Kodak Z8612 IS, keep or swap?

[FeatherZ]

Hi, new user here

Knowing I have been willing to buy a new bridge camera for some time, some relatives thought good to get me a Kodak Z8612 IS to replace my old Canon compact.

To my utter surprise, I found the Z8612 does not accept NiMH batteries and there's no rechargeable included either - so the choice is between getting the Kodak charger+battery (at least another 35€), or swap it with another model.

I searched the 'net for expert reviews, but only found one which can hardly be defined flattering, and though it was the first time I came across that site, the samples did not look very good. For the price of the camera + the accessories I would need to buy, I can probably get at the same shop a Fuji S1000fd (lacks IS though) or a Canon SX110 at an additional cost of ~60 euro.

I would not call myself a hardcore user, but I like to play with manual controls a lot, and I'm looking forward to the long zoom to take pics of birds mainly.

I'm concerned that - if the Kodak actually has poor picture quality - it might not be worth the money. Would you recommend to walk the extra mile and get the SX110 instead?

[mtclimber]

Featherz-

Since this is Christmas, there will be a lot of gift exchanges being done in the next 10 days or so, perhaps this is the time to trade-up a bit. Kodak does produce a very good ultrazoom cameras, the Z-1012Z.

That particular camera has received an award as the Best Low Light Level Camera of 2008 from Consumer Reports Magazine. The Z-1012 (10mp, IS, 12X optical zoom)sells for a bit more money, but it would be worth it to add some money to the exchange, as you would be getting a much better camera. The Z-1012 does also have a EVF viewfinder, which would be another advantage.

So there it is Featherz, that is what I would do if I were in your position.

Sarah Joyce

[FeatherZ]

Thank you Sarah for the quick reply.

Most likely if the shop accepts to do the swap, I will only be able to pick a model from their current offering, and the model you mention is not part of that.

Though they carry the Z1015 (which curiously isn't even listed on I-R), I already got a number of NiMH batteries and the electronic charger from my old Canon, which I'd be more than glad to keep on using.

My point is, does the Z8612 take decent shots by today's standards?

If so, I'll get the dang proprietary stuff and call it a day. Otherwise I will squeeze some more money out of my overused wallet and get a better camera like the SX110 or the Fuji S2000

[mtclimber]

Featherz-

I was able to get a Klic-8000 clone battery and charger on www.ebay.com. The total cost was $(US) 32.40. The Z-8612 is a budget camera. However, I have seen many excellent photos from the Z-8612. I looked at and tried the Z-1015 model and was not pleased with it. I have attached a photo of the clone batter and the charger that I purchased.

Sarah Joyce

[FeatherZ]

I've decided to try and go for an exchange. I've posted my impressions in this thread.