excellent camera. when i first noticed that it was a 10X zoom camera, i had an apprehension that at maximum zoom, the picture may not be very clear...but when i clicked pictures at max zoom, and viewed the picture on my computer, i was amazed by the clarity. the camera in general takes amazing pictures. a definite buy for amateur photographers like me!!!


->Deals

I have used this camera for about 2 months now. I am thrilled! The images are clear and crisp, the colors are true to life. I could not be happier.


->Wholesale

I'm very pleased with the Z612. I think it is the best deal available in a super zoom. Aside from price, I think it's strong points are:
1) It starts up and takes photos very quickly.
2) It has good image stabilization.
3) The electronic view finder is very bright, and particularly nice if you came of age with 35mm film SLRs.
4) Very good image quality and color (fine mode is best and the "high color" setting for really vivid images)
5) a zoom with a wide angle that reaches as low as 35mm (equiv.)
6) The focus zone system let's you know in advance of the shot the exact points where the camera is focussed
7) It is easy to switch and use the shutter or aperture priority modes.
8) Great battery life and you have the ability to buy a battery that fits at most drug stores (even though it does NOT take AA.) if you run out of juice at a bad time.
9) Good movie mode -- limited only by the size of your SD Card -- although zooming during a movie means a brief period when images are out of focus. Then again, other cameras won't let you zoom at all during movies, so... Do, however, expect background noises as the autofocus operates.

I've not, admittedly, had the chance to use other superzooms (like the Canon S3-- Kodak's obvious target) so you will have to ask yourself it's worth the extra $100. A comparison of their specs suggests they are very near to one another (e.g. in lens speed and focal length.)


->Compare

My Dad owned an older Kodak with the same lense, and it took good pictures, but this camera takes very grainy and fuzzy picutres. It is incapable of taking an indoor picture without the flash, and even with the flash the indoor photos (except for closeups) are fuzzy. Even high light outdoor photos were often fuzzy. I returned this after a week and now an looking to get either a fuji s700, kodak s3 is, or a panasonic fz8, but I don't want to be this dissapointed again


->Prices

I ended up buying this camera (even though I heard bad things about Kodak) because I liked the feel of it in my hand. I don't like small thin cameras. And it is somewhere between a point and shoot and and SLR. Since I can't afford an SLR I went this. I have to say I love the camera. I have already shot enough pics and printed them on my printer and they came out great.

I love all of the features. It reminds me of my 35mm SLR that I still own and use from time to time. I don't find any lag in taking the pictures. However, if you are on auto shoot, it needs to focus first before you take the shot. But my 35mm SLR did the same thing. I thinkg the shutter is just fine. I would reccommend this camera to someone who needs to upgrade from a point and shoot. After reading the reviews, I am seriously thinking about getting an extended warranty for it. Escpecially since my last camera crapped out on me 1 1/2 years later.

The only thing I seem to have a problem with is my fingers like to hit the control buttons on the right side of the camera while I am trying to take a picture. It could be that I am a lefty and all of the controls are on the right side. But for the price, you can't go wrong.


->Deal

I've had this camera for over 6 months and have taken more than 2000 pictures with it. I have taken some phenomenal pictures with it, and some that were just awful. If I had to guess, I'd say that better than 90% of the pictures have turned out great, with the remainder being either blurry or too dark.

Over time I have learned how to get the best results with this camera. I can't stress enough the importance of taking more than one picture of any given subject (if you have the chance). As I read elsewhere on the web, professional photographers always snap multiple pictures of a subject; that way, they will have plenty of good pix to choose from. I almost always take several shots of my subjects, even if it's something that's not moving. If you can afford it, get a BIG memory card (like 1GB minimum). From what I can tell, the prices on memory cards have really dropped in the past 6 months, so you really shouldn't have an excuse!

Another thing you should experiment with if you get this camera (or if you already have it) is turning the flash off. I was amazed at how much better some of my pictures turned out when turning the flash off. I guess I assumed that the camera wouldn't fire the flash if it was already bright enough, but I was wrong!

Pros: GREAT pictures (most of the time); Big LCD screen; fairly intuitive controls (especially if you are like me and generally use the "auto" feature); dedicated "Delete" button (if you snap a picture and you know right away that it's a dud, just hit "Delete" and confirm that you want it gone); image stabilization (although since some pictures turn out blurry, it must not always work); long battery life

Cons: shutter lag; noisy zoom/focus when shooting videos; grainy indoor video; no option to turn on the camera and just review pictures without having the lens pop out (not sure of the technical term there); occasional dud picture (blurry or too dark); poor pictures in low light conditions; no option for a hot-shoe flash

(A note on the shutter lag -- I have actually gotten some GREAT pictures thanks to the shutter lag. If you have pets, as I do, sometimes what the camera actually snaps is better than what you originally wanted to capture. It's rare and probably shouldn't be a selling point, but sometimes you have to look on the bright side!)

Overall, I really do recommend this camera. It has some flaws, but I think the budding enthusiast (like myself) will do well with it. I think it's a good choice for people who are ready to step up from taking simple snapshots with their cameras but don't need the power of an SLR. Buying an in-between camera like this can help you decide whether you will get into it enough to justify upgrading to an SLR someday. I DO NOT think this is a good camera for someone who is a high-end enthusiast or a professional. If you really know a lot about photography (like you know all about exposure and F-stops and ISO and all that) then you'll probably want to move on.


->Deals

I've been looking for a camera since I went on a trip for spring break about 3 weeks ago. I saw so many good picture opportunities but only had a cheap winding camera that you get at gas stations and my brother's small digital camera (he would hardly let me use it). In the middle of the trip while I was trying to sneak my brother's camera away from him I realized I should get a digital camera...

