I'm not a professional (though I have freelanced). Most people would consider me to be an advanced amateur. I have a mostly Nikon based system with several bodies (both film and digital) and work in formats up to my 4X5 view camera. So why am I reviewing the Z730? Because it's an essential part of my kit and I keep it with me all the time.

Whether I'm carrying my DSLR's or not, no matter what my photographic goals are, the Z730 stays with me for quick shots and often for serious ones as well. I bought 2 Z730's, one for me and one for my wife, when I was looking for a simple to use camera for my wife. She is totally uninterested in photography except to record friends and family snapshots. She'll typically take no more than 20-30 pictures during a 2 week vacation, so the camera needed to be simple, operable without any knowledge whatsoever, and without any interest in photography itself. This camera has performed outstandingly in her hands, allowing her to turn out pictures which go beyond the snapshot category. From day one, it has been a winner for my wife.

Even better though, is the fact that the camera makes it possible to do quite serious photography with a high degree of control. I did a series of time exposures late at night in our apartment complex which turned out beautifully. I have a collection of such shots taken with the camera and without additional manipulation that have amazed my friends who are serious about their photography.

The camera achieves an impressive balance between flexibility and ease of use, and none of it is hard to use. Would there be things I'd like to change? Sure ... but I've got really good DSLR's and SLRs to get those features. What I need this camera to do is always be there. Someone once said something like the 'right' camera is the one that you've got with you. I can't and don't want to carry by best cameras all the time, but I want something with me always for those unexpected shots. The Z730 fills that role exceptionally well. By having it with me wherever I am, I've caught pictures I might have missed otherwise ... and not just 'caught', with the available controls, I can do more than 'point and shoot', I can capture images worthy of any camera I own.

I think back to what Ansel Adams did with the Polaroid camera ... the Z730 is my 'Polaroid'.

I owned a Kodak Z730 for about 5 years. It worked excellently eveyday until one day I used it in the rain.
Note to self: Electronics don't work well in the rain... >.<

Pros:
- picture quality [for 5.0 MegaPixels, its not bad]
- zoom [can zoom in far and still manages to focus well]
- works fast
- captures moving images well [if you know how to predict when to "take" the picture to get the image how you want it]
- batterly life [really good]
- video sound [really good]

Cons:
- still video [cannot zoom in\out during video]
- needs to be waterproof [in my opinion ;D]
- only comes in one color [it'd be cool in some neon\dark colors]

I had this camera for 3 years and i am still using it. It is rather bulky, but it takes great photos. I wanted to up date my camera so i bought the latest slim line sony cyber shot camera valuing at $430. I have had problems after problems with this camera and the photo quality is just terrible. Took it to sony to fix it and they did, it just turned out that the camera takes bad photos. I now keep it aside in case my kodak camera breaks down. It has been used on most days and it is still going.

I got this camera about 3 years as a gift, and i think it's great. It takes good quality photos and has great zoom. After all this time i've dropped it...drop kicked it ...bent the colum completely sideways (snapped it back in) and it still works great.
- My only problems were the battery clip broke so if i go to take my SD card out my battery falls out, and that you can't select the format for your videos, so i can't edit them in windows movie maker without converting them (which takes forever)

Good buy though, with some flaws.

Bought two of these. My wife's which is used little is fine. Mine, which I use carefully, but fairly often, has a broken battery holder. I Have to wathc or the battery can come out. It also has a problem with the lense covern not opening and closing. Frequently have to do that manually. $ 120.00 just to have it looked at! I will not buy any more Kodak cameras! Had problems like this with the last two I bought. It is a shame for Kodak to ignore posts like this. I like the company but can't tolerate problems like this!

I have had this camera for 2 years and it is great, i only wish it had a better zoom on it, but i have not had any problems with it in the time that i have owned it. If you want close up pics of small objects, then i would recommend a higher zoom camera, it gets blurry if you are closer then about 12 inches

This camera works fine however I have had an ongoing problem. When I plug it in to download the pictures to my computer about half the time it does not work. Instead I have to keep unplugging and try in. I sometimes have to give up and try it again later. Lately it just seems to be getting worse. I have downloaded about once a week, so its not like it should be “used”. It has done this from the beginning.

