Kodak Z990

#1 zebarnabe

It's written on the lens: 28-840mm and that is 30x ... 28-676mm it's 24.1x

12MP ... unless it has something on it's sleeve (the price seems low), I don't think it will be a very desirable camera... Only time will tell :]

5:15 pm - Wednesday, January 5, 2011

#2 Lynx

Hope to see a review on it soon.

The Fuji HS10 must be one of 2010s best super zoom.

It´s not bad at all, lets see if Kodak can beat it.

10:43 pm - Wednesday, January 5, 2011

#3 Warren Lyons

Based on both my own personal experience, as well as others' reviews, I can attest to the wide range of quality and performance of kodak products. I have a Z950 which takes outstanding snapshots. I recently bought an M575 which was horrible. Most of their products, including the Z981 get lukewarm reviews. Even some of their better rated cameras get some bad reviews; suggesting that these cameras are blessed with good for their price optics and overall designs, hampered by cost cutting in manufacturing and slipshod quality control. As for the Z990, on paper, it looks promising. 30X zoom, German optics, CMOS sensor, and a sensible 12MP resolution seem promising on paper. I would not want to be one of the first to buy it, based on Kodak's past history. I would also buy it from an independent retailer or chain, rather than from the Kodak store. It seems that both Kodak and Sony deliberately price their merchandise higher at their own store in order to avoid cutting their dealers' throats

5:34 pm - Friday, January 14, 2011

#4 Michael

Is that a FAKE twist-barrel grip in the picture? Oh please. Come on Kodak. Really? Congrats on finaly using cmos sensors but did Kodak omit a bunch of other features like they did when they replaced the Z980 with the Z981 to save cost??? Although it probably doesnt matter in this case, it is curious they would drop the resolution from 14mps to 12. Still no hotshoe. Shutter speed range? Not listed on the website nor does their so-called online technical support know. Weird.

1:50 am - Monday, January 17, 2011

#5 Michael

Seems the shutter range IS indeed listed (just not in the "specifications" where I naturally would look). Anywho, it's the same -- 16 seconds to 1/2000. Sorry if my last response seemed edgy, but I just thought Kodak was finaly going somewhere when I bought (and still use, mind you) the Z980. The Z980 took some great pics for me. Most of my pics on my website http://www.michaelkristiephotography.com (wink, nudge) were taken with that camera. However, I still have serious limitations with what I can do with it and I was hoping the Z981 and now the Z990 would be an improvement. The cmos sensor is indeed an improvement but is no larger than before I dont think. And at what cost? The Z981 omitted many good features in lieu of cost. I anticipate the same with this one. We'll have to see how it does with higher ISOs.

4:30 pm - Sunday, February 6, 2011

#6 Michelle

I pre-ordered this camera and am so eager for it to get here! I got several good shots out of my EasyShare Z1012, hoping this expensive new model will be even better!

8:17 am - Monday, February 28, 2011

#7 Brian

Looks very promising. I am not very concerned about a drop from 14 to 12 mpixels. Why would you?

The simple addition of the RAW mode should help out drastically.

I think people are way to concerned about megapixles these days. Its like looking at a computer and only being concerned with how much ram it comes with. Well that computer can't be good, it only comes with 4 gb of ram, I need at least 8. Really, do you?

11:58 pm - Wednesday, March 16, 2011

#8 Michelle

Brian - I agree. There is no reason to worry about the drop from 12MP to 14. Honestly, I would rather have 6 or 8 high quality megapixels than 14 mediocre mp. ... Some of the best pictures I have ever taken came from a 4 megapixel camera in 2002.

Anyhow, I am still eagerly awaiting my Z990! Kodak is driving me crazy with their delayed delivery date. I hope it is their best model yet!

1:10 am - Thursday, March 17, 2011

#9 Bill

Michael, apparently the rubber grip is for real. Kodak states that this camera permits manual focus. I hope so, I ordered one based on Kodak's advertised specs. Still wish it had a shoe, though, or even a socket for a sync-cord. I may try a slave-triggered flash and see how it works with it.

4:06 am - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

#10 Michelle

Bill ... I hope you are right about the rubber grip being for real! But I wouldn't get my hopes up.

