I've had the Kodak Z8612 for about three months.  I've owned a few camers over the years but this is by far the best of them all.  This camera gives you plenty of settings choices, whether you want Smart mode, Scene mode, ISO, or manual settings.  The 12x optical and 5x digital settings are an added plus.  This is a great camera for a beginner and beyond. I take pictures every chance I get and never leave home without it.  I've shot pictures at church, at home, in the clubroom where I live, in the business office and various scenes outside.  I've always gotten great pictures, no matter what setting I used. The scene setting works really well.  I was taking pictures at a church program and started using the Smart mode and was not too happy with the results.  I quickly switched to scene mode, used the manner/museum setting, and the pictures came out crisp and clear.  After seeing some of my shots, a friend asked me to shoot pics of her daughter in the Bluebonnets when they came into bloom.  The same friend recommended me to her aunt to shoot an upcoming wedding.  I am very happy with this camera and I am not a professional.  i just enjoy taking pictures of whoever, whenever.   The only drawback I have found is the battery life.  The battery they recommend, which is non-rechargeable will give you about 300 plus shots, depending on setting.  Don't make the mistake I did and shoot a video, which cut the life of the battery by more than half.  I have found that rechargeable batteries will work as long as they are AA 1.25V 1800mAH. The photo I uploaded was taken from approximately 12 feet or so, using scene mode, manner/museum setting.

brooklyn43

Greenville, TX

I have had my camera since Christmas of 2009 and I love it! By far my favorite digital camera I have ever owned. I often have to loan it to friends because they hate their cameras and love the quality mine produces.

MrsBarfield

Hartford, KY

The Kodak Easy Share Z8612 is a great camera for the money.  I was looking for an inexpensive digital camera with a good optical zoom to use for things like school programs and outings.  There are many nice features on this camera including a wide range of flash options, a sports mode for photographing quick action, video mode and a panoramic view mode.  The sports mode has been helpful in capturing not only sports pictures, but also nature images such as birds flying. The zoom is really nice and makes the pictures come out full and clear.  The buttons on the camera are bigger than on most making it very clear and easy to see what modes you are trying to use and helps you avoid accidentally pushing the wrong one.  The viewing screen is large and of good quality, giving you a good idea of what your printed pictures will look like.  The strap and lens cover are sturdy and well made, mine are not showing any wear after more than a year of steady use. It does seem to go through batteries more quickly than my other digital cameras, but using rechargables makes this not a big issue. The only down side to this camera for me is the size.  It is too large to just stick in my purse and go, you really do need a carrying case for it.

suemjackson

Allen, TX

I am an avid picture taker, and I love digital cameras. I received this camera last year as a Christmas present, and fell in love with it. The videos that this camera takes are wonderful. The Volume quality is superb, when you upload the video onto your computer, the sound is clear. When you playback the video on the camera the sound is still loud and clear. In picture mode you can pick auto focus or you can disable that function. You can set your camera to take picture in low light settings and the picture will still come out clean and clear. It has a 12x Optical zoom it is like a telescope. The drawbacks about this camera are you cannot zoom in on an object while recording. In order to zoom in, you have to stop recording, zoom in, and then start recording again, that is a big nonsense. In addition, this camera runs through batteries fast so you have to invest in rechargeable batteries.

Chantrells81

Mesquite, TX

My husband purchased the Kodak Easy Share Z8612IS camera for my for Christmas this year after our old Kodak digital camera quit working. I really enjoy this camera. It has a great deal of picture options including digital recording, auto camera options, panorama, stage, and high ISO. It has an auto timer and a great zoom feature. The picture quality is great as long as you make sure the camera is focused properly before taking the pictures. The only option that I miss is my old camera had a sports option for moving pictures that was great when taking pictures of the kids. The batteries seem to die in the camera quite frequently I have already gone through 3 sets in five months and I do not turn it on and off a whole lot. I am also sure there are many other options that this camera can do but I have not figured them out yet.  It is compatable with my Kodak computer software and works just fine for my needs. Just occasional picture taking of the kids etc. I would recommend it to another.

dec3exb

Godfrey, IL

My husband bought the Kodak EasyShare Z8612 IS camera recently as an early Christmas present for me to use on our upcoming vacation.  I was taking a digital camera online course at HP at the time and had completed two sections.  After getting the camera, I read about all the features and the course mentioned all of them.  We already have a Kodak EasyShare C713 which has a lot of neat features but the Z8612 has a lot more.  It can also be used manually for users who want to set their own f stops, etc.  It's very easy to use and the zoom is very good.  I made some photos of other photos I have using the zoom and they turned out great. I can't wait to use it on our vacation! I would definitely recommend this camera

ViewCruiser

Myrtle Beach, SC