For three weeks I've been reasearching and researching and that really gets old so it was a real relief to finally get this camera and see that it's actually a good one. The first picture I took made me nervous because it turned out really dark - I had read some other reviews that said all the pictures were way too dark. Then i turned on the flash and I said "What kind of idiots are these people?" It seems like it should be common knowledge that if a picture is dark you turn on the flash! - I'm 13 and I can figure it out.
But anyway I thing this is a great camera. I took a picture of a flower on my dogwood tree using macro (don't zoom in while using macro, the camera won't focus if you do) and it turned out great. Then I cropped out the flower from the picture ( on the camera!) and the quality was amazing. I had thought that surely this on camera cropping is gonna make the picture have fuzz, but it turned out great.
I don't like the electronic viewfinder too much ( the quality of the screen isn't very good), but it's great when you need to hold the camera really steady like on long zoom shots or close-ups.
I got this camera on sale for 200 bucks. I was sorta nervous about buying it but I thought "Hey, it's got a 2 week return policy, I'll take it back if I don't like it." I'm definitely not taking this back unless it breaks.
I was also impressed with the size of the camera and how it actually looked in person. Even though it's a full sized camera it's still fairly small and it's light but sturdy. If you take test pictures in the store you will not get good results simply because the inside of an office store is downright boring. Buy it, take it home, and take some test pictures with it. If the results seem bright or dark then mess with the flash and try the touch up thing on the camera, it really helps. It's really important that you take it home to take some test pictures - you can probably take it back depending on the store you're at.

I think this camera is great - especially for the money! I was about to get a Sony DSC-H2 but at the store I thought the image quality was terrible! I never got to test the H5 but it was too expensive anyway. The Canon PowerShot S3 IS seemed alright but it took 4 batteries as opposed to 2 and it was too much maney for me. Panasomic's Lumic DMC FZ7 or 8 both looked cheap to me so in the end I took this camera.


->Compare

I'm using this camera for one month and loved!
Great pictures and it's easy to use.

Movies quality and sound are very good.

Hope this review will help another customers, I used it a lot comparing with different cameras.

Regards,

Michael Rodrigues.


->Buy Online

When it works at its best, the picture looks great. But that's not often the case and far from "fool proof". And I doubt I am the only fool out there :) Note: I did most of the shooting indoor in bright to regular artificial lights, in full auto mode. Main object is my 2 year old.

Pro:

light weight, easy to use, IS helps, uses Li-Ion battery (used to have a Olympus with 2 AA batteries, a nightmare will never forget).

Con:

1. The LCD is blurry and murky always, better when the picture is in focus, worse if not. But never truly clear and sharp.

2. The AF is slow and inaccurate at the long end, ok at the wide end. The "ding" sound supposed to indicate a good focus, but it dings often when the subject is totally blurry. So now I have to carefully watch the murky LCD to make my own judgement.

3. Indoor shooting tends to over expose, quite often. This is the opposite to Easyshare V603 I tried before, which tended to under-expose.

4. I tried other settings besides "full auto mode", the results were worse. Fully auto seems to be the best way for cute cameras like this.

5. Zoom is awkard, inaccurate and hard to control. I found Canon Powershot zoom wheel to be better. On Kodak, once you took a picture, you have to half press the shutter to get the camera out of the review mode and then zoom the lens. "Shoot and zoom" just doesn't work. This is consistent with Easyshare v603. I think it's the design flaw or technical deficiency on Kodak's part.

6. Shutter lag is significant, from the time the shutter is clicked (always after "in focus" as indicated by the sound) to the time the picture taken, my baby could have changed her facial expression completely and moved out of the frame, and she was not even running.


All in all, this one is still very much the good old "stand-in-line-n-say-cheeese" type of camera. Super zoom never is good on DSLR, no exception here. I happen to think most features packed in this camera is just for marketing. This is certainly no sub for DSLR, not by a long shot, even if the feature list reads like one from time to time (I did read the manual :)). The only real positive for me is the natural color from Kodak, when things are right (also true with V603). Alas, that doesn't have very often. On a side note, the phrase "point-n-shot" is really misleading, because with this type of small cameras, you can point, but shot doesn't come about till the cameras decide it's ready for it. SLRs are far more truer to the phrase!


->For Sale

I have had this camera for about 6 months. I'm overly impressed with the easy of use with the preset options dial on the top of the camera. I download two pictures (view in download area) one of water drops from downspout stop in mid air (just setting dial on auto sport mode free handed) and 12 X zoom of the radio tower in the background, approximately ¼ mile away. The video mode with room lighting is very good, and a nice option for those moments when you forget or don't have the video camera. As with any camera non flash shoots with low lighting require a tripod and still subject or you get motion blur. But then again if you don't like the picture delete and shoot again the cost advantage over film cameras. Also bought spare battery because of previous experiences with digital cameras, haven't had to use even during a shooting session Christmas of over 30 min video and 50 plus pictures.


->Deal

After researching digital cameras for about two weeks I decided to purchase the Z612 based on the consistent very good reviews on photo sites, Amazon and CNET. I believe this camera is one of the highest rated cameras (by users) on all of CNET. I'm very happy I purchased the Z612. The picture quality is great. I love the 12x zoom with image stabilization and have utilized most of the many features and options. Further the battery life appears to be very good as I have never run out of "juice" while shooting photos. This is the third digital camera I have owned and the best. Excellent value for the money.




->

I ordered my Kodak Z612 a few weeks ago here on Amazon. So far I'm really happy with it. The colors are brilliant, focus is pretty spot on and the zoom is simply amazing. I've still got to sensibly fool around with the manual settings (meaning that I've already done some random fooling around with interesting results).

Keep in mind this is not a pocket fit and is aimed towards people who take their photography seriously or are developing a serious interest in this field.

