Kodak has released a new camera in its super zoom class (our sub-SLR category), the EASYSHARE P712. The big selling point of the P712 is its claim to have the fastest click-to-capture rate in its class, a tiny 0.07 seconds, and has an auto-focus system as fast to match.
The P712 is designed more for buyers moving away from point-and-click cameras who want better performance and freedom than many compacts can offer (especially those more concerned with looks or how many mega-pixels they can cram in) while still having the former's ease-of-use control.
In terms of technical details; the P712 has 7.12 effective MP, which explains the name for the camera quite obviously for once, a 12x SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON lens to provide the zooming, detail and sharpness, and the now typical image stabilisation systems found in every camera to reduce camera shake. Interestingly for a sub-SLR the camera can shoot in RAW, a feature left out by a lot of manufacturers, and can do various levels of JPEG and TIFF files. Finally being part of the Kodak EASYSHARE stable of cameras, the P712 can be used with all EASYSHARE docks and printers, and has PictBridge too, for the few out there using it.
It will be released worldwide in July 2006, with a recommended retail price of $499 (approximately £274 at the time of writing).
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