I did a lot of checking on cameras and what they could do, and add -on's, ratings etc. I narrowed my list down, and decided on this z730. This camera is great!! One can also add other lenses to it. So it will even take further away photos very crisp, clear as well as sun filters, wide angle etc., more so than it already does!! Date on photo's is optional and with any camera will be a little disturbing but also then one has a reference when photo was taken. It also takes excellent video, it is a little different than with a regular video camera, that one must move slower around, but the pictures come out great!! It is also very easy to delete any photo's of video off of camera. Only draw back is putting a video to save in favorites, which then a card reader is needed to put video back onto memory card if accidentally selected to delete after transferring it onto computer. I have now bought 8 of these z730 camera's for family and friends in the last year. I highly recommend this camera for any stage of photographer!! It is also loaded with features, one that I found kind of cool is taking photo's at night if also want a good turn out of background behind a person, it then flashes 3 times if also using red eye reduction. Real Neat and wow how the photo's turn out so clear!! I have also taken photo's while camera and self were on the move, taking even downwards of ground from high above, all photo's come out very clear!! I have accidentally dropped my camera, and still took that beating to work like brand new!! WOW What a camera!! Also is cool is having a slide show onto t.v. and goes right on, from a photo to a video to what ever is next!! Also the size and weight is great!! More thick to be easier to hold onto than a lot of camera's I have seen coming out now, way too thin that it is not good! It is also not heavy at all!! This camera has a lot of features that only more expensive cameras have, but yet a starter on taking photo's will have no problem using this camera either!! The amount of time it will actually take of video varies on amount of storage one has of a memory card. 1gb go pretty cheap now, about $15 to 20 with lifetime warranty. I know is some not so good reports on this camera, I feel it is awesome Camera, but I also feel with just about everything, isn't there a few bad ones out there, that they got a string of bad of this or bad of that, that went into it for parts at sometime??!! or made on a late friday or early monday??!! happens with a lot of things!! LOL if anyone would have questions on the camera for me, feel free to email me and ask at jZCOOL-CB@excite.com
Thank you Kodak for a great Camera!! not much more a person could ask for in any kind of camera!! and the price, getting a brand new z730 camera with 1 gb memory card and 3 yr warranty all for about $140!!! Kodak themselves only give 1 yr warranty.

I love my camera EXCEPT I bought it because it could also do decent quality video. However 18 months later I am still trying to figure out how to get the video off the camera.

I bought 2 of these as Christmas gifts for my daughters. One lens cover wouldn't open with in the first few uses. They want $111.00 to fix it.
The second one worked for a few months now the display doesn't work.
Save your money I'd look to another brand.

I bought this camera to take on our Disneyland vacation! It was taking great pictures and then towards the end of our vacation it decided to stop working! It will turn on but then turns right back off! It was not dropped and I kept it in a padded fanny pack! How carefull do you have to be in order to own this camera? This is my first digital camera and I was impressed at first but now I'm not so sure!

I had an older kodak camera, it looked bad but it took great pictures. It got dropped alto and I had to buy a new one, I shopped around and almost bought a c643, thank goodness I waited on this one, it is great, the pictures are so vivid and the video for short clips is good. I highly recommend it!!!just right for everything.

I like this camera. Some settings take it beyond the standard point and shoot experience. For a first-timer, it has been great. The camera rates 4 stars.

Customer service, on the other hand, has been a disaster. An Easy Share software downloaded update didn't load properly and led me on a trail of three customer service reps over the course of 4 1/2 hours with no resolution. After requesting to speak to a customer service manager, I was promised that a $7.95 CD of the software would be sent for free (though it was clear he was doing me a favor because "these cd's cost money and don't grow on trees," he said. Whether or not the CD solves the problem remains to be seen. But customer service is awful.

To recap: Nice camera, but unless you have endless customer service patience, search out other options.

