Kodak Z1485 IS Review

The Kodak EasyShare Z1485 IS couples a 1/1.72"-type 14 megapixel CCD imager to a Kodak branded 5x optically stabilized zoom lens with a 35 - 175mm equivalent focal range. Maximum aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/5.1 across the zoom range. For framing images, there's a 2.5-inch 230K pixel LCD display, but no optical viewfinder - an increasingly rare feature these days. Images are stored on Secure Digital cards including the higher capacity SDHC types, or in 32MB of available internal memory.

The Kodak Z1485 IS offers 16 scene modes to help beginners achieve the results they're looking for without the need to understand subtleties like shutter speeds, apertures and the like, but still provides program and full manual exposure modes for the more advanced shooter. The Z1485 IS determines exposures with a multi-pattern, center-weighted, or center spot TTL metering system, and offers 2.0EV of exposure compensation in 1/3EV increments. Five white balance settings are available on the Z1485 IS, including an auto mode, and ISO sensitivity is controlled automatically or manually from 80 to 1,600. You can also manually specify either ISO 3,200 or 6,400 by trading off resolution against sensitivity, and using the 3.1 megapixel or lower settings in Program or Manual modes. The EasyShare Z1485 IS also offers a high definition 720p movie mode, capturing 1280720 clips at 30 frames-per-second, as well as VGA (640x480) and QVGA (320x240) mode, recorded in QuickTime MPEG-4 format.

The Z1485 IS is capable of displaying stills and videos in High Definition, using the optional Kodak EasyShare HDTV dock. Images and movies captured on the Kodak Z1485 IS are transferred to your computer over a USB 2.0 High-Speed connection and power for the Z1485 comes from two AA or one CR-V3 battery. One CR-V3 disposable battery is included in the product bundle.

The Kodak EasyShare Z1485 IS lists at US$200, and is available in black, blue or pink body colors.