Best Buys: Lenses

Top 25 Best Buys

Steady Long Shot: Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS

Who? Distance junkies for whom a 3X (or 5X or 10X) zoom just isn't enough. What? Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS. Why? Kodak's latest long-range zoomer gives you about as much for your money as any camera in this class: 36-432mm equivalent f/2.8-4.8 Schneider 12X optical zoom, lens-based image stabilization, fast click-to-capture speed (a claimed 1/4-second), 2.5-inch LCD monitor, eye-level electronic viewfinder, 32MB internal memory backup to the SD card slot, QuickTime MPEG-4 movies with mono sound, and very adept panorama-stitching. When you're finished shooting, set it down on a Kodak Printer Dock and effortlessly pop out 4x6s. Now!$300, street.