Customer Reviews

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder (Pink)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder (Pink)
I really did not expect the high quality for inside usage this cute little pink camcorder is getting. The competion rated it so poorly they half way spooked me. But the color, price and the fact that I could install an additional memory card was a no brainer. It is a perfect little camcorder (with still pix capabilities) to carry with you always. It fits into a pocket or the smallest purse. A great gift for the high school graduate in June.

There's a heck of a lot of technical reviews out there and this won't be yet another. This is from the perspective of a mom who loves to capture clips of her child at any moment.

First... the size of the Kodak Zi6 makes it fit perfectly into a purse or a baggy pocket, making it a breeze to just pull out and start shooting immediately.

Second... the quality of the video is awesome compared to the really very good true "video" camera I was using.

Third... It's so easy to use. You turn it on and you hit record! What more could you want?

Fourth... It's so cute! What girl wouldn't love a little pink Zi6?

Fifth... Price. You can't beat it. Sure the similar camera made by Creative produces an even better picture but it's also about $100 more than the Zi6. If you're wanting to spend around $150... this is the HD handheld camera to get.

The only reason I didn't give this camera 5 stars is because there is little to no image stabilization. So, if you tend to have a shaky hand, you will probably notice a good bit of shake in your resulting video. But, that said, every video camera I've used that did have image stabilization also sacrificed a bit of quality to provide it. I'd take quality over losing the little bits of shake I see any day.

Everyone says the camera does poor in low lighting but from my experiences so far, it's giving a true picture. If you're in a room with low light, guess what? The video will have low lighting. Seems common sense. Still, it doesn't get grainy which is something I have experienced on so many occasions with an "old fashioned" video camera in such a situation.

All in all... best gift I've received in a long long time. I love this little thing.

I will start by saying that I was in the market for a pocket HD camcorder, not a full-size HD camcorder. Moreover, I kept in mind that I wanted something relatively inexpensive (I didn't want buy something so expensive that I would be too afraid to use it).

That being said, the Kodak Zi6 has been a great purchase so far. I initially set a budget for myself of around $180, and ended up getting this camera for around $106 on Amazon ... a great deal. I have since used this camcorder at a baseball game, a wedding, and more. Video taken in well-lit areas is fantastic. Video in darker areas is, well, to be expected, but, that goes with any camera or camcorder. The portability of this is nice ... fits right in my pocket. The weight is pretty late ... the 2 AA batteries weigh more than the camcorder itself ... or so it seems.

I love the option to expand with an SD card. For now, I've been using a 2 GB card, which would enable me to take roughly a half hour of HD (30fps) video). I recently purchased a 16 GB SDHC card (also from Amazon) so I look forward to using that. The camcorder can take up to a 32 GB card.

One thing I will mention is why I chose this product over competitors (i.e., Creative HD Vado and Flip HD camcorder). I believe the sound is superior in this unit. If you go on YouTube and search videos from each of these camcorder models, I think you will notice that the sound is a little better with the Zi6 than the other units. And, at the end of the day, what good is a video if you can't hear the people talking?

Product is very user-friendly (if my sister can use it without any problems, anyone can!). Worth the money!

I purchased a refurbished Zi6 from New Harbor. I have been using camcorders since my daughter was born many many years ago, and this is my first HD unit. I just want to find out what HD is all about before I throw away money at more expansive unit.

I only have a XT to view the videos. It's choppy (to be expected due to slower PC) but the videos were good with adequate lighting. It's acceptable in flourescent lighting and a half dim living room. It's very bad in dawn just before the sunrise while driving.

The key to using Zi6 is to remind myself that "It is a camera" and without optical stabilization or SuperSteady Shot - minimize jumping or walking around while recording, holding and Locking my arms close to body while taking the videos, taking video in a rock solid position while at night or dawn. And I will not be disappointed.

The battery life is an hour or more with a set of brand new Sony 2500 mAh NiMH. The recording time is excellent as compare to half hour(ish) with W290 and ZS3. It's pointless to complaint about the included freebie as no camera manufacturers will give you an adequate one for free.