My Z1012 also comes with a manual focus option. You access it by pushing the flower/mountain button 3 times. And you use it by pushing the left & right arrows. ... It does come in pretty handy in certain situations (like trying to take a picture of the moon). But in general you are better off letting the camera auto-focus.

12:22 pm - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

#11 Bill

Michelle, you are right. The Z990 must be like your Z1012. According to Kodak...

"You have to turn off the AF Control of the camera in the menu. The lens of the camera can't be rotated. However, there's a button on the camera allows you to focus on your subject."

I guess the rubber grip can be good to hold for camera stabilization.

BTW, I tried several times to post a comment on your Z990 review yesterday, but it kept telling me I incorrectly typed in the CAPTCHA and deleted my comments. I gave up! LOL

1:56 pm - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

#12 Michelle

Bill ... Yep, I bet the rubber grip will come in handy. I keep hoping that Kodak will come up with something you can twist to focus. But maybe it would fight too much against the auto focus motor and make the camera wear out more quickly?

Thanks for letting me know about the CAPTCHA problem. I found 1 of your comments in my spam catcher. Not sure where the others went. ... I will try turning off the captcha for a while and see how bad it gets.

5:21 pm - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

#13 Rob

Bill and Michelle-
I too think that a good, rotating lens, manual focus mode would be great, but I don't see it being very technically feasible on an ultra-zoom Point-and-shoot cam. Consider this, that rubber grip is installed on a SLEEVE (protective/decorative, you decide which) that is outside the housing for the actual lens that slides in/out of this sleeve when zoomed.
HOWEVER, I think that (if they wanted to), they could install a VERY NICE "fly-by-wire" rotating ring in that same spot that allowed manual (albeit though electronics) control of the AF motor....KODAK, you guys listening out there???

6:57 am - Thursday, April 7, 2011

#14 Lynx

Rob:

Check the Fuji HS10 and HS20, that is how they work.

12:49 pm - Thursday, April 7, 2011

#15 Michelle

Rob -
Excellent idea! There are so many improvements I hope to see Kodak make before their next big release. That would be a good one! I hope they have somebody come by here looking for customer input.

Lynx -
I think I will try the HS10 next if this z990 doesn't meet my expectations. Sounds like a nice camera.

8:05 pm - Thursday, April 7, 2011

#16 Bill

Rob, good thinking!!!

Lynx, funny how companies like Kodak and Fuji come up with great innovations. Where's Nikon and Canon?

5:02 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#17 Bill

Michelle, in regards to Kodak seeing customer input...have you put your URL on the Photographyblog site? I didn't see it. I found this site by clicking your name. You should have it at the bottom of every blog you submit something on. That would be great. Just a thought.

5:09 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#18 Bill

Michelle, oops, sorry, meant to say... "found YOUR site by clicking your name".

5:11 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#19 Michelle

Bill ... Do you mean like a signature? If so, I guess I could try that out. I was always afraid that it would look spammy and get my comments deleted. ... I'll try it out though!

-- Michelle
http://easttexasdesign.com/2011-02-17/my-kodak-easyshare-max-z990/

5:15 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#20 Bill

No, not spammy at all. I think people will check it out. You have a very nice, professional site. Definitely try it.

5:18 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#21 Bill

Yes, just like that!!! Looks good, Michelle!

5:20 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#22 Rob

Lynx-
I had seen that the HS10&20; have true manual zoom, but hadn't seen any reference to the 2nd ring being for focus (though I had noticed it sitting there), then I checked Fuji's diagrams for the HS20 and it's labeled there.
Unfortunately, however, considering the MUCH higher price tag, and advantage of BSI CMOS technology, the HS10 & HS20 don't impress me with their pixel-level photo quality (comparable to the CCD Kodak Z981, but not really any better).

Bill-
I think what you're noticing on the "innovations" front is really the difference in the niches that each company fills: Fuji & Kodak sell lower cost cameras with newer, sometimes unproven/unrefined, technologies to draw more customers to their less expensive offerings; meanwhile Cannon and Nikon seem to focus on refining technologies that others have already pioneered, and include the refined/improved versions of them (albeit, a bit later) in their top-priced, solid cameras. I'm not saying either approach is inherently better or worse, just that it helps to get a perspective on their goals before comparing notes.