This was my first digital camera to buy. I looked on the wal-mart website and saw the z730. i started to research it on different websites. i found good reviews and decided to buy it at wal-mart. It cost me only a $140 plus tax. i recommend buying at least a 256 megabyte SD card which was only $20 at wal-mart. I love that it has a rechargeable battery. It lasts about 2.5 hours. Takes great pictures. I did find that it is pretty dark in poor lit areas. Once you take it to the store to get the pics developed the pictures come out great. The video mode is sweet. Close up pics get grainny, but every camera is like that. The software isn't very good. Sometimes it kicks you of the program and tells you to go online. U don't really need the software. I think the z730 is kind of bulky but it still fits in most cases. The screen is a great size 2.2 inches. Everyone should have this camera.

I had this camera handed down to me at work. I don't like the bulkiness and the dial is so hard to turn for those of us with normal size fingers. Mine recently broke after I dropped it in a cushioned chair. I would not recommend this to anyone who wants to keep the camera for a long period of time.

I stumbled upon the Z730 one day at Costco. I was checking out all they had in my price range, and even some a little out of the range I was looking to spend. I found the Z730 was the one I could just start using. It was very intuitive and easy to figure out. That is important to me as I prefer electronics that don't require me to read a manual before I can begin to use them.

What sold me on the Z730 was the lack of shutter lag. I had used some other digital cameras and the shutter lag made them totally unusable for me. I need to be able to shoot moving subjects and the lag of some digitals makes that impossible.

I was also considering the Canon A430 and A530, which I thought were great cameras. What made me choose the Z730 was the fact it was 5MP vs. the 4MP of the A430, and it was about $50 less than the A530. The 730 was the only camera in it's price range I could find with 4X optical zoom, which was another selling point.

The size of the Z730 is perfect. Not too big and clunky, and not so small it feels like a toy. The close-ups I can get with it are amazing. For landscapes it is good, but not so impressive compared to close-up shots. The video quality is much better than expected.

The lithium-ion battery is great. I can get a lot of life out of one charge. But you can't use standard AA batteries in the Z730, so if you are out and the battery dies, unless you have another charged lithium ion (which is expensive!), you are out of luck.

I have had this camera for 6 months and it has already broken twice. It weighs to much and is too fat. When I take a picture of myself on auto everything behind me comes out dark. I seriously hate this camera and it costs way to much to fix it so i've had to buy two, it breaks to easily when I just drop it on a patch of grass when i'm holding it below my knees. It makes every disgusting flaw on my face stand out more. I hate my now broken camera :) :) :) YAY

It's a great camera and a great camcorder all in one! I can send pictures or vids on my son to my family across the country with no problem. I take it everywhere and use it all the time. I even bring it to classes so I don't forget a lesson!

This camera has truly been a great camera. I love it. It takes superior pictures in poor light. Execellent detail. Very quick response. No more missing the whale spout!

This is my third digital camera and i am very pleased with my decision to buy. I was a little rel;uctant at first because it was so inexpensive. I paid $148 total with tax and all. My first time using the camera was at night and the pictures came out like it was is daytime very clear. Iam still learning all the great features. The only disadvantage is that you need a sd card to hold a large amount of pictures. However the camera is great for the beginner or experienced photgrapher.

The lens would not retrack. May have been a defective camera. This was my first digital camera I have ever owned and now I wonder do I want one after this?

I just purchased my Z730 at a local walmart. I bought the camera and the 256 mb SD card with a grand total of $169.00. And that is with tax and everything. So far everything is wonderful. It takes great pictures. My previous camera was a Pentax Optio Mx which I absolutely loved. It had 10x optical and 10x digital zoom. However it only had 4mp. My Pentax in a whole was wonderful. Only having my Z730 for three days I am very pleased. I never thought that I could have found a camera for such a good price with almost all the options that my "lost" beloved Pentax had. The only real downfall that I have found out since I have owned the camera is the fact that you cannot zoom in the short video mode. But that little detail does not make a difference in my opinion of this wonderful/very affordable camera.

I just received this camera today and....OMG!!!
It is wonderful. I have 2 kids and they move quickly, so I need to take a picture fast. This camera takes the picture almost instantly. I did a lot of research on this camera and decided to buy. I was concerned that for the price it might be not of the best quality. This was not the case. The battery lasts very long. I played with it for over an hour with only a fourth charge before it need charging. The pictures are great. Easy to use. Software was easy to install. Tons of features. And for anyone who is wondering, yes the lens does retract. I could not find any pictures on the web that showed it retracted. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone. Plus you never have to worry about buying batteries again. YAY!!!

