The physical design of the Kodak Z-series of compact point-and-shoot cameras has evolved little over the years, and the Z1485 IS is no exception. The difference is about packing upgraded specs and features – some major, others not – into essentially the same form factor. A 14 megapixel resolution is an upgrade over the 12 megapixels of the Z1485's immediate predecessor, the Z1285. In order to reduce blur due to camera shake on zoomed-in shots, the newer model also now includes an image stabilizer. Further upgrades include max exposure has been bumped up from ISO 3,200 to ISO 6,400, and the LCD display has a sharper resolution, going from 115,000 pixels in the Z1285 to 230,000 in the Z1485.

Other features remain untouched. Image optimization and editing options remain mostly the same, including 16 pictures modes like portrait, sport, night landscape, museum, and sunset. The camera can also still capture 720p HD video at 30 fps. Video and pictures can be fed directly to an HDTV for faithful display of high resolutions