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Reviews (6)
Nov 22, 2008
Versatile camera at a reasonable price
For someone who's photographic experience has been with film-eating SLRs, the Z710 was a nice transition to the digital world. My only other experience with a digital camera had been with a 3x zoom point-and-shoot, which while good, made me want some of the creative options that my former SLRs offered. The Z710 offers these, and a few that wouldn't be easy to do with a film camera.
The two-inch viewing screen, while smaller than those of some of the Kodak's competitors, is adequate since there is also an internal viewfinder screen, more familiar to old SLR users. In addition, the smaller external screen is at less risk of impact damage than the larger and more expensive 2 1/2 - 3 inch screens of the competitors.
The 10x zoom lens reaches out to a 35mm camera equivalent of about 380mm, more than adequate for most users. Similar cameras with 18x zoom are available for those who want a more distant reach, but for those rare occasions, less costly add-on telephoto lenses are available. I chose a 3x lens, for about an 1100mm 35mm camera equivalent. At this length, the lack of an image stabilizer makes shooting very difficult, unless the camera is mounted on a sturdy tripod. In this situation, the two-second self-timer becomes a poor man's substitute for the stabilizer. Frame the subject, tap the shutter, hands off the camera, and there's a shake-free picture, unless of course, there's a wind...
As another negative, although probably not limited to the Z710, the camera doesn't seem to like cold weather, even when it's still above freezing. It didn't take long on a cold windy day before it didn't want to take pictures, at least with NiMH rechargeable batteries. It might not be fair to blame the camera completely for this, however. A switch to lithium batteries for chilly days could solve this, although I haven't tried it.
The Z710 is a friendly camera with intuitive features. You can often find it on the internet priced lower than its competitors. The money you'll save gives you a start on some of those accessories you'll want for it. All things considered, you'll probably find it to be a good choice, as I did.
May 15, 2018
Definitely a good value, but...
...it was susceptible to tearing at the sides of the front compartment, so this one was a replacement. My wife really liked the last one.
Nov 12, 2019
Is it really a Norelco replacement head?
1 of 1 found this helpful This product has either declined in quality from others that I have ordered in the past, or it isn't genuine. While it says "lift and cut" on the blades, it feels more like "pull and grind" on the face. It takes considerably longer to shave with this product, and the shave doesn't feel as close as it has been with former shaving heads I have had.