The screen is a major fingerprint magnet and I now regret taking off the thin plastic sheet over the screen. Another negative I noticed is that during video recording the mic picks up a lot of sound from the zoom motors and that there is substantial blurring while you are zooming during a video shoot. I'm not sure if these are standard problems that come with video recording with digicams but its not a major issue for me; since I only use it to shoot 1-2 minute clips of my son. I also turned off the Continuous Focus option in favor of One Time Focus since the lens would constantly be adjusting and readjusting and making sounds at every slight movement and it would no doubt be the source of major battery drainage.

The zoom on this thing is awesome and image stabilization plays a major role at 12x zooms; in fact it would be pretty useless without it.

All in all its an excellent camera. Just make sure you purchase a 1gb SD card to go with it (if not more) and a camera bag since it doesn't come with one.


->Best Price

I have only had my camera for a little less than a month. So far, it is great. The weather hasn't been where I can get out and take a lot of pictures yet. Those are my favorite pictures of the outdoors unless it is grandkids. I am anxious for the sun to shine and the flowers to grow to give it a real test. Or for the grandkids to arrive. So far so good!Beverly


->Comparison

I had priced a cheaper model (Same Brand) at a local store and it was $ 100.00 more than Amazon. I purchased a better model and still saved $ 30.00

Delivery was fast.


->Affordable

Hi,
This is my second camera, and the first digital camera. It is fun to play with. A wonderful value for money product. The image stabilization works great. The different screen modes help a lot, and with a little experience, u can click really great pictures with this camera. The colour science chip works fine, but sometimes, gets confused in bright sceneries. You can always switch to the manual or the program mode and still get great pictures.
Video recording works fine to capture short videos, and I am quite happy with that too. The best part is, unlike my old SLR, even my kid can use this camera :-)

Great buy...


->Price

HAVE HAD THE CAMERA FOR A MONTH,EVERY THING WORKS GREAT WOULD RECOMEND IT TO ANY ONE LOKING FOR A DIGITAL,IT IS MY FIRST AND HE ONLY THINGS THAT I MAY GO FOR NEXT TIME IS MAYBE MORE PIXS BUT A GREAT CAMERA FOR THE MONEY AND I HAVE EVEN TAKING PIC WHILE RIDING ON MY BIKE AND WITH THE IMAGE STABLIZER THAY STILL COME OUT GREART


->Buy

This is my second digital camera and I must say I am very pleased. I like the grip especially and the zoom is terrific. I am so happy I can now video with sound also. It is very easy to manipulate dials and review.


->Sale

I enjoyed using my new camera. I've already taken some great pictures. Digital zoom is really great. Took a picture of a cardinal and had it enlarged. Great!!


->Compare

I have this camera since Dec/2006, and my overall opinion is that it does its job fairly well. However, there are some little details that, if fixed, could make it even better. Here they are:

1. You can't change the optical zoom settings while making videos.

2. Optical zoom is set up by pressing a button, instead of the ring used in manual zooms which allow precise control over the magnifying.

3. Fotos get rather dark in automatic mode when environmental light is poor and flash is not used. While this sound an obvious limitation at first glance, some cameras due to other manufactures are claimed to perform better at this point. However, I did not purchase any of them to check this information.

4. When shooting in continuous mode (i.e. two shots are taken per second while shutter button is pressed), the maximum number of photos in a row does not increase when I select lower resolution (eg. 3 MP). Note that at lower resolutions each photo takes less memory space, therefore allowing more of them being made in a row.

A good point of this camera seems to be its price, if compared to similar ones out there. So, unless the customer wants something closer to perfection, I would recommend this camera.



->Affordable

I've had this camera since 10/06. It is very intuitive and easy to use with the exception of the zoom, which is very jerky. This means that instead of being able to zoom until you are satisfied, it jerks past where you want to go. When you try to go back a little, it jerks way past where you would want to stop.

I am also having to return this one to the manufacturer for repair under warranty. When I try to do video, the camera makes grinding noises as it tries to focus and you can hear the noise on the video. I sincerely hope that is not how the camera is supposed to operate.

But the images from the lense and 6.1 megapixel camera are excellent and Kodak software is easy to use.


->Discount

My kodak easyshare z612 6.1mp digital camera is exactly what i was looking for.I spent six months looking,reading,surfing the web,paying layaway on some other ditigal camera.On the month of Dec.i picked up some ads on the z612,read them,research the camera,close my layaway on the other ditigal camera,bought my kodak z612 at amazon.The camera is macro compatible,small,light,and offers me a chance to learn a more modern aspect on photography.


->Compare

This was purchased as a gift. I had read reviews for this camera, here and in other sites. While I kept my options open when looking into a new camera (Canon, Olympus, etc) I decided to stay with Kodak because our entire family has Kodak and no one has ever complained about picture quality.

Three things were immediately noticeable--1)the ease of use and setup, 2) the large LCD display, 3) and this camera's ability to rapidly snap picture after picture with none of the dreaded lag time associated with the less expensive models.

None of us are professional photographers, but this camera is just great! The terrific zoom is just icing on the cake. While we purchased this for our daughter and son-in-law, we were so impressed we are seriously considering a followup purchase for our selves!

You will not be dissappointed.


->Prices

I went to Consumer Reports online to research for a new camera after I dropped my old Kodak camera and damaged it. Print quality and battery life were high priorities. This one was in my price point. Amazon had the best price on this camera that I could fine. I've had 3 Kodak cameras and this is a very easy one to use. I'm getting excellent prints and it came with a special Amazon offer of free memory card. I am a happy customer!


