| Reviews : Kodak Zi8 HD Pocket Video Camera (Aqua) NEWEST MODEL |
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
Product Description
Its small enough to fit in a pocket, but why would you ever want to put it there? Whether out on the town or just hanging with friends, the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera captures every experience in stunning 1080p HD video. Stay in focus while youre on the move with integrated image stabilization. Then kick back and watch all the action on your HDTV or share your scene on YouTube with the built-in USB. The Zi8 pocket video camera has all you need to define yourself in high definition.Similar Products
Customer Reviews
By 911 Czar (Roseville, CA, USA)
Completely satisfied with the Kodak Zi8. Took it on vacation to Hawaii and captured beautiful video of paradise and vacation events. Easy to use, compact, high quality video. Set it for 720P 60f, took clips while driving through two islands, ocean views, sunsets, in both outdoors and indoors, day and night, while riding in a golf cart, and in a boat. Easily made DVDs and downloads to PC and uploads to websites. Kodak media manager easy to use and has all the features to create and edit. Very pleased with choice and the ease/reliability of shopping through Amazon.
By melhsap (St. Louis, MO)
Pros: Cost, Quality of Video (True 1080p), Simple Controls, Variety of Settings for Video Format, 3.5mm Exterior Mic Input Jack - HDMI cord included!
Cons: Doesn't ship with a SDHC Memory Card
Summary: I bought this video camera to take family videos of piano recitals, basketball games, etc. to save for posterity, to post for the grandparents to watch, and other typical uses...just the sort of niche in the market it is supposed to fill. The 1080p video is crisp, indoors or out, and putting it on 720p/60fps for action video like the directions tell you to do, makes a huge difference. Yes, it isn't quite what it could be in low light, but it is not as bad as some reviews make it seem - at least not in my opinion. Besides, it not really designed to be a serious movie maker.
While the price isn't bad, I got mine for $149 with free shipping, you will have to invest a little more to really get the most from it. I bought a 32gb SDHC card for $80, an extra battery for $10 (look around on the internet), an external stereo mic (Mine - Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone - works great) for $24, and I added a $10 case from Wally World. Total (including camera) - $273ish, but you may be able to do better THE EXTRAS WERE WORTH EVERY PENNY! I get great video, great stereo sound, and have plenty of power.
I am sure something better will come along soon. I've long since accepted that as a fact of modern technology, but for the price and my needs, I'm quite satisfied.
Oh yeah, install the latest 1.06 firmware upgrade, it solves the sound problem that some people are whining about (pun intended)!
By C. Lemmonds (New Jersey)
The good:
1) 720p 60fps is the best shooting mode and is very good for $150
2) unit fits in pocket if you could protect the lens somehow
3) decent battery life
4) hdmi
The bad:
1) inexcusably horrible software package meant to bilk customers out of more money
2) glitchy performance - especially for facial detection
3) compression leaves numerous artifacts (cross-hatches) in video (should have option of shooting uncompressed)
4) no lens cover and this unit attracts lint like a magnet
5) poor lens choice for personal shooting
6) micro mode is a good idea, but poorly implemented
7) saves to .mov files
8) do not even think about shooting in anything but full, bright light.
9) wonky wiggle-stick button for most functions
10) still camera is useless
While the Zi8 offers decent video quality for the price, it is crippled by a horrible software package and file format. I chose this camera because it stores video to SDHC which my televisions read. All of my dvd players play divX video, so I planned to convert all files to divX disks for ultra-long playback. Unfortunately - when I started trying to work with the files this camera produces I found that the device was hobbled to ArcSoft MediaImpression software. You'd think this software would allow you to convert your videos - and it kinda does...to other .mov resolutions. To remedy this - I went to the arcsoft site to download the necessary codecs and quickly found that this was one of those "bait and switch" software houses that only exists because they make exclusivity agreements with hardware makers. The software itself cannot compete with other software and only exists because the hardware buyer has no choice. When you go to their site you're bombarded with offers to "upgrade" your software for a measly $60 charge (almost half the cost of the camera). Thinking that they still might have codecs, I registered and they sent me a confirmation email. But the confirmation link was bad and I had to manually set it to a valid address. Then - the support form bombed on another error! Did the same people who coded the site code the horrible software? It sure seems like it. My codec app can't seem to crack these .mov files, but I suspect these are not standard quicktime files but some proprietary kodak compression. I will check this by trying to play the files on a machine where the kodak software was not installed.
At the very least, this camera should offer the setting of shooting uncompressed or mpeg video. Ideally it would shoot directly to divX since more and more devices support that format, but that would likely drain batteries faster.
In order to use this device as intended, I'm going to have to setup some wonky capture to divX via hdmi, which completely negates the portability of the SDHC card.
Low light shooting is, as usual, horrible. Back in 2007, Kodak announced that they had found a new sensor pattern to allow better low light shooting without increasing cost - I think they called it TrueSense. Where is this technology and why was it not included in this product?
I'm considering returning this camera and avoiding Kodak products in the future. Any hardware maker that makes these greedy Faustian bargains with inferior software houses to try and bleed more money from their customers does not deserve customers at all. I will definitely avoid any more products bundled with ArcSoft garbage-ware.
By Eric Short (Sandusky, Ohio)
For the price, this is a nice little recorder. I believe the craze of these HD pocket recorders is on the rise and this is a good place to begin. I bought an external mic, haven't used it yet, we'll see how it works.
By Al Magliochetti
The camera's fine . . its small, inexpensive, no frills and gets the job done, for the most part . .
What I find somewhat reprehensible is Amazon jacking up the price by almost THIRTY DOLLARS for the Christmas buying season. No more than 2 weeks ago this camera was listed at $149.99 and is STILL listed at a similar price on quite a few other websites.
I'll be purchasing from other vendors this holiday season, since Amazon seems to want to shaft its loyal customers . .
Thanks for nothing, Amazon . .
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