Michelle-
Before forking over more $$$ on another camera, assuming the Z990 doesn't satisfy you fully, I'd recommend checking out reviews on dpreview.com (and elsewhere), I have no affiliation with them, but the reviews I've seen on their site were concise, informative, and include plenty of sample images you can use to draw your own conclusions.

8:41 am - Friday, April 8, 2011

#23 Michelle Hestand

Rob .. Good suggestion about checking out dpreview.com . I will definitely do that if I decide to return the z990! (Kodak told me it can be returned within 30 days for a full refund.) I think this is the first big purchase I have ever made without checking reviews at websites like amazon and walmart.

-- Michelle
http://easttexasdesign.com/2011-02-17/my-kodak-easyshare-max-z990/

2:40 pm - Friday, April 8, 2011

#24 Bill

Hi, Rob. Great comment regarding innovations. However, I think "unproven/unrefined" is a bit strong, although I agree that Canon and Nikon do refine their products, both in quality and reliability. Just to do a comparison, let's take the Canon G12. Great, sturdy, high-quality camera, worth every bit of the $500+ price tag, I'm sure. However, I still opted for the Kodak Z990 because of its features, not because of the price. I wanted a quality compact, non-DSLR with the most features. So, whatever the intent of the manufacturers, its still the consumer who compares products and ultimately decides.

5:36 pm - Friday, April 8, 2011

#25 Rob

Bill-

You're right, if I'd said just "unproven/unrefined" it'd have been a little harsh, and my intent was not to say they're making a habit of using half-baked techs. That's why I put in there *sometimes* unproven/unrefined; that statement's a bit easier to back up, 'cuz then I only would have to find 2-3 examples of innovations that soured on certain models (hmmm...I think each of us could prob. come up with at least 5 of those without straining too hard) All-in-all, I'm still impatiently waiting for *somebody* to get a z990 & give it a good workover so I can see their sample pics, read their reviews, and then decide if this one'll be right for me.

7:06 pm - Friday, April 8, 2011

#26 Bill

Hopefully soon, Rob. Kodak told me a little while ago that they are shipping the Z990 today! Can't wait!

8:31 pm - Friday, April 8, 2011

#27 Tony Sullivan

Hey guys, I live in Australia and will be importing one of the Z990's if the reviews are great. Let me know as soon as you get one. Be are behind the times down under.

11:28 pm - Friday, April 8, 2011

#28 Tony Sullivan

Sorry! WE are behind the times down under, at least in new product delivery.

11:45 pm - Friday, April 8, 2011

#29 Bill

If anyone wants to get a head start, or, just learn a little more about the camera, here is a link to the Extended User Guide. However, I find it a little limited.

http://resources.kodak.com/support/shtml/en/manuals/urg01212/urg01212toc.shtml

9:03 pm - Saturday, April 9, 2011

#30 Michelle

Just wanted to say, I got my camera this week and so far things are looking ... interesting. I think I will really enjoy this camera once I get more use to it!

We are already having a blast playing with the photo booth. And my 8 year old LOVES the automatic panorama feature!

-- Michelle
http://easttexasdesign.com/2011-02-17/my-kodak-easyshare-max-z990/

3:25 am - Thursday, April 14, 2011

#31 Bill

So far I am loving this camera. Click Michelle's link above for an excellent, complete review. If you want to see an example of its stabilization, even at super zoom, please go to the link below. I shot this at 2.4x digital zoom. That's after the max 840 optical zoom. The camera was HAND HELD, folks! I'm still road testing it, and enjoying every minute of it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22644637@N08/5622162354/in/photostream

3:49 pm - Friday, April 15, 2011

#32 Angie C

I got my camera in the mail 3 days ago. Prior to that I had found a group of baby alligators in the bayou that I was taking pics of with my Z650, and my Sony W350. I wasn't getting enough zoom, so I was looking into the Z981, because I wanted reviews before I purchased, but I decided to take a chance and get the newest model. I ordered the camera, and had it shipped next day air. To my surprise it was at my house the next day by 10:30 am. I am not a photographer, I take pictures for fun, I don't know alot about settings and modes, but I did get some awesome shots of baby alligators, which makes me very happy I got the camera. I posted the album on FB: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.219416598073819.69838.100000164421772 I made the album so everyone should be able to see it....Starting with pic #34(tall young man standing in the path), they are from the Z990. I played with different modes while shooting so colors change a lot in my pictures. I was there at different times of the day, so that made colors vary as well. I did not edit them further on the computer, except cropping some of them. I love the camera so far and I haven't even taken videos yet!