->Cheap

GREAT CAMERA FOR THE PRICE. WE HAVE OWNED KODAK CAMERAS BEFORE & WE REALLY LIKE THE ZOOM STABILIZER FEATURE ON THIS CAMERA, IT STABILIZES ALOT QUICKER THEN PREVIOUS MODELS. THE ONLY DOWNSIZE TO THIS CAMERA IS IT IS BULKY, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE BULK IF YOU WANT THE ZOOM. THE PICURE QUALITY IS CLEAR. I LOVE THE LARGE REAR LCD SCREEN, THAT WAS A BIG FACTOR WHEN BUYING THIS CAMERA. VERY USER FRIENDLY UNLIKE OTHER BRANDS.


->Purchase

This Z612 is the third Kodak I've bought in 5 years. They have all been reasonably priced and, especially, easy to use. My wife wanted a zoom camera she so could take snapshots of the heron at the far end of the local pond. The Z612 does the job.


->Best Price

The ergonomics of this camera are excellent. The buttons are very well placed and positioned within easy reach of the thumb and index finger. The LCD is big 2.5 inch 202K pixel. It gains up nicely in low light so that you can frame your subject nicely. The 12X optical zoom and the image stabilization works really well together. The image quality is awesome. The colors that this camera produces is very natural and still very vibrant as with all the Kodak cameras.

I was most impressed with the video quality of this camera. It can take video at 640x320 at 30 fps with stereo sound. And the compression it uses is MPEG-4 QuickTime. So you can store 32 minutes of video in 1 GB card. And the video length is alos unlimited (till your memory card fills up fully i.e. 2 GB card can hold 1 hr of video). You can use the 12X optical zoom while using video. Though it does lose focus while zooming in video.

The battery life is also very good. It uses Kodak KLIC8000 Li-on battery. And it comes with a charger also. It took more than 200 photos, most of all with flash and with reviewing them all on LCD. The camera allows you to edit the photos in camera it self. You can enhance the photos using Kodak's Picture Perfect Touch technology that will improve the sharpness and the colors. You can tag the photos as favorites and they get emailed automatically when you transfer them to PC. You can even crop the photos in camera itself.

The last and the most important thing is the manual controls. You can control all the settings life exposure, aperture settings, ISO from the camera and decide what is going to work for you. It still has some 20 auto scene modes that you can use in many conditions. Like beach, snow, night, sport, portrait, kids etc.

Overall I am a very very happy owner of my Z612. Would recommend this to everyone who is looking for a prosumer camera.


->Buy

Unfortunatly, I lost our camera last year!! So I really wanted to get another Kodak since I was so happy with the previous model. I looked at all the popular camera's like the Cannon powershot, which I was not happy with at all. I have a friend that owns one and has to recharge the batteries after only a few hours of use. The kodak uses the Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which after a full charge lasts for DAYS!!! not hours!! For the casual user this is a perfect camera. Vacations, parties etc.. this works great. I like to use it at sporting events because of it's abiltiy to zoom from a distance and still take sharp pictures.


->

Earlier this summer, my husband and I decided it was time to replace my digital camera (a Kodak DC280, bought in 2000), so we were unofficially looking. We stumbled across a good deal on a Kodak C643 and printer dock and thought we were getting a good camera. To cut to the chase, the C643 just wasn't the camera that we thought it was (my 6-year old 2 megapixel DC280 took better pictures!), so we unofficially started looking for something better.
I started reading up on cameras and saw good things about the Z612. What really caught our eye was the image stabilization, as that was one of the problems with the C643. We also wanted the zoom capabilities and higher quality lens, especially since photographic events don't always occur right in front of you. We took a look at a Z612 in a store and were very impressed with its performance. We shopped around online, found a great price, and bought one. We've not been disappointed.
This camera has so many amenities - on screen cropping and editing, tons of different shot options (night shots, action shots, close-ups, etc.), and more. We've tested it out in poor situations - long distance shots in very low light, moving subjects, extreme close-ups - and the pictures have turned out perfectly with no blurring, no fuzziness, no darkness.
The only "complaint" I have - and it has nothing to do with the camera itself and does not affect our very high opinion of the camera - is the owner's manual that comes in the box is *very* basic. My husband went to the Kodak site and downloaded the unabridged manual, which contains a lot more information on the camera. Not a big deal, but it would be a bit more convenient to not have to run to the computer when we want to read up on the camera's options.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone!


->Sale

The photos I am now getting are so superior to the ones from my other digital cameras that I gave the other cameras to friends. My frustration with blurred close-ups of moving objects has ended. My only wish is that this photo quality could be achieved with a smaller camera.


->Purchase

I was specifically looking for a camera to use for photographing my daughter's soccer games. I was upgrading from a Kodak dx7440. I wanted good optical zoom (which at 12x is outstanding) AND as little delay as possible from pressing the shutter to the picture being taken. I REALLY liked this camera, except, the shutter delay is just too long for action shots - the action was long gone by the time the picture was taken and it's really impossible to anticipate a shot and get it right. The controls are easy to understand and use. The large LCD was great. The Kodak EasyShare software is easy to use; in fact, I use it with my other camera also. Long story short, I returned this camera and...gulp...took the dive and purchased the new Canon XTI Digital SLR through Amazon. LOVE IT! Action shots are outstanding! Not a "pocket" sized camera, but sure gets the shots at those soccer games!


->Prices

I researched other cameras, and Kodak always gets my vote. This camera is awesome for the price! It also has fun features like you can crop right on your camera, correct the color using Kodak Perfect Touch, take pictures right from your video footage or even make a collage print from different frames from your video, and all on your camera!!! LOVE IT!! If you want a slim camera, it's not for you, but otherwise, it's GREAT!!


