As with most digital products, Kodak's Z-series of budget super-zoom cameras has gone through considerable improvements in a short period of time. If you think back to the highly regarded, glossy silver Z650 of three years ago, Kodak was trumpeting its 6.1-megapixels, 10x optical zoom, 2.0-inch LCD and live histogram.

Now the company's latest top-of-the-range EasyShare Z is the sleek black Z980, which still features a live histogram but in virtually every other respect is unrecognisable from its noble predecessor. For a start, it has a whopping 26mm wide angle to 24x, Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon, image stabilised optical zoom lens which folds compactly into the casing. Despite this, the camera still only weighs 415g and measures a sturdy 90.5 x 123.7 x 105mm.

At 12-megapixels, the Z980 can produce twice the detail of the Z650 and its 3.0-inch LCD screen produces sharp, clear and bright images (with 5-level brightness adjustments). You can also make use of the additional electronic viewfinder and there's a hot shoe for an optional Kodak P20 flash unit.

The controls arrangement will especially appeal to those who like their work surfaces relatively uncluttered. For instance, the Delete, Menu, Info and Review buttons fit neatly along the edge of the LCD in a smooth strip, leaving just the OK wheel and a Share button beside them and the zoom rocker above. The main mode dial is in the usual spot on top, next to separate buttons for Flash, Focus and Drive, but there's a completely new switch to shift from landscape to portrait mode.

By throwing this switch, the main shutter release and zoom controls are disabled and instead you use the second shutter button located on the side and the four-way pad for your zoom. For further stability, comfort and control, just attach the supplied second grip which screws onto the bottom via the tripod mount.

Kodak retains its Smart Capture feature which analyses scenes and automatically adjusts camera settings accordingly, and that works extremely well for those who don't want to spend time hunting for the right setting.

However, the more discerning snapper can use the presets on the mode dial for standards like Sport, Portrait and Panorama, as well as priorities for Shutter, Exposure and Aperture. There are 16 further scene modes, including the more unusual manor/museum, stage and night landscape. Video can also be captured at HDV resolution (1280 x 720) at 30fps using MPEG-4 compression and stereo sound, while semi-pro photographers will applaud the inclusion of RAW capture.

In practice, the image stabilisation system allied to the extra portrait assistance and Smart Capture technology ensured that in our tests the resulting images were crisp, detailed and impressively colour matched with the original subjects.

Verdict
For a surprisingly lightweight ‘bridge' camera, Kodak's new headlining Z980 has strikingly easy controls, a terrific new 24x optical zoom and a helpful second shutter system for use with portrait photography. It's also worth shopping around when buying, as prices online vary shockingly from around £300 to £450.

Company: Kodak

Contact: 01442 261122

Tags: liquid crystal display kodak easyshare eastman kodak flash zoom lens digital camera schneider kreuznach mode dial