2:58 am - Saturday, April 23, 2011

#33 Angie C

Sorry that link didn't work....try http://www.facebook.com/angie4gets, then click on photos...

3:09 am - Saturday, April 23, 2011

#34 Michelle

Angie, I cannot see your pictures. Most of your info is private.

3:27 am - Saturday, April 23, 2011

#35 Bill

Nice pics, Angie! I particularly liked the one with the baby gator and the dragonfly in the same scene. By the way, your first link worked, but I couldn't see your photos using the second link. Enjoy your new camera!!!

3:04 pm - Saturday, April 23, 2011

#36 Bill

Angie, sorry, if you are not signed in to FB, your second link works just fine. I was signed in the first time and there were different results.

3:08 pm - Saturday, April 23, 2011

#37 Angie C

Today I tried out the video recording. I like it because you can also take pictures in the middle of recording. I have 4 videos to upload, but it is taking a long time so there is only one on youtube now and a second in progress. The alligator videos were taken with the Z990, but the baby ducks was with an iphone 4. http://www.youtube.com/briangie4ever also I put another album of photos on my FB page of baby alligators.

1:58 am - Sunday, April 24, 2011

#38 Michelle

Angie - Eww! Those baby alligators look kinda gross in that green stuff. .. I like it! I agree with Bill, the one with the baby alligator looking @ the dragon fly is really neat.

2:59 am - Sunday, April 24, 2011

#39 Angie C

@ Michelle - that one was taken with the Creative mode "Drastic" which says it makes highly saturated vibrant color....It did have drastic color.

4:08 pm - Sunday, April 24, 2011

#40 Bill

I added a few photos taken with my Z990. The descriptions contain some technical data. If you'd like to see them, please click the link below. I am obviously putting the better shots on here, but I may put a few of the bloopers, too. The auto-focus system needs some tweaking. It just does not work in certain conditions.

I have begun using the "RESET CAMERA" feature, which is located in SETTINGS. There are so many features I use that I tend to forget to change them all back to normal after a shooting, such as EXPOSURE or FLASH COMPENSATION, FLASH SETTINGS, FILM EFFECTS, etc. "RESET CAMERA" will change all settings back to normal. I just wish that Kodak made this feature a separate button or selection. Powering off and on the camera will not reset these settings. Actually, you may also find other SETTINGS that should be made its own selection (i.e. Exposure Bracketing, AF Control, Sound Volume), and not buried in SETTINGS.

On the upside, I took a photo during a video. It was of my friend blowing out candles on her birthday cake. The video and the photo came out great, even in low light. I am sorry I cannot post it because she mentioned that she would kill me. However, I intend to test this further and post the results.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22644637@N08/sets/72157626620757446/

1:50 pm - Sunday, May 1, 2011

#41 Larry

I bought the Kodak Z990 and I feel it's better the the Nikons I own. The picyures are clearer and the color is great on it. Is now my #1 camera I will use. I shoot in the manual mode.

1:59 pm - Sunday, May 1, 2011

#42 Angie C

I put some photos on flickr, since everyone can't see my facebook ones. http://www.flickr.com/photos/briangie/

3:37 pm - Monday, May 2, 2011

#43 Bill

Angie, your pictures are very nice, but they all seem so bright, a little overexposed. Do you possibly have your exposure compensation on? Are you using flash? I am the last who should critique, but I am curious if its a problem with the camera or not.

3:51 pm - Monday, May 2, 2011

#44 Angie C

@Bill - I am very amatuer at photography and photo settings. Most of the photos I used the sport setting, or chose scenes > Children. A few I tried the smart capture. That being said, the bayou is a very very green bright place, I never knew a swamp could be so beautiful and green. Very vivid colors out there. I did not use the flash at all as it was very bright, and from my point on the bridge I was at max optical zoom, but did not go into the digital zoom.

