The main rallying cry for Kodak's EasyShare Z series is “Get closer to perfection with more zoom and ease” and that was certainly true of the 12-megapixel Z980 which we reviewed recently; the 24x optical zoom in particular was an outstanding feature. We've now got our hands on the Z980's little brother, the Z915, which keeps the emphasis on user friendliness but makes do with a much more modest 10x optical zoom.

You can tell this is designed as a more ‘recreational' camera when you learn it comes in four different colours (red, blue, black and grey) and has a sturdy plastic casing that can handle a fair degree of travel battering. At almost half the cost of the Z980, you wouldn't expect nearly as many features and yet the layout on the back of the camera is very similar, with Kodak's standard four rectangular buttons (Delete, Menu, Info and Playback) edging the LCD, across from a circular control dial and Share button.

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However, the differences are also significant. The LCD size has shrunk from 3-inch to 2.5-inch (although there are five brightness levels), there's no optical viewfinder and the lens is 35-350mm (35mm equivalent), f/3.5-4.8 with a maximum of just 10 megapixels.

The zoom controls have moved from the back of the machine to a ring around the shutter, with three separate buttons for flash, focus and self-timer. Above the inevitable mode dial is the power button which is tiny, virtually flush with the surface and in about the most awkward position to access, so you'll have major annoyances turning the camera on and off.

It's certainly a lot bulkier than many digital cameras (measuring 107 x 72.4 x 35.7mm and weighing 220g without the two AA batteries and SD card) and is not the kind you can just slip into a trouser pocket comfortably.

In terms of operation, the Z915 functions perfectly as a point-‘n'-click, no-frills snapper using the Auto setting on the mode dial which makes use of Kodak's proprietary Smart Capture technology to analyze a scene and adjust settings accordingly.

When it comes to video capture, on the other hand, don't be fooled by the use of HD in some of the publicity material (and the product photo here) into thinking this extends to movie footage, as the highest resolution you can achieve is 640 x 480. Also the zoom can't be activated while you're recording, so you'll have to set the zoom before you start and then you're stuck with it.

If you do want more manual control, there are plenty of scene modes to choose from; in fact 19 in all, including separate settings on the mode dial for sport and panorama. Panorama in particular works surprisingly well and allows you to stitch up to three shots together by splitting the screen so you can match up accurately.

You can, in addition, elect for aperture or shutter priority as well as Program (i.e. with exposure compensation) and full Manual, which opens the door to five white balance settings, five colour effects, Face Detection and even a Histogram.

Picture quality overall is sharp and colours vibrant, although if there's a bias it's towards the bright side. Some of this can be compensated for post-capture by applying the built-in Perfect Touch editing software. The image stabilisation system, meanwhile, works well even at the top end of the zoom, and with all the scene settings this would be an ideal camera to take on holiday.

Bulkier than many digital cameras and with some control issues, the Z915 is nevertheless a sturdy and attractive camera with excellent image stabilisation, a wide range of scene modes and an effective 10x zoom, all for well under £200.