Black Friday Deals 2010 Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

Posted: November 4th, 2010 | Author: admin | Filed under: Camera, Photo & Video | Tags: Kodak Zi8, Kodak Zi8 Camera, Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera | No Comments »

Black Friday Deals 2010 Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

I bought this Kodak Zi8 video camera because it seems like every time we go on vacation our “heavy video camera” gets left behind because it’s just that – heavy. I was able to use this Kodak Zi8 at my son’s school for his Halloween party the other day. Worked great and is so easy to operate. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because there is no way to put the date on the video while you are taping. I checked the manual online and didn’t see that you could do this. If you can, someone please let me know how. I’ll just have to remember to say the date when I’m taping I guess.

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera Technical Details

• Record High Definition video (1080p at 30 fps with 16:9 aspect ratio)
• Easily upload recorded footage to YouTube with built-in USB and software
• Expandable SD/SDHC card slot up to 32 GB; Rechargeable batteries and charger included
• Vibrant 2.5-inch viewfinder; Watch footage on HDTV with included cables
• Edit and share videos with included software

I did a two part video review of this Kodak Zi8 camera (and compared it to the Flip Ultra HD), which is available on YouTube. They were too big to upload here, so I’ll give you the links:

The good:
- Great picture quality under adequate lighting
- Up to 32 GB SDHC expansion
- External microphone jack
- Multiple recording modes (1080p @ 30, 720p @ 60, 720p @ 30, WVGA)
- Ability to capture 5 MP still images
- Macro mode for nice quality close-ups
- Comes with HDMI and A/V output cables included
- Third party spare/replacement batteries are very inexpensive
- Works well even in 1080p mode with a 2 year old generic 16 GB class 4 SDHC card
- Included wall charger is convenient if you don’t always have a PC available on trips
- Large, bright, vibrant screen
- Standard tripod mount
- Very thin and sleek looking
- Light weight, and small enough to fit nicely in even a shirt pocket
- Kodak seems to stay on top of keeping firmware updated to correct issues
- Camera is very easy to use and user friendly
- Included software is easy to use and has more features than most included software with cameras
- Ability to use a remote to control most of the camera’s functions (not included)

The bad:
- Built-in microphone sound quality is not great (best with external mic)
- The same poor low light picture quality that seems to plague all these pocket camcorders
- No optical zoom, digital zoom, as with any camera, is worthless
- Image stabilization (EIS) uses a lot of battery life and could perform better
- 1080p mode comes with the sacrifice of the wide angle you get in 720p mode
- Virtually no built-in memory, you will need to invest in an SDHC card
- Battery life is decent, but not great (about an hour and 15 minutes with EIS off)
- No flash for still photos, not a digital still cam replacement, especially in low light
- Rounded bottom, will not stand up without a tripod or propping up on something
- 1080p mode can appear more shaky than 720p mode, I recommend only using 1080p with a tripod
- Remote is sold separately

Weighing the good with the bad, I still gave this camera 5 stars because I have to say that overall the Kodak Zi8 is fantastic for the price. Many of the bad points are either minor, or common with most or all camcorders of this class. I also own a 3rd generation Flip Ultra HD (8 GB, 720p @ 60 fps), and in picture quality there is no comparison – the clarity, color accuracy and white balance are hands down far superior with the Kodak Zi8. The sound quality on the built-in microphone leaves a lot to be desired though, and is about the only thing the Flip has over the Zi8, but the Zi8′s external microphone capability more than makes up for it. I picked this one up for $114 new, and even after buying the remote ($10), a mini tripod ($10 w/ shipping), and two spare batteries ($7 – generic, but they work great), I got all of it combined for less than the average price for the Flip Ultra HD.

Black Friday Deals 2010 Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

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