->Best Price

I researched a lot of cameras with 6+ megapixel and 10x-or-greater zoom, and this camera was the best of the lot ! Easy to learn to use; it's got a point-and shoot style that makes it simple and easy to shoot good picts or video, and then download, and distribute. As a journalist and writer who is about to leave again for Iraq and Djibouti, I need a small camera that's easy to use, and with a lot of moxie - this is the one !


->Affordable

This camera can take good photographs worthy of 11x14 enlargements, maybe larger and should take great 6x4 photos for just about any situation.

It has a wide variety of options for creative control, but has fully automatic 'everything' for those not able or willing to make any decisions.

The 12x zoom is both one of the cameras strengths and weaknesses. The zoom lets you get close to far away objects, however the temptation to 'overuse' this feature is strong. At the highest magnification one needs fairly high shutter speeds even with the image stabilization to avoid blur. I also found that at the most magnification the lens quality was a little suspect and images were a little 'muddy'. Maybe once summer comes round with much more ambient light the lens will do better. Time will tell. Image stabilization is of little use if one is 'tracking' a moving object. I wish Kodak had put an on/off switch for the image stabilization on the camera, the control to switch it on/of is deep in the menus. Turning off the stabilization is essential for tripod use as is the case with all IS cameras. With the 12x lens Tripod use is very beneficial, the Image Stabilization is good but not good enough for enlargements.

Colors are acceptable in most circumstances, I found the colors on the Kodak DX6490 to be better in a wider range of conditions.

The dial to select shooting mode works very well and is a vast improvement on some of the older Kodaks. The 'jog' dial is well positioned compared to other Kodaks. The camera on/off switch is well positioned.

The LCD is large and bright making picture taking/review easy. In bright daylight you'll be forced to use the viewfinder, but the viewfinder is pseudo TTL so it is a very good substitute.

I did find the viewfinder awkward to use. It is almost flush with the camera back so with glasses on it is difficult to see clearly into the viewfinder because your nose butts up against the LCD first. Older Kodaks are better. The zoom control is difficult to use if you use the viewfinder at the same time, it's too close and your check which prevents your thumb getting to the zoom out. I also found the zoom control a little too quick, it is very difficult to frame photos using the control without 'overshooting' one direction or the other. The DX6490 was much better and had a better zoom control to boot.

The ability to use rechargeable batteries or standard CRV3 lithiums is great! However the rechargeable batterries are proprietary. Kodak made a change to the battery contacts for the rechargeables and generic rechargables from Radio Shack will NOT work - I had to return one. Buy only rechargeable batteries that are designed for this Kodak camera. Despite the battery saving features of the camera the batteries do seem to run down more quickly than other Kodaks. The camera comes with a plug in battery charger, an improvement over older models. I recommend the purchase of the camera dock for both charging the camera and downloading photos to your computer. This saves having to open the battery compartment to either charge the battery or retrieve the memory card. Use the Kodak software to download the photos and then use other software to enhance your photos.

As with all Kodaks the Macro feature sucks. Purchase of the lens adapter and some screw on macro filters overcomes the limitations. The lens adapter used with a skylight filter also protects the lens against bumps and dirt. The adapter is only $15 so is an essential add on IMHO.

The scene modes are very comprehensive and seem to work well, making many decisions for you.

One can take up to 8 photos in burst mode, but I found that the image in the viewfinder freezes for a longtime making tracking of a moving object very hard. Once the burst is over you can't use the camera for 30-40 seconds while it writes the photos to the memory card. If you need burst mode a lot, don't buy this camera higher end cameras do this much better.

One annoying feature is that in AUTO the camera always fires the flash in low light situations, it cannot be turned of as a default, each time you switch the camera on the flash may fire. This may not be OK inside buildings, museums etc. I found the best way around accidental flash is to leave the camera in 'program mode'. Program mode remembers the last flash setting used in that mode, which is typically off for me. I can switch to auto if I want flash. I tried using an auxiliary flash unit with a slave, but the two flash units confused each other resulting in dark photos. Fortunately the built in flash illuminates a medium sized room quite well, so auxiliary flash is often unnecessary as is the case with previous Kodak models.

One can override the color control to cope with flouresent or incandescent lighting, but that's about it, more white balance options would be nice.

Picture review is easy and has a great 8x zoom to examine the suitability of taken photos. I don't understand why Kodak make such a big deal about the favorite and 'share' features and devote some many buttons and menus to these valueless options.

Self timer options are great with both 2 and 10 second delays and also a 2 photo delay feature, just in case someone blinks at an inopportune moment. I wish you could combine self timer and exposure bracketing to make sure you got a good photo when away from the camera. Alas you can't, a very small drawback.

I was disappointed that 6 mega pixels doesn't show a big improvement over 4 mega pixels I had before. Well I learnt my lesson there. Don't buy for mega pixels, buy for features, ease of use and other capabilities.

The focusing system is quick and accurate, a vast improvement over other Kodak cameras. The manual focus sounds great but I found in practice it is almost impossible to use accurately. The three focus modes are better ways to overcome any focus problems you may throw at the camera.

The best of all feature of the camera is its ease of use. Unless you are a budding professional or sports photographer this camera will meet almost all of your needs. The easier it is to use, the more photos you can take and better ones too, because you don't waste time struggling with a complex setup.

I like it. As a long time Kodak DX6490 user I found it to be a good upgrade, but not as good as I had hoped. At the current price of just over $250 I can't really be too disappointed.





->Compare

After much research and forum hunting [...] I decided on this camera for my parents. I went with the Z612 because it is simple to use, has a big lcd screen and has image stabilization. My parents are seniors and are not technologically advanced. They do not have a computer and this is their first digital camera. The set up menu is straight forward and very easy to understand.

