Kodak Easyshare Max Z990 30X camera 28-840mm Quick review 12 mega pixel Part 1

The Kodak Z990 refurbished is a steal at $130. It has all the bells and whistles of any modern digital camera. I bought it for the 30x optical zoom and it's 1080P video mode. I set the camera at 16x9 aspect ratio at 9 mega pixel in photo mode and 720P in video mode. The AA batteries life is shorter than I would like. Kodak stated 500 pictures per charge. When the SD card is full, the camera will automatically shut down. The Schneider lens is sharp no doubt. The focal length is an amazing 28mm to 840mm (35mm equiv.). Aperture is F2.8 to F5.6. Many scene modes. The easily accessible burst mode is a plus. You'd need a type D HDMI cable if you want to connect this to your TV to play your video. The camera can be used by a novice or a advanced photographer. If it lasts, it'll be one of my better buys. In the old days, the lens alone would be worth the price. Update 5/21/12: Took it on a vacation. When using flash regularly, camera started to freeze up. Had to take open camera hinge to reset camera. I updated the firmware to the latest version by going to Kodak website. Hope this will repair the flash problem. Make sure your batteries are fully charged when you are updating your firmware. If power is interrupted during the firmware upgrade, the camera will be rendered useless. Click here to see another 720P video shot with this camera: http://youtu.be/NV9mtxmlsRg