Kodak EasyShare Z1085 IS Digital Camera
(2 out of 5)
While it's a good value, the EasyShare Z1085 ultimately has too many flaws to be recommended.
Review date: Aug 20, 2008
The Kodak EasyShare Z1085 is an inexpensive camera that offers a 5X zoom, optical image stabilization, and an easy-to-use interface, all in a fairly compact body. It also offers a high definition movie mode, which is impressive given the price of the camera. Unfortunately, the Z1085 has a host of flaws, including heavy noise reduction and redeye in photos, poor low light focusing, and below average battery life. The negatives end up outweighing the positives on the Z1085, so I think you're probably better off looking at another camera.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|
- Photo quality is good enough for the 4 x 6 crowd
- Good value for the money
- 5X zoom in a relatively compact body
- Optical image stabilization
- Some manual controls
- Smart Capture mode works as advertised
- Easy to use, with help screens for menu items
- Handy PerfectTouch, Undo Delete, and Panorama Stitch features
- HD (720p) movie mode, with optical zoom and image stabilization available
- Very good software bundle
| - Noise reduction smudges fine details, mottles the sky, and gives images an overall soft look
- Redeye a big problem -- countermeasures did not work in my tests
- Vignetting was an issue, though it may be specific to my camera
- Poor low light focusing
- Buffer memory fills quickly when several shots in a row are taken
- No optical viewfinder
- Zoom cannot be precisely adjusted
- Manual controls need work
- Below average battery life
- AA battery support limited to lithium cells
- Not much built-in memory for a 10MP camera
- Video cable not included -- USB + A/V out port is poorly located
- Full manual only on Kodak's website, isn't terribly detailed
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