Kodak Zi8 Hd Pocket Camera
Kodak Zi8 HD Camera
We found the Cnet review by Chris Breen on the Zi8 and give you the short version in this article.
Zi8 Features
The Zi8 is a pocket camcorder in the same class as the Flip Video, a segment of the camera market that has grown considerably in the last couple of years. Companies like Creative, Sony RCA and Kodak have been catching up to Flip and the Zi8 is just such a product priced just under $200.
The Zi8 is a step up from the Zi6 and Zx1 both in video quality and convenience measuring 2.4 inches by 4.5 inches by 0.9 inch and weighing 4.8 ounces.
The model comes in three colors Kodak dubs black, aqua, and raspberry, and it has a sharp and generously sized 2.5-inch LCD on the back. One problem is the plastic finish is also susceptible to scratches, so you’ll probably want to keep the unit in a protective cover, particularly if you’ve got keys in your pocket.
While the output is billed as High Definition, let it be said that these smaller cameras do not compare to the more expensive models but for the money they are a very good cheaper option.
As with all these mini camcorders, the Zi8 is designed to be easy to use. Kodak has made some improvements to the interface, and the inclusion of a four-way rocker control makes navigating the device’s menus that much simpler. That said, it’s a good idea to consult the manual to figure out exactly what the icons stand for in the settings menu and to make sure you have everything set correctly.
There are four speeds of fast-forwarding and rewinding, and you can advance or rewind your footage frame by frame, if you want. The 2.5-inch LCD looks sharp and the sound plays back loud enough through the Zi8‘s little speaker as long as you crank up the volume. The internal mic is good but there is a jack input for an external microphone. That is one feature that breaks the Zi8 out from the rest.
Zi8 Performance
The camera was tested mainly in 1080p mode; the clips were sharp (for an HD pocket camcorder) and the colors vibrant and relatively accurate. Though it’s not superfast, the Zi8 does adjust exposure fairly quickly when panning from brightly lit to darker scenes, and it compensates appropriately for backlit subjects.
The camera defaults to 720p recording, predominantly because most computers probably won’t be able to smoothly play the 1080p video, which is encoded at a relatively high bit rate of around 20Mbps.
You can download to your computer and You Tube or view on your HD TV with the hbmi cable that comes with the camera.
Conclusion
The final conclusion its that Cnet found the Zi8 the best pocket camcorder we’ve reviewed to date, with superior image quality and the best features.
One note however, if you have a mac, check the compatability with your iPhoto and iMovie software before you buy.
For the full version of the article you can go here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/kodak-zi8-pocket-video/4505-6500_7-33740624.html?tag=txt%3bpage