I got good reports on this camera and I have tried it on my out of the country trips and every
picture has been great. The lenses are superb and
I am happy of having bought this model of camera.

just purchased the z730 the pictures are good but the easy share software 5.2 will take over your entire computer jpg files you will never find any thing software changes all icons to kodaks and you wont beable to tell what file belongs with wich program or where it came from and their is no way to change spent loads of time with kodak no resolve . you wont be able to attach files to any other email program you must use kodaks NOT good

The camera I bought is a Kodak Z730. I love the way the pictures come out in close up mode. A close up of my azalea was so close you could see the polllen in the center of the flower. It is very easy to use and with my hands so crippled with arthritis, there is not proplem I recommend this to anyone.

I replaced an HP 4mp camera with this Kodak. The HP took awesome pictures outdoors but was always confused indoors. The Kodak has no problem processing different light situations and has almost no shutter lag. The features are really easy to use and the battery life is excellent. The only negative is that it compresses the JPG pictures too much and they get grainy when you enlarge them (they look more like 3mp photos). The HP still takes better pictures outdoors. This Kodak is great for people who want a really versatile camera for everyday picture taking but if you're a serious photographer you will want something better.

I am replacing a Fuji 2MP camera that was too slow to take pictures. Not this one! Quick photos, great selection of modes. Fairly easy to use.

After not owning a camera for several years, I found this camera very easy to use. Very simple to load the pictures on computer. A little heavy, but it's still cute and not too chunky looking. Like the size of screen for reviewing pics

I would like to start by saying that my firt impression was not good. I bought the camera for vacation and the first time using it was inside a school gym taking pictures of my grandsons wrestling match. The lighting inside the building was really messing with the camera and with the flash on, I got a very dark picture. After I turned the flash off, the pictures were very good. I also could not get the camera to focus at all in digital zoom. Very blurry pictures. I believe that this was also because of the lighting in the building. After my first experience, I was ready to take the camera back and try another bramd. My Son asked me if I had read the instructions for the camera setup and functions (which I haden't)and he convinced me to keep the camera for a while longer so I could (read the instructions)which I did. I have been having fun ever since. I don't fully understand all of the functions of the camera and wish there were better explanations of the functions but, I have mastered the most important and now only take a bad picture when it's my fault. The camera produces beautiful colors in almost all lighting conditions. I don't think you could find a better camera with this many functions for the price. I paid $179.00 and it came with a free 128 mg SD memory card. I bought an extra 1-gig of memory and an extra high capacity battery and I'm totally satisfied. Don't let the name Kodak scare you off. This is a good Camera.

This camera does such a good job overall that I bought one for my mom and one for my girlfriend. Set it on auto on take photos all day just adjusting the amount of zoom you want. If it had a 10X zoom it would be the PERFECT point & shoot camera. As is though, it's very nice.

This camera is one of those things that someone gets exactly right. 5 MP, orientation sensor, 3:2 mode to make perfectly framed 4x6 inch prints, scene modes, 4X zoom with a superb lens, great joystrick control. 2.2 inch LCD, red eye reduction, self timer, lock out on digital zoom etc etc. Even though the obsolete Canon 520 is the darling of Amazon, this camera is simpler to use than the confusing Canon menu system...

This is a great camera and very easy to use. After some research (and negative experiences with other digital cams) I decided to buy the z730. The picture quality is very good. Only problem is when you take pics outdoors at night, the pics come out very blurry-even when you set the cam to the Kodak pre-settings.