I set up everything before I gave it to my parents and took several shots. Great quality pictures! Especially on the fine setting. The lens quality is outstanding (for the price) and image stabilization corrects for hand shake (great feature for the senior crowd). I have a digital SLR camera and was still impressed by the quality pictures this camera took...and it cost about a third of what I paid for my camera and is about half the size. The 12x lens is fantastic!

The reason I gave this rating a 4 and not 5 is because the product manual that comes with it is a "getting started" manual...you have to go on the internet and download the full manual. Also, each time you charge the battery you have to reset the clock and calendar.


->Prices

When I ordered this camera from AMAZON the price was comparable to local establishments. The only reason I ordered from AMAZON was that there was a tag on the web page that said if you order this item you will get a free SD 512 memory card. This also appeared on the Kodak Z650 add on AMAZON. I did not recieve the card and when I inquired to AMAZON they answered that a card does not come with the Kodak Camera. Well, I knew that! The card was a give away from AMAZON not from Kodak. My biggest mistake, aside from ordering electronics from AMAZON was not saving the web page to prove my claim. Watch out for the bait and switch. Now AMAZON can do it too.


->Best Price

The Z612 is a great camera but has one minor to moderate flaw depending on the user. All-in-all the white balance sensor does not function properly. I ended up exchanging it for another one because of this problem, but the second also had this problem. Best Buy said this model is known to have an inferior white balance sensor.

In indoor lighting conditions, sometimes the LCD tends to look very yellowish. so yellowish that its hard to determine whether or not the picture will come out ok. The strange thing is that on both of the cameras i tried, the pictures come out fine and it seems to just be the LCD that has the yellow tint.

Overall, i am still satisfied with the camera because the pictures come out great and movie mode is fine. If a yellowish LCD is something that will bother you, you may want to consider something else..


->Buy

My Z612 is very easy to use and I am terrible with cameras! Digital is the best for me because I need the option to erase the ones that don't come out the right way. It takes great pictures, especially wildlife, hummingbirds, butterflies etc... Also great for pictures of kids who won't hold still.


->Prices

i have had another kodak camera for 3yrs and while i enjoyed it i am now traveling more and wanted a camera with a more powerful optical zoom.after having researched different brands ,prices etc i decided to buy a kodak.i chose the z 612 because it had the 2.5 inch viewfinder ,6 megapixels ,12x optical zoom with image stabilization.i just recieved it today about 3 hrs ago.i love this camera .it is easy to use ,the zoom works well and quickly.the pictures are very crisp even at full zoom .the image stabilization works well .since i already have kodak software it was easy to upgrade my new pictures that i took today .you also can't beat the price for this quality camera.i am looking forward to taking more pictures with the z612.i would definitely recommend this product to the beginner or more experienced photographer .


->Prices

Kodak Easyshare Z612

Pros

1. There are dedicated buttons for setting focus, flash, timer, review, information, delete, menue and share photos. Because the buttons require a solid punch, I have not not had the problem of accidentally resetting the camera when handling it. This makes the camera easy to use.

2. The x12 zoom works great and so does the image stabilization. I was able to take photos of people without a tripod from significant distances (15-20 feet) allowing for candid, non-intrusive shots of subjects. Because there are blur and poor exposure warnings, almost all of my photos came our sharp and bright. At the longer distances on the flash range, it was necessary to enhance the exposure in editing and I was amazed at the quality of the correction. Unless I was very close to the subject, the skin tones were good. I have submitted some sample images for your review.

3. I really like the software that comes with the camera. I normally edit the photos in a retail store because the touch screens are so easy to use as compared to my complicated and tedious computer software. The Kodak software was simple and had fun features such as turning the photos into cartoons or coloring book pages. Plus, the software is integrated with the Kodak website for easy photo sharing.

4. The camera is lighter weight (10 oz w/o batteries) and smaller than the Kodak "P" (professional) series. [...] While it is no substitute for a pocket camera, I think I would still use the z612 as my primary camera on a road trip.

5. The LCD screen is large at 2.5 inches and the EVD is bright. In comparison to other cameras I have used, I can see the LCD screen in bright sunlight but it is on the dim side in the normal mode. There is an option to brighten it beyond normal, which I have not tried.

6. The batteries, which come with the camera, seem to last around 50 photos with lots of telephoto adjustments.

7. The camera does come with a lens cap and lens strap, which I attached to the hook for the neck strap. The cap pops off and hangs out of the say when the camera is turned on. It is NOT necessary to keep track of the lens cap.

Cons

1. The wide/telephoto lever is located immediately to the right of the viewfinder. I use my left eye when looking in the viewfinder and it is very, very difficult to use the wide/telephoto at the same time. My thumb ends up poking my right eye. If I had tried this camera out in the store, it may have been a show stopper. This is a significant con, which dropped my rating by one star.

2. The icons and text describing the scene options are on the small side compared to the space available on the LCD screen. My current camera uses a descriptive photo with large text for the scene options. After you select a scene option, you have to toggle the wheel off and back onto the scene option to get back to the scene menu. This is cumbersome.

3. The icons on the camera body for the flash, focus, et. al are small and may be difficult to see for the 50+ consumer.

4. The battery indicator does not come on until the batteries are low. I would like to know the status of the batteries at all times.

5. For macro photography, you have to be at least 4.7 inches away from the subject for the focus to work properly. This is a long distance for macro photography, so your photos may require cropping for a really close look. I did some test photos of a grid and the tightest I could get (while maintaining good focus) was an area of around 2 inches by 2 3/4 inches. Too much cropping degregates the image quality. If you want to take pictures of ladybugs in high resolution, you may want to consider another camera that has a better macro mode and a super macro mode. Cropping to a grasshopper size works--but a ladybug size seems to be beyond the limits of this camera. (I did get a good shot of a ladybug, but I had to leave a lot a background to maintain a quality photo.)