5:07 pm - Monday, May 2, 2011

#45 Bill

I understand, Angie. Most of us are amateurs, and learning all the time! Believe me, I am the most amateur-ish! Its just strange that all the pictures are so bright. The camera is designed to compensate for bright scenery. That is why I am curious if it is a setting that you may have inadvertently left on, or if it is a camera malfunction. I am trying to discover all the limitations of this camera, as well as the good qualities. As I mentioned in a previous comment above, I tend to forget to switch back my settings (there are so many!!!) so, to play it safe I go into SETTINGS and then RESET CAMERA. It reverts everything back to "normal".

By the way, did you use a tripod? If not, great job hand-holding the camera at such a great focal length.

10:51 pm - Monday, May 2, 2011

#46 Angie C

I added a few more photos of other things taken with the z990, dog, cat, flower, kids and a couple pics of the bayou early in the morning, because the color is so different when the sun is not directly on the water. First day, no tripod, but the next time, I had learned it would be beneficial.....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/briangie/

12:22 am - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

#47 zebarnabe

Like I said before on the youtube message, learn how to use P,A,S and M modes.

I actually read the Z990 manual to be aware of its limitations/features.

I suggest you start with P mode on the control dial. It will give you better control over what you're shooting.

A proper exposure is a balance between 3 factors with the scene: aperture, exposure time and ISO.

Aperture, controls the amount of light that passes the lens by changing the 'hole' size from where the passes, it's value it's given relative to focal length (f/2.8 is a big 'hole', f/5.6 is a small one) and it's not linear, it also controls the depth of field (on a compact camera this is a bit hard to see, but shooting at macro distances if you vary the aperture you see how much of depth is in focus). The reason why I asked you about the aperture, it's because if it's value increases too fast, low light capabilities in telephoto range get compromised more easily (you need more light to take a photo with the same ease - blur/noise with appear otherwise).

Exposure time (or shutter speed) controls the amount of time the light hits the sensor, it will freeze or blur the movements depending on it's value.

ISO control how much light the sensor needs to receive to get the photo, the less light needed (higher ISO) the bigger the noise will be.

P mode plays with Aperture and Exposure time maintaining the same level of exposure.

I noticed the Z990 tends to over expose the shots (they get too bright), use the exposure compensation to get it a notch down (press the jog dial down to access it).

Histogram feature is really useful to know if the shot is properly exposure, the shape of the histogram graphic should be the one of a bell centered on it, but obviously it depends on the scene you're exposing. In P,A,S or M modes you can access histogram by pressing the DISP. button, beware that battery is drained if you kept using it.

Hope it helps, even those that aren't using Z990, I'm no photographer guru, but my camera (that is not a Z990) has no rest ;]

12:25 am - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

#48 Michelle

zebarnabe - As much as I appreciate how Kodak keeps has those nice PASM settings, I have to admit - I get a little frustrated when I talk to support and they tell me "to get the best performance from your camera, use PASM".

Why? .. If I spend over $200 on a camera, I expect the 'smart' mode to give pretty darn good results! It takes time to adjust things in PASM and life won't always hold still.

They are fine for when you have an opportunity for a perfectly set up portrait But what about when you are taking pics of wildlife or kids?
___
Michelle
http://easttexasdesign.com/2011-02-17/my-kodak-easyshare-max-z990/

4:30 am - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

#49 zebarnabe

Michelle,
I understand your point, but in P mode you don't need to do anything else... Camera will pick the exposure like in the smart modes, however will not apply anything crazy to it... HDR, Panorama and other low light modes are the only ones that you really wanna try when the conditions present ideal.

Light metering on the camera like Z990 is tricky... I would put EV compensation a notch down for most of the time. Using the histogram helps to understand if this is really required or not, with practice you can assert what is best.

My camera is a Panasonic, it's a camera of a different class (often called EVIL), smart mode on it works really well, but I prefer to shot in P or A modes.

When I see my cat doing crazy poses, I grab my camera and shoot... P mode or A mode, since my camera likes to underexpose (the exact opposite of Kodak) I often give +1/3 compensation (this depends on the lens I have on it)... Nothing else.

Good luck and happy shooting :]

10:52 pm - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

#50 Bill

I added a photo displaying the overexposure issue with this camera. Please follow the link below. In the description you will see the settings for the original photo. I also included the same photo somewhat corrected with the basic Kodak Easyshare photo editor.

