Kodak Z990 Max Review ( Price )

£250 inc VAT Contact • kodak.co.uk Read more • tinyurl.com/3gvy5an Specification 12Mp CMOS camera; 1/2.33in sensor; 30x zoom (28-840mm, 35mm eguivalent); 3in (460k dot) LCD; EVF; image stabilisation; HD video recording at 1920x1080 @30fps; RAW/Jpeg; IS0125 to 6,400; facerecognition; Kodak Easy Share software; mono speaker; 4 x AA batteries & charger; 124x87x95mm; 593g

Kodak's Z990 Max bridge camera's imposing lens is emblazoned with a 30x zoom with image stabilisation. The lens is motor-operated, and protrudes from the camera's impressively solid housing. Don't expect to fire up the camera, zoom in and shoot in short order. Distant focusing is slow, and we were disappointed by blurry results. The focus is hard to discern from the 3in LCD screen. Half-decent results can be had in auto mode, but a fistful of manual adjustments are available too. We were pleased to find a histogram. Using burst mode, or recording HD video, there's a lengthy wait (20 seconds for a minute-long clip) for the camera to process and save the file - even with performance SD cards. In the meantime, you can't take any shots. Most cameras have circular navipads; Kodak has chosen a square navipad, and its options aren't so easy to select. Thumbnail previews let you review all shots or only those containing people. Face recognition extends to identifying particular people. But if you just want to check your last few shots, frustratingly this feature adds more steps - and there's no override. The top dial provides the usual auto, portrait, scene, aperture priority and manual options, plus one that lets you access creative effects and HDR mode. It's great for moody landscapes but, again, takes an age to process. Creative effects include long-exposure night portraits, and simulated photo booth. On a bright but overcast day, we shot colourful photos that were sharp enough to bear muster at full-size in Photoshop. But the Kodak overcompensates for poor light, resulting in oversaturation with some fringing around object edges. Textures and detail in photos were well represented. Indoor scenes benefitted from that tendency towards brightness, while macro shots were handled deftly. We got pin-sharp, beautifully detailed photos of a beaded figurine. We didn't find this camera easy to operate, however. And it will leave novices to flounder. Despite shooting video and around 150 photos, many using the zoom, we didn't manage to flatten the Kodak's AA batteries. Verdict The huge zoom and attractive price may win the Kodak Max fans. If you want something closer to a digital SLR, look to the Fujifilm above.

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