The only issue that I have with Zi6 is the lack of continuous playback on my analog TV. I need to play each videos manually. It's very tiring after a while. If I know about it sooner, I would not buy it.

I purchased this camera for BOTH the video and still capabilities. I am extremely pleased with this camera from both aspects. The audio is clear and crisp on the videos and I am really pleased with the still photos!! They are way better than expected as I use this feature to take pictures of my handmade jewelry and the closeup ability is really quite clear!!!
What a fun and easy camera - slip it in a purse or pocket, take along extra batteries and just go for it!!!! The HD video is awesome and since I already had on hand an 8GB and 16GB SDHC, I can shoot videos and take pictures for ever!!!!
The pink is a great metallic pink color and perfect for me but the option of purchasing a black one is perfect for the guys.
You will need to buy a decent case for it - but I had a leather (bright pink) nintendo DS Lite case and it fits perfect and there's room for two extra batteries and a couple SD cards to boot!!
Don't hesitate - great price, great camera - get into the HD era today!!!

When I ordered this I was skeptical that it would be a good cam. However when I did get this, I was very surprised at the picture this small cam produced. This has a very clear pictures on play back and upon viewing on a TV it is outstanding. This cam is very easy to use - even my grandson who is 12 was able to figure it out with not problems. I am so pleased with this cam that I am ordering one for my daughter as well. This Z16 HD Cam fits easily in my pocket or purse and not like my Sony minicam which I have to carry in a bad or over shoulder. Software is easy to use.
I would recommend this cam to anyone who wants a small cam that has great HD results.

Some of the videos I recorded had very bad jittery audio. It didn't matter whether there was ambient noise or not. I returned this unit and Amazon lived up to its name once again by doing a full refund.

Good:
Photo mode - not the best, but is there! Pictures look like a paused video.
External memory
Rechargeable, removable batteries
Self-portrait mirror
720p does look fantastic when played on HDTV
Mac support - can use regular iMovie '08

Bad:
Jittery audio - made it useless for me - my kids' voices came out broken
Poor video refresh - yes 720p looks great, but the zi6 videos look very choppy. I guess the technical term is frame rate(?) Underwhelming when you shoot while moving - e.g. walking, panning, following my kids.
Flimsy - body is very flimsy. I'm 100% sure it can't take even one drop to the floor. With kids it is inevitable.

Overall, a great alternative to the Flip series, but the audio issue killed my enthusiasm. Wanted to get the zi8 after returning this, but decided against it after reading 'high pitched audio' issue with it. Seems like Kodak couldn't figure out audio yet!

What did I settle for now - iPod nano w/ video. Read my review on that if interested.

After 3 weeks I'm still loving this camera. It slips into purse or pocket and I can get replacement batteries anywhere if needed. I upload to facebook which seems to take a long time but I may try the "easy upload" to YouTube and then transfer. Still learning. As a "senior" I enjoy the convenience and it took great videos of the fireworks last night!

I love Amazon i did one day shipping and got it the next day by 1:30pm, awsome!! This little gadget works great. Some people complain that it has low quality, but for the size and price I say it works great. Totally happy with my purchase. I bought two, one for my mom and one for me, and she just loves it. The Zi6 it so easy to use she doesn't even need my help to operate it. Thanks Amazon and Kodak.

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder (Pink)

I purchased this item despite having already owning a FlipVideo F260N
which I have had several problems with, and returned to manufacturer and received a reconditioned replacement. their customer service is very unsatisfactory
So how was Kodak Zi6? works very well and produces quality images both in HD and regular. No observable flaws, although the software for the FlipVideo is a magnitude better that the Kodak camera as supplied. The cons are; it defaulte to HD when turned on and one must remember to toggle to VGA for regular resolution, also the camera produces .MOV files which are not as universal as .AVI as produced by Flip camera
Software as stated not as good, however larger viewing screen and it has a quality feel about it. The FlipVideo sometimes does not start when clicked. Costs a little more but worth it