In this technological age, it’s common to see consumer products in electronics being updated with new versions of a previously released device. As consumers, we expect to see some benefits offered in these product updates such as better performance, more storage capacity, more Web options or a lower price at least. However, the EasyShare Z981 megazoom camera from Kodak seems to fail as a respectable follow-up to its predecessor, the Z980.

Recently, Crave tested the Kodak Z981 and found it to be a disappointing update to the previous model. Apparently, the device lacks the option of turning off digital zoom and other features such as Quickview instant playback and stereo mics for audible video. Interestingly enough, these functions were promised in the owner’s manual. Furthermore, the camera’s 26mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with 26x zoom failed to impress since it had clear barrel distortion occurring, which wasn’t corrected by its JPEG processing.

Crave also reported that the Kodak Z981′s fourteen mega-pixel resolution was another problem. Compared to the twelve mega-pixel Z980, the updated version delivered poor picture quality and inconsistent performance in color and exposure. According to Crave, only its shooting ability is decent since it operates slowly like other CCD-sensor-equipped megazoom cameras. Thus, updates are supposed to improve on their original versions but this one seems to fail considerably in that purpose. Nonetheless, if you’re interested in trying it anyway, the Kodak EasyShare Z981 is available for retail at prices ranging from $249 to $329.99.

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