Full Review

This is my second Kodak digital camera and like my old one I just love it. Flat out it takes some of the best pictures I've seen or taken for that matter. It's rich in features. From almost full manual PASM control to automatic point and shoot to multiple 'scene' settings for differing situations. Power up to first picture is quite quick. Shutter lag is quite small (no more missing those action shots!). The 10x optical zoom does lack stabilization but in good light and with a good shooting stance you won't generate much image shake. Macro photography is, as I've experienced in the past with my CX4230, exceptional although using the flash for extreme close-up work can generate shadows on the image due to the location of the flash unit. Natural light and no flash eliminate this problem. That all being said I do have some complaints; The door covering the memory card slot feels flimsy and could easily be damaged or broken. The 'joystick' used for navigating the menus is small and hard to use for fumble fingered guys like me. It takes some getting used to and can slow you down changing modes or settings if you're in a hurry. The camera seems to have some trouble getting focus in low light (I like to shoot at the beach at sunrise) and the extremely bright and annoying green 'low light assist' lamp cannot be turned off even though the Kodak FAQ page for the Z650 says it can be. All in all though, this is a great camera! It's got some heft to it so it feels like a real camera and not a tourist toy. It comes with a (plastic) 55mm adapter which allows you to fit any number of filters to the camera, though the included lens cap will not attach to a standard 55mm filter. Speaking of the lens cap, it's the one true disappointment with this camera, it does not stay on very well at all. The slightest tap and it will fall off. This can be somewhat solved by leaving the 55mm adapter on the camera as the cap fits that much better. I highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for an ultra-zoom model for a good price. You can't go wrong here.