Unfortunately, you cannot keep the camera permanently set at a (-) exposure compensation setting because not all photos come out overexposed. This is something that must be addressed by Kodak. I think their "back-side illumination" sensor needs to be tweaked!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pomonian/5699858960/in/photostream

3:32 pm - Sunday, May 8, 2011

#51 Bill

If you'd like to see a lunar photo taken with the Z990, please follow the link below. I had to make some manual adjustments. I believe I have all the info in the description of the photo. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pomonian/5708914140/in/photostream

1:30 am - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#52 Bill

If anyone is interested, there is a Kodak Z990 Users Group on Flickr. You can check out all the photos here...

http://www.flickr.com/groups/kodkz990/

2:52 am - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#53 Lynx

I just bought a Fuji HS10 a few days ago.
I've looked everywhere and investigated almost every camera on the market, dslr included.
I got a good price on the HS10 and seeing better results on this cam than on the HS20 I went for it.

280€ discount price, compared with the 460€ in many other places is not bad at all.

Here's my Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynxtpm

I hope you like it.

2:24 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#54 Bill

Lynx, beautiful photos, but are any of them taken with the Fuji HS10? All the photos I looked at say they were taken with the Canon Powershot A480.

3:20 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#55 Lynx

Bill

Look in the album called Madrid, spain. Those are the first photos taken with the HS10. I still bought it last saturday, and I didn't have much time to try it out yet.

The pictures were taken with standard colour in fine quality. I will defenitly change the colour settings a bit to make the pictures look a little more vivid.

I'm very happy with the picture quality. Let's see if I find my tripod and I can take a good shot at a full moon!

3:56 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#56 Lynx

Bill

Thanks I'm glad you liked the photos.
I have to keep playing with the HS10 and try all those bells and whistles it has.

Believe it or not I haven't tried the video mode yet!

3:58 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#57 Bill

Lynx,

Found them, thanks!

Great composition by the photographer, and very nice exposure from the camera. I noticed that you mostly used it in auto mode, which shows the quality and capability of the camera.

I understand about the experimentation. These cameras have so many features that it will take a great deal of time to try them all!

All your photos are beautiful. I am looking forward to your moon photo. Thanks again!

- Bill

5:01 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#58 Lynx

Bill;

Well I used SR Auto to try it out. Everyone knows how the normal "Auto pilot" works. Most of the time I will probably shoot in "P" or in "C"(custom mode), wich is the same as "P", but I'll leave that one for High Contrast Black and White.

The only time I will probably use "M", manual mode will be on video, to avoid the noise of the Autofocus, and also with some pictures where I might want to get that blurry water effect on streams of water.

SRAuto worked very well, though it jumps to macro when doing a close up, thats what gave the pictures of the roses that nice bokeh effect.

Did you notice anything wrong in the pictures, like noise or distortion? The closeups where shot at ISO800, and have very little noise. I'm very pleased with that.

I'm glad you liked the pictures. Stay tuned in a few days I might take a few more.

Lynx

5:28 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#59 Bill

Lynx,

Yes, very little noise where you shot at ISO800 (i.e. statue's head and white buds on tree.) Appears that you made a great choice in cameras. I have not tested the ISO capabilities of the Z990 yet. I will post some pics when I do. Thanks, again.

7:48 pm - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

#60 Darcy

I want to thank everyone here for your reviews and helping me make a very difficult choice.

I had a Z8612 which I loved, it took incredible pictures - I actually dubbed it my Godzilla camera because the look reminded me of cameras from the Godzilla movies from the 60s & 70s. Unfortunately after 4 years of facing my brutality, I accidentally knocked it off the counter and well I had to put the poor thing out to pasture - so to speak. I've been without an actual camera using my cellphone instead. But we are going on a trip of a life time to Costa Rica and really wanted a new camera that would measure up.

Since reading all the reviews posted here and looking at the various links - I've decided to once again get a Kodak, this time going for the Z990. Its available in stores where I am so hopefully I will be able to take amazing pics once again.

Oh I have to note that price isnt part of my motive in selecting the Kodak or any camera - its really about the features and end result - the picture.