Conclusion

This is a light-weight, easy to use, affordable camera with a large, bright LCD screen and bright EVD viewfinder. The image stabilization and the integrated editing software is a real plus. This camera will work for a beginner photographer, as well as, a serious amateur who wants some control over settings but doesn't want to spend the $ for a DSL. I would have liked a super macro mode, but the trade off was more expense, weight, no batteries included and a smaller, dimmer LCD screen. (Check out the Canon IS 3S or Sony super zoom) While I may not be able to photograph the texture on a bug's eye, at the end of the day, I'm really most interested in good candid photos of people. All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase and I'm having lots of fun taking pictures. Check out the images I have shared. If you buy this camera, I also recommend that you download the full manual from Kodak and take the time to edit each photo with the included software. (Note: I have not tried the video on this camera.)








->Sale

I bought this camera for myself as an early birthday present. I admit I have not fully tested out this camera as I have had this camera less then 12 hrs at the time of writing this review. But As soon as I got it out of the BOX I thought WOW! glancing through the menu options I only took a couple of pictures but I am still learning. I will update soon :) bye for now. If I could I'd give it 10 out of 5 LOL!


->Compare

I love this little camera. It replaces a DX7590 that I lost (and is my 4th Kodak digital camera). I also have a Canon Digital Rebel XT and although it's a great canera as well, it's not ideal to drag along to the beach or destinations where I have to worry about it being stolen or damaged. The pre-configured settings are a good way to set up your camera for quick shots (sports, sunset, candlelight scenes, etc) and the abilty to crop the picture in camera is useful. I also have a 2 gig card which allows me to take as many pictures as I want. This also helps with use of exposure bracketing. What I like best?...screen size and quality, picture quality, ease of use. My only issue was finding a back-up battery pack...


->Compare

I have had the Z612 for a month now. I decided to look it up on amazon and see what reviews it was getting. I was surprised to see the few shared photos. I love my camera and decided to add some of my own that I have taken in the last month. I read all the reviews and agree with them all. I didn't want to bore anyone by repeating everything... I just wanted to let anyone that's looking for a high performance/zoom camera to check out my pictures. They are mostly of my dog, yes. But it shows the speed quality and clearity of this camera. Also the videos are excellent and very clear with great sound quality (with the exception of zooming while filming). I would recommend this camera to experts and beginners (considering I'm relatively new at photography as an art). Thank you!


->Sale

The first one I bought I had to send back but This camera is great it takes wonderful picture with great colors and is easy to use. I have taken picture of the moon at 12x zoom and then used the review at 8x and can see the creaters on the moon objects in motion and closeups that sold me on the camera. It's very easy to use my girlfriend never had a digital camera before and she can take great pictue with it.Well I would reccomened this camera for any one looking for a mega zoom camera that is simple to use with many extra's like many preset scene's,with flash settings, great picture to picture speed nice low light picture's good auto focus and fit's in your hand nice and battery life is great I can go a couple weeks between charges useing the LCD screen 2.5" nice and big.I did A lot of resarch before I bought this camera and found this was the best in price range well worth the money.



->Best Price

I loved 35mm photography and used a Nikon for years. I just wanted to take pics without all the hassels have the convenience of auto focus. The camera has been simple to use, has good documentation and the software for downloading the pic to your computer works very well. There is also a docking station that you can purchase that will automatically download your pics as well as recharge the batteries. I really like this camera and would recommed it for folks who like taking pictures and are somewhat particular about their pictures and the quality of their shots.


->Compare

I got some very nice photos with this camera, and some very disappointing ones, too. Even not using the zoom, I ended up with some very blurry pictures. This is not my first digital camera. I am unsure as to whether or not the camera is broken. Judging from other reviewers, I am guessing I just got a defective camera.


->Best Price

Overall this camera is totally worth the $400 to buy it. It takes excellent and colorful shots - both closeup and far away. The image stabilization works great, so there's little chance of blurry shots at full zoom. It's easy to use and it's super small. I bought this camera because I love my Kodak CX7430 and I didn't want to pay the money for a digital SLR like the Canon Rebel. If I had the choice to buy a zoom camera again, I'd still take this one.

PROS:
1. Crisp and vivid photos
2. Great image stabilization
3. Easy to use controls - a Kodak trademark
4. Long battery life and uses over the counter batteries or the rechargeable ones that come with it.
5. Both viewfinders give you a lot of versatility and the LCD screen is excellent.
6. Has two video sound mics for stereo sound.
7. Very small in size for a camera of this type.

CONS:
1. Video sound distorts at rock concerts.
2. Video sound fades out when zooming in and out while recording (so don't zoom while recording is my procedure, unless you're not worried about the sound).
3. Camera could be a bit faster reloading from shot to shot.


->Buy

Update: I concur on the blurring issue. It doesn't happen frequently, but sometimes, particularly on close-ups, the autofocus won't focus no matter what I do. Then the next picture is fine. Possibly a firmware issue Kodak could address with an update?

Note: only a couple of tiny issues keep this from being a 5-star review. To me, "5" means "close to perfect," and the Z612 isn't quite there--but I still love this camera! The Z612 has all the ease of an EasyShare with features found in more demanding cameras.

