» Kodak EasyShare Z1285 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom

Kodak EasyShare Z1285 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome bang for the buck!
Comment: I purchased this camera to upgrade from the one I already had.
Wow am I glad I did! EXCELLENT high resolution and very easy to use.
The battery life is non-existent if you use regular or alkaline batteries.
Buying seperate 2500 MAH Nickel Metal Hydride batteries solved the battery life problem completely, for $5.00 mind you on EBay.
Virtually NO complaints with this camera in the two months I've owned it.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Reviews, Big Letdown
Comment: As a longtime Kodak Camera user, I had big hopes for this product, especially after reading all the reviews. It was either this or a Canon Sureshot but I went with the Kodak because I'm familiar with Kodak's layout and general functionality.

The Z1285 looks cheap but I was buying for function, not appearance, so I didn't let that stop me. After purchase, I began testing it out -- indoors, outdoors, in the dark, at the beach, close up. I used every setting - Smart Scene, ISO, Digital Image Stabilization, Scene Selector (which has about 19 different scene selections including backlight, snow, beach, candlelight, fireworks, etc.) Picture after picture, I was rewarded with washed out, grainy, artifact-filled, blurry, or extremely ghosted photos. I tried every setting in every situation but there was something wrong in every picture. I thought it might be the camera so I returned it and exchanged it for another of the same model. Same thing.

Last night my sister and I brought our cameras (I had the Z1285 and she brought her point-and-shoot Olympus) out for a special event and we each took our own photos. When we uploaded the images to the computer, it was easy to see which camera took which pictures. My sister is admittedly bad at taking photos but her camera produced clear, bright pictures every time, even in dark and backlit situations. The Z1285 photos were practically useless. Every one of them.

I'm not a professional photographer but I know enough to say that you shouldn't HAVE to be a professional photographer to take great pictures with a point-and-shoot camera. I for one will be returning this AGAIN, this time for another model.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Crappy Camera
Comment: I had this camera for about 6 months when it went on the fritz - same problem several users have mentioned - the lens freezes when it zooms and won't turn back on. Sent it back to the Kodak repair subcontractor twice with no results. My 5 MP Kodak was great - but no more Kodaks for me. The Z1285 has a lot of lemons on the market and Kodak won't make it right for consumers.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome Bang for the BUCKS!!
Comment: I first saw this camera when a friend of mine was using it at Sturgis. His pictures, taken under all kinds of difficult conditions, turned out great. Before buying this Kodak 1285 I searched the internet, stores, and websites looking for any camera that may have been a better deal but could not find any! The combination of 5X Zoom (plus an additional 5X digital Zoom) was tops in it's class alone. But when you add the unprecidented 12MP nothing else came close unless you went to a SLR size camera. I already have a fantastic 35mm SLR camera but seldom have it with me because of the size. This camera will fit in a pocket or in a small belt pouch and I have had it with me nearly all of the time since I've purchased it. It also has the advantage of taking AA batteries rather than the rechargeable internal batteries. I use rechargeable AAs and have been using the first pair for a month now without having to replace them. And if I'm ever in a situation where my rechargeables are dead I can always use standard AA batteries which are available everywhere! This camera is easy to use, with several "smart" modes but is still able to be set up manually. It is versatile, easy to use, takes AWESOME pictures under most conditions and, best of all, it's affordable. The only other cameras I was able to find that even came close in features were $50-$100 more costly.

BUY IT! YOU'LL LOVE IT!!!

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: EasyShare Z1285
Comment: I love this camera! Amazon provided excellent service and I will definately purchase from them again.
Thank you,
A. Horkman

---

More Reviews for Kodak EasyShare Z1285 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom