Customer Reviews

Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

The Zi6 is a clear competitor for the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder (and now the Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder). It has a USB arm that swings out, just as the Flip Video pioneered. It uses two AA batteries and has a very similar form factor. But along with the copycat vibe, Kodak's managed to do what other competitors (such as RCA) have pretty much failed to do. That is, they took a great idea like the Flip Video and made some excellent improvements.

The most notable improvement is the addition of HD video. It's not Full HD (1080p), but my opinion is that people only want that because it's advertised as better. And to be honest, a 1080p picture is very capable of being a much better picture, however when it comes to consumer camcorders (especially cheap ones like this) it's more of a bother than anything. Most computers, even some of the newest, have some difficult playing back, or at least importing, 1080p video. It's a lot of data and if you don't have a 23 or 24 inch monitor you probably don't have the adequate resolution to even watch it on your machine. Your TV may be able to handle it, but remember that these small camcorders must have small sensors. Packing a huge HD picture into a small sensor is tough. Even 720p doesn't look that good when the sensors are tiny. Here, my point is, don't discard the Zi6 because it records 720p video. It's a blessing, I promise.

That said, the picture quality still isn't great. It isn't bad either. It's better than what you'd expect from a device this tiny but it does suffer from some other issues that make the better-than-expected picture quality lose it's edge. For example, there is no stabilizer on this camcorder. That's not the sort of thing you come to expect with a cheap handheld, but it can be a problem when walking around or recording while on a moving vehicle. Generally it wouldn't be all that bad, but the Zi6 uses a sensor reminiscent of cell phone cameras. Along with other drawbacks I'll get to shortly, the picture wobbles the way many a cheap CMOS sensor does. Heavy motion recorded with this device can be a little hard to watch. Additionally, low light performance is bad. It never gets all too grainy but it does get blurry. In addition to the blur I can guess is due to a wide aperture and a poor auto-focus unit, the Zi6 reduces it's shutter speed greatly to compensate for the lack of light. This produces an exceptional amount of motion blur that is very undesirable and pretty much makes the device useless in such spaces. All the other drawbacks are tolerable for a camcorder of this class, but the motion blur makes me think iPhone camera. In fact, the video the Zi6 produces looks very much like photos from the iPhone.

But enough bad news. I don't want to give the Zi6 a bad reputation because there is a lot it does very well. When you're not wobbling around in the dark, the picture quality is surprisingly sharp. Highlights get blown out at times, but for the most part you can get a pretty nice picture from the device. Compression artifacts are to be expected and are certainly present, but they're not as bad as you may think. They're certainly more significant than, say, what you'd get with a Sanyo Xacti, but it's nothing too bad. Chances are home videographers won't even know. If you'd like to see for yourself, however, I've taken some samples and posted them in a link at the end of this review.

The feature set on the Zi6 is where the device really shines. HD video is certainly the selling point, but there are some delightful little surprises I wasn't aware of until the camcorder arrived. I'll start with the most useless so we can end on a good note. The camcorder actually sports a small zoom. It's digital zoom, though, and therefore completely useless in my book. I would have preferred they left it out entirely. The biggest surprise for me was macro focus. I'm not sure why Kodak thought to put it in a camcorder of this class, but it's certainly welcome. You have to get very close for it to work, but it's as easy as flipping a switch and getting yourself too close for comfort. While this isn't really a feature, Kodak's USB arm release is a button rather than a sliding switch (which you'll find on the Flip). I didn't think I'd ever have a preference for a USB arm-activating button but Kodak made it so comfortable and easy that I've been won over. Another wonderful feature is Kodak's approach to batteries with the Zi6. AA batteries are great because you can take a bunch and pick them up just about anywhere. The problem is that they're disposable. You could buy rechargeable batteries, but most people don't. Kodak saves you the trouble by providing you with two rechargeable AA batteries and a miniature charging station that plugs directly into the wall without a cord. It's smaller than most charging options, doesn't ruin your vacation if you leave it at home, and is environmentally friendly. The only thing that could make things any better would be the option to charge the batteries in the camcorder via USB. Of course, you can always pick up a pair of USB Cell AA Batteries and really make things easy for yourself.

While Kodak gives you a miniscule amount of internal memory (128MB), even that memory is mostly eaten up by the included software leaving you only 30MB of recording space (which translates to about 30 seconds of video). Clearly this isn't enough and you'll need to buy an SD or SDHC memory card to cope. Personally, I prefer the option to use external media because it's endlessly expandable and easy to replace. Nonetheless, when you get the camcorder out of the box and you can't record it's a little disappointing. Luckily I have an SD card graveyard, and I believe most people are used to buying additional cards, but with the Flip (and it's other competitors) setting a precedent for built-in memory I believe Kodak made the wrong choice. What would I have done? I would have included a 2GB SD card. It's cheap, gives you approximately 30 minutes of recording time and you're all set to go out of the box. Nonetheless, this is a small oversight and hopefully most people will either have a spare SD/SDHC card or know to order one when purchasing the camcorder.

One other nice little feature is the mode selection. The Zi6 is capable of not only standard 720p recording but also 720p at 60 frames per second. In addition, you can record in VGA (480p) as well as take photos. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend the photo mode, as the quality is pretty bad and there is option for using a flash in low light situations, it's nice to know it's there if needed. VGA is also nice if you need space or you just don't care about HD resolution for the moment. While I don't ever see myself using anything but the standard 720p mode, the other options are welcome additions as they could very well come in handy in certain situations.

Once you get down to recording, however, the camcorder is a breeze to use. If you're actually planning on using digital zoom it's very simple. You can simply push up or down to move forward or back (respectively). Changing modes is also very easy. Left or right shifts between HD, HD at 60 frames per second, VGA and photo modes. One of the unfortunate realities of the Zi6 is the inability to use the camcorder's playback features without tethering it to a television. Playback is very simple as well, but it must be plugged into a TV with one of the included cables. This doesn't bother me at all, as I could care less about watching videos on the camcorder, but I think I may be alone there. Many people like to see what they just shot, or their subjects do, and it's just not possible with the Zi6 as far as I can tell. Getting back to recording, however, there is really only one drawback and that is the screen. It's a decent screen and does fine indoors, but in heavy sunlight it's very difficult to see. The reflective plastic over it doesn't help matters as you may end up unable to even look at the dim screen in the first place if the sun catches the wrong spot and hits you in the eye. Nonetheless, with this sort of camcorder you generally understand what you're capturing without seeing the screen. It tends to record just about everything in front of itself as the lens is fairly wide.

Another minor but understandable drawback brings us to post production, if you will. The video you take with this camcorder doesn't work with Kodak's own multimedia digital frames. While this seems kind of silly and a bit of an oversight, the frames weren't designed to handle HD video. They top out at 480p. The unfortunate part is that the video specifications (in detail) for these frames are very hard to come by and many people with a frame and the Zi6 might expect a good partnership. You can put your video on the frame, but you'll have to convert it first. This will be, for most people, too much effort. Converting video isn't exactly the easiest and fastest thing, but Kodak's video codec support on the frame is limited and highly specific so you may find yourself trying again and again to get it just right.

Being a Mac user I haven't had a chance to try the included software. If I ran Windows I would appreciate how Kodak created a separate partition on the Zi6's flash storage to hold the software installation. Software being included on the camcorder isn't new to Flip owners, but the partition is. It's a welcome addition as it separates your ephemeral videos and photos from the software that you'll probably want to keep. To me, it's a nuisance as it's another drive I have to eject before removing the camcorder and I won't ever use the software, but nonetheless I can appreciate Kodak's intentions and believe it was the right move to make. While I haven't used the included software it seems fairly simple in that it helps you upload to YouTube and make minor edits. I would expect major similarities to the software included with the Flip. On a PC this may be welcome but on a Mac I would imagine people will be using this camcorder with iMovie. Unlike the Flip, the clips will just import and that is something Flip owners have wanted since the camcorder's introduction.

While I was impressed with Kodak's inclusion of rechargeable batteries and charging station, they're not particularly generous with accessories. For the price you can't really expect to much, but along with an included SD card they could have included a software installation disc in case you did, in fact, delete the software off the camcorder or simply want a backup. These are both trivial things and minor criticisms, but they're also both very cheap and wouldn't have affected Kodak's margins terribly. Nonetheless, you do get most of what you need. Though not for long, you can use the camcorder out of the box and the software is easily accessible. You get both kinds of AV cables (standard and HD), the batteries and charging station, a very simple and easy but overly brief manual, and a carrying case. It's a little bit above satisfactory.