I have resisted "going digital" because I had been on the opposite end of the lens of too many "bad" digital camera moments "Oh, wait . . . did that flash? Oh, my battery's dead - again . . . oops, I deleted that. . ." 35 mm was just faster and easier. Last fall I borrowed a digital camera to help my 8 year old w/ a school project that needed photos inserted and got the hang of it, so I asked for one for Christmas. I was given a off-brand model that looked like it had all the needed features (5mp, 2.0 screen, multiple settings, video, etc.) but after all the Christmas photos came out blurry or w/out people (out of screen before the shutter closed) I returned, researched, and purchased the Z730. I love it! I had it basically figured out before I left the store. It was easy enought that my kids can use it. There are plenty of "special" features, but mostly I will just switch to "auto" and click away. I am able to easily capture great photos of two "busy" kids. We plan to take it to Disneyland next week are really break it in. I'm especially loving the "burst" feature - I think that will be so cool for taking photos of the kids on their favorite rides! I'm finally digital and loving it!

great camera ive had it takes great pictures.

I previously taught photography at the college level (originally learned zone system from Minor White) and still shoot large format 4x5 and larger film cameras. The Kodak z730 is a really excellent optical instrument for the money and the lens is so sharp that it really should be used on a 7 MP or better sensor. In fact, lens resolution appears to exceed sensor resolution. I notice that the newer 6 MP z760 uses a 6.3 MP sensor but the more poorly reviewed 3x Schneider zoom. 13 x 19 enlargements made at low ISO settings in daylight and printed on a Canon i9900 printer look better than similar photo paper enlargements from a high grade 35 mm film camera. Construction is sturdy. Manual options work well and are pretty easy to pick up with even a cursory review of the manual. Specific auto scene settings worked better than than I could accomplish manually with even 40 years photo experience. Metering and focus allow overall, center-weighted, and center-spot settings, a nice touch. Auto exposure generally works well and the three shot auto exposure bracketing feature, particularly with a large capacity memory card, has proven very reliable in capturing difficult landscape scenes.

Kodak has really done a good job with this particular camera model. Manual capabilities are excellent except for focus; in any event, I have never yet had an auto focus failure. The only drawback to this camera is the sensor. It would have been nice to have had a larger, lower noise, higher resolution sensor on the order of the Sony R1 but really, that is unrealistic to expect on a $200 camera.

Optical viewfinder with diopter correction is pretty decent and the LCD panel is quite nice. Lithium battery life is decent but not spectacular at about 280 shots.

The camera was a Christmas gift and I have taken close to 300 pictures with it. 90% of the time the pictues turn out great. As for the other 10% of the pictues guess I need to read more of the book cause there is probably something that I'm doing wrong on my end. Over all Great Camera !!!

This is my first digital camera. I have own some
nice SLR cameras, Cannon and Olympus in the past.
I read a lot reviews and spec info before my purchase. This camera does everything I need in an all purpose camera. If a shot isn't quite right, the software will pretty much take care of it. Is there better software? Sure..but it does most things well enough for a great pic, no worries. No zoom on the video but so what. Spend a lot more money or go get a movie camera. There is almost no delay from shutter button to the shot so you won't miss your special moment. Also, the burst modes are great for those action scenes. Battery life is real good as well. Good internal memory but with a 512K card you have tons of space. Kodak puts out some nice cameras without all the fancy fluff of other brands. If you want a great camera for an affordable price, the Z730 is it.

The lens on this camera is a work of art, the images caught from this camera are very crisp and packed with detail, I haven't had it that long but have taken several photos for Deviantart, check the quality out at hybridfan.deviantart.

This is my second digital camera. the first one I took back and kept using my 35 mm. I finally decided on this one and I LOVE it! Very user friendly. I could figure every thing out right away, put the pictures on my computer and wacthed them on the TV screen! Didn't even have to install the software to do this. I am going to have my Mom buy this one. It takes really great pictures to. Have done a lot of outside, in the snow, animal and x-mas, all turned out great!

Ive had this camera and used it for every occasion. I live in Springfield, Missouri and outdoor pics are great on the landscaping .Learn more each time i use it Best gift ever.

Have owned 7 digital cameras from all the top makers from 2 to 5 megapixels, and I am an advanced novice photographer. The kodak has the best value at the price range. All controls function properly and the pictures are very nicely exposed. A very easy to use camera with good feature set.I recommend ordering the lens adapter and lens hood with a polarizing filter for best daylight shots and lens protection. As always a spare battery is a good idea and an extra is reasonably inexpensive.An overall "best" buy, and as always READ the manual for best results.

