Updated 14 Feb, 2012, 10:57 am IST

REVIEWS / POINT AND SHOOT / KODAK INDIA PVT. LTD.

Kodak EasyShare ZD710

05 Feb, 2008, 3:00 pm IST | Laiq Qureshi | Point and Shoot

If you are just starting off with a superzoom, scene modes are your best bet. The Kodak ZD710 has 16 scene modes that help you take pictures without having to bother about things like shutter speeds, apertures, color balance etc. A number of scene modes are provided: portrait, sports, landscape, candlelight, night portrait, night landscape, snow, beach, text, fireworks, flower, manner/museum, self-portrait, children, backlight and sunset.

The ZD710 calculates the exposure setting with a metering system that includes multi-pattern, center-weighted and spot modes, and offers 2.0EV of exposure compensation in 1/3EV increments. ISO sensitivity can be set to Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,600, all at full resolution. A movie mode captures VGA (640x480) or QVGA (320x240) clips at 30 fps, both with audio. Movies are encoded in QuickTime Motion-JPEG format.

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Surprisingly, the camera uses USB 2.0 Full Speed interface, which is a lot slower than the existing norm — USB 2.0 High Speed. Theoretically, the name full speed is just a cover up for the erstwhile USB 1.1, which is now practically extinct. While, USB 2.0 High Speed is capable of a transfer rate of 480 Mbit/s (60 MB/s), USB 2.0 Full Speed is about 40 times slower, same as USB 1.1. This makes transferring pictures from the camera to the computer a time-consuming exercise.

The ZD710 makes use of AA batteries (NiMH or lithium), a CRV3 disposable lithium, or an optional KODAK KAA2HR NiMH rechargeable battery pack. It ships with a disposable lithium battery but no charger is included in the bundle, which sucks! Battery life is barely passable; it delivers only about 50-60 snaps depending on your flash usage.

This device comes with an official price tag of Rs 15,999, but you can procure it from other places for Rs 14,999. I feel this is a bit steep for a camera that has so many niggling flaws. Considering its plus points, however, I'm compelled to give it a 3-star rating at best.

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Tags: Kodak EasyShare

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