Kodak EasyShare Z812 IS

Opinion: + Excellent not over-saturated Kodak colors

+ Easy to use

+ Great 12x Zoom

+ Very good IQ in PASM mode at ISO 64 and good light conditions

+ Great panoramic feature

+ Great video, incl. 12x zooming and good audio

+ Acceptable flash-indoor IQ up to ISO 200

Opinion: A great little camera if you accept it for what it is. It's a point and shoot camera, not an SLR. It has a long zoom on it that I'm guessing some folks just don't know how to work. If you can manage to shoot at base ISO (64 in this case) the camera will deliver perhaps some of the best results for the price point. No longer a current model in the Kodak line-up, I thought I would chime in with some thoughts incase anyone is looking at picking one up used.

The colors are excellent and if you set the jpeg quality to their highest settings, you'll find the IQ quite good at ISO 64. Given the huge range on the zoom it makes a great carry around everywhere camera, light yet capable enough to execute the tougher shots.

Opinion: This is a great camera just for a basic point and shoot camera! I like the massive 12x zoom that it has along with the 8 megapixel sensor. I also like the panoramic feature and how it can stich 3 or 2 pictures into one wide picture. Battery life is good if you get the rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

Opinion: My only problem with this camera is that the photo's I take with it is not as good as my Olympus C750 4MP camera w/10x optical zoom. The Z812 is supposed to be an 8MP camera. All Kodak cameras are made in Mainland China which is a poor situation. About 1 in 30 cameras will be ok. 1 in 50 cameras will be better and you will receive a perfect 1 out of 100 cameras. Plus Kodak does not support them very well at all and are not worth repairing beyond the warranty period. The latest firmware upgrade does help on video a lot. I see NO photographic evidence that the Z1012 takes photos any better however.

Opinion: With a limited budget however needing a camera that delivered more than a point and shoot, I came across the Z812IS.

I compared this to similar however more costly offerings from Olympus, Fujifilm & Canon and was surprised to see that it compared extremely well.

+ Good color saturation, bright and vibrant pictures
+ Easy to use
+ Has both program & manual settings
+ Great stitching feature for panoramic shots
+ Great video, near HD quality
+ Adjustable flash control
+ No obvious barrel or pin cushioning affects

I have taken over 1000 photo's since purchasing a few months ago, I have not been disappointed

Opinion: I bought this camera for my wife a while back (she didn't like using my D80). She has taken several hundred pictures with it and loves it. She finds its ease of use, versatility and good image quality to be good pluses. We have had no problems other than battery life with the CR3V, since shifting to NiMH AA's that isn't a concern any more. This is a great camera for the average user like my wife.

Opinion: I bought Z812 IS in April 2008 and until today (June) took a few hundred photos. I am a beginner and this camera is more than I could wish for. There are plenty of functions and I encourage other Beginners to explore camera's features. The price is lower than similiar cameras of other manufacturers and that is why I chose this one.