Great camera, very easy to use. I am amazed at the quality of the flash photos in low to no light conditions. Kodak did a fine job with this one.

Well I must start by saying I am very disappointed in the picture quality this camera takes. I bought this camera because of this review to replace my Fuji Finepix 2800z 2 megapixel camera which my wife broke.

My fuji took nice, clear, natural looking pictures. The Kodak Z730 takes pictures that look dark and un-natural, even in well lit rooms.

I don't understand how this camera got such rave reviews. I can't even zoom while in video mode, my older Fuji has this functionality. Save your cash for a camera that take better quality photos.

After a long time spent on line reading reviews like these, receiving knowledge through word of mouth and reading magazine articles on digital cameras, I finally chose the Z730. I was so surprised of the many less than average reviews on cameras much more expensive than this one. Shutter speed was a big issue with alot of cameras as well as blurry pictures, etc. This camera takes excellent pictures for the novice such as myself. I have taken many in the last month. I purchased the 1 gb memory card for almost endless picture taking. I'm not to crazy about the software though. All I do is plug the card into my pc's card reader and download them that way. I edit the pictures with software already in place on my system. I then delete the pics off of the card and wah-lah. Battery power is very good as well. I ordered a second one as a back up. All of the pictures ar clear - you'll love it.

This is my first digital camera. I'm very happy with it so far. The pictures look very good and are clear in all types of lighting situations. There are some added features for more advanced users and I wouldn't recommend it for complete novices. I find it easy to use when set in the automatic mode. I got it for $200 after some shopping around.

Every shot is quick and crisp. I love the immediate response when I click the shutter. I had a Pentax 6 megapixel that was so slow, all of the subjects were out of the picture by the time the flash went off.

I have owned 3 digital cameras from Kodak. My first was a 2mp EasyShare camera, then a CX7310 3.2mp and now the Z730! It's perfect! With all of the scene settings, you can get the perfect picture regardless of the subject or lighting! The pictures are clear and vivid with wonderful quality! I would suggest this camera to anyone! This camera shows every reason that I plan to remain loyal to Kodak EasyShare cameras! They are simply the best!

Great pictures, couldn't be happier

I a lot of homework before buying this camera, and for the price I couldn't be happier. Its so easy to use, and takes amazing shots. I bought a 512 MB card on ebay for 27.00, and can take well over 300 photos. The software was so easy to use, just like another post, I removed iphoto! I can't recommend this camera enough for the price.

I absolutely love this camera so far. I just developed my first pictures on it and they were crystal clear. I researched cameras for about 2 weeks and this camera is the top of its class. It is definitely the best camera to buy in the 300 dollar price range. To sum it up, it is very easy to use and pictures turn out great, can you come up with a better deal?

I took this camera on a two week vacation and it worked very nicely. Excellent, sharp photos and nice price for what you get. I liked the many controls and presets, good for quick snapshots and more set up shots as well.

However in low lit shots, no matter what I did with the exposure, or what showed up on the LCD screen, the shots turned out dark and badly lit (at least on the screen, I saw no point in keeping them). Also I was backpacking, and dirt had a tendency to stick in the lens cover and it wouldn't always open smoothly or fully without some help. Otherwise great price, great camera.

I've only had the thing a few weeks, but I would definitely rate this at as a very good camera. First one I bought had a defective CPU and kept changing settings constantly, so I took it back and got a new one. Since then, really no problems! From what I found, this was the only >= 6 MP camera at this price level... and the extra resolution is really worth it imo. Could use a bit higher optical zoom and pictures are a bit dark -> tough to get real good pictures at intermediate light without a tripod. Would be nice to have normal batteries, but lithium life so far is good. A bit worried about the door to the batteries, as it seems a bit flimsy... but all in all, my experience so far is very good. Nice software package and all the accessories I need at the moment. Large range for many types of pictures... manual controls should be a must for almost everyone! Also has a large (30ish) set of preset options like nighttime landscape, portrait, etc etc etc which would make this a great camera for those not so experienced. Lots of menu controls.

Everything I wanted and more... and I'm tough to please!