Looking for a new, light-weight digital camera to snap those candid shots of your friends and family? Looking for a digital camera with a great amount of megapixels? What about a camera that's small enough to toss in your purse or pocket? Then look no further! The Kodak EasyShare Z885 digital camera may just be the camera for you.

For years I've been carrying around a camera that use to be top of the line back in 2004. Unfortunately, a 3.1 megapixal camera is no longer top of the line, so I wanted something better. I received just that for Christmas 2007-- my EasyShare Z885!

While this camera is perfect for me, it may not be perfect for everyone. There are a few pros and cons to this camera and how it functions. Here are the ones that I felt were most important.

PROS:

The amount of megapixels in this camera helps you create some of the most beautiful, crisp, and clean images ever. At 8.1 megapixels, you won't have to worry about not being able to see the blue eyes of your child or the lovely sunset behind the mountain peaks. Your photos will come out just as lovely as the moment they were taken.

One of my favorite features on this camera is the Undo Delete selection. Have you ever accidentally deleted something that you wanted to keep? All you could do was regret the mistake and move on, but not anymore! The Kodak EasyShare 885 has an Undo Delete selection that will allow you to immediate reverse an accidental deletion. This feature could be a lifesaver!

My all-time most favorite feature on the Kodak EasyShare Z885 is that it has the ability to zoom in and out DURING video recording. I love that! My old camera would only allow you to zoom before and after recording a video -- not during. So I was thrilled to find that the new Z885 did this. What a wonderful thing for those of us who love to take family videos.

The Z885 is a lovely looking camera. It has a lightweight, sleek design that makes the camera easy to take along anytime. This camera will fit into your purse, coat pocket, and even your pants pocket. It comes equipped with a large, 2.5 inch, color, viewfinder screen.

CONS:

My main complaint about the Kodak EasyShare Z885 is that there isn't a traditional viewfinder. The color screen is the only thing that you can use to line up your shots. This isn't really a big deal until you are outside on a bright, sunny day and you can't see a thing on the screen.

This camera has so many features and functions that it eats AA batteries like they are camera candy. I usually use CRV-3 batteries in my digital cameras, but the Kodak EasyShare Z885 came with two AA digital camera batteries. Well, those batteries were dead in a matter of a week. I've had the camera for about two months now and I've gone through four sets of two since those that came with the camera. I will be purchasing a new CRV-3 for my Kodak EasyShare Z885.

This last con is more of an annoyance. The Kodak EasyShare Z885 does not come with the AV-TV cable that is used to attach the camera to your television. My old Kodak EasyShare came with this cable, and I used it often. But, the new Z885 does not; you'll have to order one from the Kodak website or I've found quite a few of them on eBay.

In the end, the Kodak EasyShare Z885 is an all-around great camera. It's great for the point-and-shoot photographers among us. But, it's also great for those of us who like a little freedom in our photography. This camera has loads of options and a lot of ways for you to create just the image that you want. You'll want to watch your battery usage, stay out of the glaring sunlight if you want to see the screen, and spend a little more money if you want to hook the camera to your television.

I do love my camera, and I'm thrilled with the photo quality it gives me, but with the $200 price tag I probably would have looked a little closer at other cameras if I had known what I know today.