Kodak EasyShare Z1015IS 10MP Digital Camera with 15x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The popup flash is a big issue with camera like this. The popup flash stopped popping up for my camera and the camera is basically useless. The camera also shuts down every once in a while for no reason and I miss precious shots. I loved the camera initially because of all the features it has but now I hate it.

We have owned several Kodak Easyshare cameras and this one was by far the most disappointing. There are a few good points: the zoom is great and the camera takes good quality pictures with plenty of settings for both the novice and the professional. It also comes with a rechargeable battery. That's were it ends. The camera has a processing feature that slows this thing up big time. After every picture, the camera processes the photo. After taking 4 pictures, the camera locks up in "Processing" mode to finish processing the photos onto the memory card. This gets very frustrating when you are trying to capture the perfect picture of the kids in various activities (like their first trip to Disney!). Also, on the action setting, the camera needs to charge after every picture, resulting in a 30 second delay. I would not recommend this camera to anyone - I'm returning it and looking for something that doesn't lock up.

I recently purchased the Z1015 IS mostly for it's HD video and mega zoom features and I'm pleased with the results. The zoom feature is available while in the video mode which was what I was looking for. The sound is recorded in stereo and is good although it's compressed. Kodak using .MOV (QuickTime codec). The 720p widescreen video is quite impressive and you can film up to 29 minutes, if you have the memory. I find making videos with digital cameras convenient and easier than using a camcorder.
The picture quality is excellent too and the smart capture mode works well. It is true that there is a delay in processing the photos as another reviewer mentioned but this is not a problem for me. There may be a firmware upgrade for this in the near future. You can avoid this by using the program mode according to another reviewer.
The Z1015 IS may be a better value then the lower model Z1012 IS as the Z1015 IS comes with a rechargeable battery and charger. The Z1012 does not. Also the Z1015 has a 3 inch screen compared to 2.5 inch screen for the Z1012. Lastly, the zoom is 15x compared to 12x for the lesser model.
I purchased the Easyshare camera dock which works well with this camera and is very convenient as it's always connected to my computer. It also works as a charger too.
One minor complaint. The screen could be of higher resolution like I've seen on the Panasonic models but that's about it. For the price, this is an excellent camera.
Update (Oct 12, 2008): Kodak has a 1.02 firmware update that addresses the slow processing speed when in Kodac's smart mode. I've updated my camera but don't see any significant difference.
Update (Nov, 2008): Kodak has updated their firmware again with version 1.03. This takes care of the processing delays. A Big improvement.
About the video: This camera does not film with stereo sound although the manual and online user guide shows two microphones. Zoom up on the photo here on Amazon and you will see two holes next to each side of the lense. These are the mic holes. Well, my 1015 comes with only one mic on the right side (if facing the lense). I called Kodak and they confirmed that this model records in mono. They have since updated their manual online but not the user guide. The Z1012 records in stereo but I think the Z1015 has higher quality sound (less compression)than the Z1012. I'm a little disappointed but this camera is excellent and most people should be very pleased with both the photo and video quality.

The camera can produce top notch images in RAW, with exquisite detail. Jpeg images are fine also, although RAW is superior because of uncompressed files. Either way the images are full-colored (no-one does color like Kodak), clear, dynamic and detailed. I haven't tried the video functions.

The RAW capability is the great strength of the camera and also a source of some weakness. DO NOT USE THE AUTO MODE (or SCENE MODE)if you intend to take several shots in rapid succession. In these modes the camera takes an inordinate amount of time to process the shots. The camera takes time to apply Kodak's Perfect Touch editing to the shots. It is not defeatable in Auto and Scene modes. I use the P mode. Perfect Touch is not applied here. In P mode the camera takes a bit longer with RAW than it does with jpeg in writing to the card.

Another drawback to RAW is that few programs read the Kodak RAW files from the Z1015IS. Kodak's own Easyshare software that comes with the camera does. Personally I don't like the software--too basic and clumsy for my taste. Irfanview, a free editing program, does read and edit Kodak Z1015IS RAW files and allows you to save in lossless TIF or BMP, along with jpeg and other types. My hope is that Adobe and others will soon add this camera to their list of readable RAW files.

I already had a 12 times optical zoom camera (the Z1012, a fine camera itself), so the 15 times zoom was not a big attraction for me--the RAW was and it has proved to be a real winner in image quality. Anyway, the 15 times zoom works as intended. There is occasionally a bit of purple fringing, but it is not noticeable on normal-sized prints (up to 8.5x11). Macro focusing distance is moderate.

Ease of use is excellent. The buttons are well located and handy to manipulate. You can change exposure, flash compensation and other functions quickly and easily. The grip is very convenient. It has a viewfinder and the LCD is large and of very good quality. With moderate flash and LCD use I got about 300 shots off the provided rechargeable battery. The battery recharges in the camera via the provided external power connection--reasonably quick and handy.

In summary, the camera does what I want and does it beautifully--produce first-rate photos. I have posted a large number of large-sized photos at http://www.pbase.com/tgaf/kodak_z1015is. Feel free to visit there to see what the camera is capable of. It is easy to use, reasonably-priced and produces first-rate photos. I heartily recommend it.

P.S. November 2, 2008. Automatic application of Kodak's Perfect Touch editing to every picture in the Auto mode is what slows down the write time for the camera in Auto mode (it doesn't happen in the other modes). Kodak has issued a firmware update (1.03) for the camera that now lets the user disable this feature. With the Perfect Touch disabled the camera is very fast in writing in Auto mode. I imagine that new cameras will come with this firmware installed. If not, just visit Kodak's web site to download it for free.

Adobe has updated their RAW plugin to include the Kodak Z1015 IS in the cameras covered.

This camera seems to be end all, nicest Z series camera produced, and Kodak is flaunting very fast capture speeds. They do however leave out a detail that will surely convince you, as it has me, to return your Z1015: For every 4 to 5 pictures you take in smart-scene, there is a 20-50 second pause for the Kodak Perfect Touch post-processing...let me repeat that, you take 4-5 pictures and then the camera locks up completely for a half minute (using RAW files), up to almost a full minute if you're using jpg compression. Call Kodak about it and they'll tell you that this long delay is "normal," that a firmware upgrade is coming, and that you should "return your camera for repair." This camera is a disaster and Kodak needs to pump out a major Firmware upgrade eliminating the post-processing. I was a fan of the Z series, having owned a Z612, and Z712, and recommended the Z812 to my mother as an easy to use, point-and-shoot camera. They are all excellent, fast cameras. The Z1015 is a major, substantial downgrade. It's no longer fast, in fact it is downright SLOW, thus making it a loser in the point and shoot field.

Update: I should have mentioned that when using the PASM manual settings, you can skip the post-processing freeze. Only Automatic and all scene setting modes (everything that makes the camera point-and-shoot), are affected by the processing lock-up.