Thanks again!!
Darcy

5:11 pm - Monday, May 16, 2011

#61 Bill

Good luck with the new camera, Darcy, and have fun in Costa Rica! We're hoping you post some photos when you return!

5:42 pm - Monday, May 16, 2011

#62 I A

I have been using the the camera for over a week now, and once you get to know its features and learn how to use it, it is great and takes good photos compared to my older camera.
However, I found that it does not keep the time and date correctly. I called the vendor and explained what the problem is. They sent me a replacement camera the next day. The new camera turned out to have the same problem. After dealing with Kodak customer support, they had update the camera software from Kodak web site, but the problem persisted. Today Kodak customer support told me that they were able to simulate the problem, and that they are working on a fix.
The operator at Kodak customer support said it is not a serious problem, but to me it is an issue, because I set the date stamp on all pictures I take. For now I called the vendor and they agreed to refund my money back.

6:01 pm - Monday, June 13, 2011

#63 Bill

Z990 at a Peter Frampton Concert (Paramount Arts Center, Peekskill, NY - 06/18/2011)

I had mixed feelings about the camera at this venue. Overall, I was happy with the results. I had pretty good seats (12th row, dead center), so the long zoom wasn't as critical. I had to adjust the exposure, generally stepping down between 1 and 2 stops. Of course, flash was off. Also, the focus assist light was just too bright and plain annoying sometimes, so I took a number of photos using manual focus. This was very cumbersome. It also didn't seem to keep the range set because I had to keep adjusting. Strange. Anyway, when the batteries started getting low, I was getting unpredictable results, too.
I didn't take any video because they indicated they were pretty strict about their "no video" policy. The bright video light would have been a dead give-a-way.
If you'd like to see more pictures from the concert using the Z990, go here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/pomonian/sets/72157627005257072/

2:28 pm - Monday, June 20, 2011

#64 Dee Harrison

I have had my Z990 for a week(I have been using a Z650. I love the camera, but have had some trouble with the software. I updated to the Easyshare 8.3, and now have transfer issues from camera. Has anyone else had any difficulty, and if so how did you resolve it. I was on the phone with Kodak for 2 1/2 hours and no resolve. Any ideas???

8:39 pm - Thursday, September 15, 2011

#65 Hawk

Just under 100 pictures on my new Z990 now. Several up on the Flickr group for 990 users. Very pleased with the macro and macro+ modes. The low light capabilities are outstanding. Have many miles to go learning this camera.
Shooting side-by-side with my Z650 both at max zoom the Z650 actually turned out a cleaner, crisper picture. This appears to be one camera you have to LEARN while my 650 was almost never out of auto mode.

Dee, personally I have never used (and never will) Kodak's EasyShare software. I use Windows Explorer and/or ACDSee to move my images off the memory card and ACDSee or Photoshop CS to edit and modify them.

9:08 am - Monday, October 17, 2011

#66 Al Thompson

I have been into rollfilm cameras for 60 years and have a Hassleblad, several Rolleis, leicas, and several Russian cameras, all of which have excellent lenses and take (took?) excellent photos. But with the digital onslaught, Medium format film disappeared almost overnight and I have been forced into digital. My two best digital cameras have been a Konica/Minolta Z-1 and Z-6. Tried Sony and was disappointed. I have a Kodak 990 on the way after reading many blogs and reviews. ... I don't look forward to wading through it's software quirks and lack of intuitive settings. My biggest concern is lack of a diopter setting on the viewfinder, which I will use, exclusive of the LCD display. Many people don't have perfect vision, and nearly all of us oldsters. Even the cheapest Russian cameras have diopter settings on the viewfinders. Why Kodak omitted this simple but critical feature is beyond me. ... I plan to do an add-on X3 power loupe so I can use the viewfinder feature.

10:11 pm - Monday, November 14, 2011

#67 Tim

What is the best setting to take a picture of the moon?

12:39 am - Thursday, February 9, 2012

#68 Hawk

Tim - I found these basic settings to be a good place to start.

Tripod and use 2 sec timer or remote control
1/250th of a sec.
F5.6
ISO 125

I ended up at 1/640th of a sec. and got this:
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0093009/photos/the-ayrie/6336630796/

12:59 am - Thursday, February 9, 2012