Pro

Nice small size for its key features: 6.1 mexapixels, 12x zoom, and image stabilization

Brilliant, huge viewfinder--by far the best in this price range

Trademark Kodak color--pop-out clear and beautiful

Buttons and switches are clearly labeled and easy to use, particularly the huge, well-placed release button

Foolproof picture-taking, but easy to access advanced features

Easy to transfer pictures, either with the USB cable or the optional dock (you don't have to get the printer dock; there's a $40 series 3 dock that just charges and transfers)

Loaded with easily-accessed scene settings, including a separate toggle for three of the most popular

Accepts regular camera batteries in addition to its rechargeable battery--though on a four-day trip where I took a lot of pictures I didn't seem to get anywhere close to exhausting the juice


Con

The rubber boot covering the USB transfer port seems a little flimsy

The manual is cryptic on some features

As with all non-manual zooms, the Z612 zoom is a bit trigger-happy

I'm not quite as impressed with close-ups such as flowers as I was with my old DX6440 EasyShare... so I thought I'd buy a close-up lens, but:

To use generic 55mm lenses, you need a special 49 to 55 mm lens adapter made just for the Z612--but this accessory isn't available yet! Come on, Kodak.

Still, a lot of camera, both for the cost and for the ease of use. Oh, and it's rather attractive, too--I took it to a conference and a lot of people commented on my "nice camera."


->Discount

Update: I concur on the blurring issue. It doesn't happen frequently, but sometimes, particularly on close-ups, the autofocus won't focus no matter what I do. Then the next picture is fine. Possibly a firmware issue Kodak could address with an update?

Note: only a couple of tiny issues keep this from being a 5-star review. To me, "5" means "close to perfect," and the Z612 isn't quite there--but I still love this camera! The Z612 has all the ease of an EasyShare with features found in more demanding cameras.

Pro

Nice small size for its key features: 6.1 mexapixels, 12x zoom, and image stabilization

Brilliant, huge viewfinder--by far the best in this price range

Trademark Kodak color--pop-out clear and beautiful

Buttons and switches are clearly labeled and easy to use, particularly the huge, well-placed release button

Foolproof picture-taking, but easy to access advanced features

Easy to transfer pictures, either with the USB cable or the optional dock (you don't have to get the printer dock; there's a $40 series 3 dock that just charges and transfers)

Loaded with easily-accessed scene settings, including a separate toggle for three of the most popular

Accepts regular camera batteries in addition to its rechargeable battery--though on a four-day trip where I took a lot of pictures I didn't seem to get anywhere close to exhausting the juice


Con

The rubber boot covering the USB transfer port seems a little flimsy

The manual is cryptic on some features

As with all non-manual zooms, the Z612 zoom is a bit trigger-happy

I'm not quite as impressed with close-ups such as flowers as I was with my old DX6440 EasyShare... so I thought I'd buy a close-up lens, but:

To use generic 55mm lenses, you need a special 49 to 55 mm lens adapter made just for the Z612--but this accessory isn't available yet! Come on, Kodak.

Still, a lot of camera, both for the cost and for the ease of use. Oh, and it's rather attractive, too--I took it to a conference and a lot of people commented on my "nice camera."


->Affordable

CONTROLS
The camera's controls (buttons: flash, picture settings), menu are very easy to use. The buttons are placed for easy use.

PICTURE QUALITY
The pictures are sharp, clear with good natural color. The 12X zoom works in all lighting conditions. In bright sun light auto 12x works well. In low light you can use the manual or program controls with the 12x zoom. One really good feature is that once you take a picture you can use the kodak perfect touch to sharpen and lighten up the picture if you need to. You can also crop the picture.

I've taken lots of macro pictures of flowers. I've even got good shots of bees in flight on the flowers.

VIDEO
You can use the 12x zoom while you run the video. In low light like at a circus or party the video is great. You don't miss a detail.

PRINTER
You can user the kodak series 3 printer to print pictures from your video.

TV
The camera or printer dock can be hooked up to your TV. You can review your pictures to decide what you want to keep. You can show the whole family what you're taken pictures of.

RECOMMEND
yes, for an experienced photographer you have the ability to set the iso 800, control shutter speed, etc.
Yes, for the beginner, let the camera do the work and you'll get BEAUTIFUL, SHARP picutures.
You can't go wrong with this camera. By the way, it is so lite you hardly know you're carrying it.


->Compare

I LOVE this camera! I have a Nikon N90, which is an excellent camera, but I wanted a digital, smaller camera. Several years ago, I bought a Toshiba PDF4300, and my husband purchased a Nikon Coolpix 5000. Both of these digital cameras are not user friendly or fast. As a result, we stopped taking photos. I bought a Kodak C model Easyshare camera for my mom for Mother's Day and was shocked at how easily I was able to immediately start taking photos. There were dedicated Review and Delete buttons by the LCD panel. What a concept! (To this day, I have problems deleting on my Toshiba.) It made me want to start taking photos again. I studied specifications from camera to camera; e.g. Canon, Nikon, Kodak, but I kept coming back to Kodak's simple, easy-to-use formula. I decided on the Z612 for a multitude of reasons: size, speed, stabilization, TV quality video with stereo audio, 2.5 LCD with 233K pixels, 35mm to 420mm zoom, 6.4 MP, ability to use a 2 GB SD card (with the best res (6 MP), this card can hold 491 photos), etc. I called some camera stores in town to see if they carried the Kodak Z612, because I wanted to see it in person, and I was surprised at their snobby responses that they don't carry Kodak. Don't let that kind of attitude stop you from seeing this camera. I found one close to home, and bought after looking at it - great sale price, too. This is the easiest camera out of the box. Very fast! Excellent quality - no red eye on my new kittens. In one day, I took 200 photos, copied them to my computer - no hassles. I am the happiest I've ever been with a camera. As an additional FYI, Kodak announced the P712 in London on June 20, 2006. This should be better than the P880 which I was considering. If you want to add an external flash and things, the P (Performance) line is the way to go. For this purchase I wanted size, quality, AND EASE OF USE. It looks like the new P712 is very similar to the Z612, which was announced Feb 2006. (Z is for high zoom, 6 is for MP, and 12 is for 12x zoom.)

I am ABSOLUTELY THRILLED with my Kodak Easyshare Z612. (No, I do not work for Kodak.)