Kodak Z885

Reviewed July 2007

Image Quality

The Kodak EasyShare Z885 joins the ever increasing ranks of compact digital cameras that combine performance with ease of use. The Z885 stands out by offering an 8.1 megapixel resolution, a 5X optical zoom, and a Manual mode that should satisfy users that want full control over their compact camera. Indeed, in terms of its features, the only sticking point with the Z885 appears to be the fact that the 2.5-inch monitor has a somewhat limited resolution of 115,000 pixels.

Following the trend that seems to be developing, the Z885 offers a wide variety of image sizes, including some with a 3:2 aspect ratio designed for printing, and one with a 16:9 aspect that is designed for use with HDTV.

Regrettably, however, while a wide variety of image sizes are offered, each of these is at a fixed compression level. Thankfully, at the highest resolution of 8 megapixel, the compression used is very good. Images print perfectly up to an 8 x 10 inch (20 x 25 cm) size at 320 dpi, while retaining good sharpness and delicate colour nuances, and show no sign of compression artefacts. The colour rendition of the Z885 is large part due to the auto white balance, which is precise and reliable, even under artificial light.

That excellent colour rendition of the Z885 is in fact one of its strong points. Set to its defaults, the camera delivers images with superb colours that are perfectly saturated so as to be vibrant but not overly so.

Similarly, the Multi-pattern metering is also excellent and trustworthy, which limits the need to use the alternative metering patterns — centre-weighted and spot — to rare special situations or when creative effects are wanted. The Multi-pattern metering delivers well-balanced images that contain detail in both high and low light areas of the image, even when these contain relatively strong contrasts.

The auto focus is also fast and the shutter delay, while perceptible, is negligible.

Eighty and 100 ISO images are free of any noise when the exposure is correct. As of 200 ISO, noise can be detected in the darker areas of an image, but the overall image quality remains unaffected.

At the 400 ISO level, however, traces of noise can be seen in the darker areas of images, and their sharpness is softened by noise reduction processing. At 800 ISO and more, the sharpness of the images clearly suffers from the noise reduction process, and images captured at these settings are best used at a reduced size (4 x 6 inch prints for example). With sensitivities of 1600 ISO or more images lose a great deal of detail as subjects tend to become indistinct.

The 5X optical zoom of the Z885 is excellent. Even when used at the widest aperture and the widest angle, it offers good sharpness around the centre of the frame, and only the corners are a touch softer. Past the widest angle, sharpness is quickly uniform from corner to corner and at the maximum telephoto, images are tack-sharp. Moreover, the lens appears to be distortion-free, as images reveal no barrel distortion with wide angle shots and no pincushion distortion with telephoto shots. Likewise, there is no visible chromatic aberration, even with shots that contain such strong contrasts that highlights are burnt out.

In view of its manufacturer’s suggested retail price, the Kodak EasyShare Z885 is a camera that is destined to be at the top of anyone’s short list when considering the purchase of a camera with a longer than average zoom and a high resolution. While its monitor offers a comparatively low resolution, that drawback is quickly forgotten when the first photos captured with the camera are viewed. The colour rendition the camera yields is excellent and, as long as they are noise-free, images remain detailed after the compression process.