In fact, that's what I'd call the Zi6 as a whole: "a little bit above satisfactory." Either that or a glorified cell phone camcorder on steroids. It's a great little device for the money, but I'd rather see it priced at $200 and see a nicer sensor in the device. If you're in the YouTube demographic and are interested in HD (which is almost a contradiction, but I won't go there), this camera is for you. Kodak's betting on it.

I've put together some sample footage and photos you can download here (go to the bottom of the page for the link):
http://honestbydesign.com/2008/8/16/kodak-zi6-stops-in-early-and-gets-reviewed

The Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera follows in the footsteps of the Flip series of small, pocketable video cameras. In many cases the Zi6 ups the ante in this area however. With a significantly larger LCD screen as compared to the Flip series, your eyes will be much happier. The resolution of the screen is great as is the brightness, except when viewed outdoors in bright sunlight. In bright outside conditions, the LCD becomes more difficult to see, but this is a common problem with most LCD displays.

The camera gives you three ways to record video and also captures single still images:
1. As HD movies at 720p and 60fps
2. As HD movies at 720p and 30fps
3. As VGA movies at 640x480 resolution
4. Still images at 3MP interpolated

What does that mean? Well it means that you get pretty good quality HD video in good lighting at either 30 or 60fps. And VGA movies are pretty good quality as well. But in lower lighting conditions, the quality suffers greatly.

The still image quality is barely acceptable and certainly not up to par with a dedicated point and shoot camera. The quality is comparable to what many cell phone cameras would provide.

The Zi6 has a SD card expansion slot which is a huge advantage over the Flip series of cameras. You can put in up to a 32 GB card which will hold several hours of video.

The major downside of this video camera is its lack of image stabilization and the awkward placement of the button that controls recording. It takes much practice and concentration not to get visible "jumps" when turning off the recording. If you are recording a long segment of video, it can become quite tedious to hold the camera still for any great length of time in spite of it's lightness. The lack of image stabilization really becomes apparent when you are panning while recording, unless you are using a tripod. Using a tripod for such a tiny camera is awkward and diminishes the usefulness of such a small video recorder.

The camera itself has a nice "feel" to it. I do not get the impression of cheapness or flimsiness. The LCD display is a joy to look at indoors and in shaded outdoor situations.

The camera has a built-in speaker.

The built-in microphone is quite good and because the unit is solid state, there is no motor noise or any other such mechanical noise picked up while recording.

Battery life is good. On fully charged NIMH batteries, I recorded a continuous segment of 15 minutes and then several other segments of varying lengths and the battery indicator was still showing two bars. I would estimate that fully charged batteries could give you an hour of recording... less in cold weather.

As a small video camera that can easily be put in a pocket, this provides a great way to capture spur of the moment snippets of video. The included software is pretty weak, but it is easy to import the video into other image editing programs. And Mac users will happy to know that the video is formatted as .mov H.264 so you won't have to deal with wmv files.

One other feature worth mentioning is that there is a Macro setting that let's you get remarkably close macro photographs and videos. As close as 2 inches basically. While it isn't something that most people will use very often, if at all, it is a great feature for the times that you do need macro capability.

Pros:
-Great tactile feel
-Large sharp and bright LCD screen
-Quick startup time
-Decent battery life
-SD slot lets you use large capacity cards for hours of recording capability
-Amazing macro capability

Cons:
-Lack of image stabilization makes shooting steady video difficult
-Still image capture is not very good
-Very poor low-light performance
-No volume or mute control for the startup and shutdown chime

I think Kodak has brought to market a great little video camera that will certainly put some pressure on Flip. As it is right now, it's a wonderful little video camera that easily fits in a pocket and gives you the ability to virtually instantly grab video whenever you want.

Make no mistake, this is not going to suffice if you are looking for a really small yet great quality video camera for movie making. It will suffice for spontaneous video capture of life's unexpected events. It's easy to operate, attractive and fun to use.

For its intended use, I give it 4 stars. If it had image stabilization, it would have earned 5 stars.

If I'm going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there, I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and, consequently, dodge any potential future buyer's remorse.

I've realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don't have so I may as well share what I can.

I'll start by saying that you'll see my "Verified Amazon Purchase" on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because, obviously, that's the one I wound up buying and I'll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I'll break it down and let you decide what's best for you via what I found out:

Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:

Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as "F")
Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "M")
Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "CL")
Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as "K")

Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images, wider images

HOW CNET RATED THE CAMERAS:
F Excellent
M Excellent
CL Very Good
K Very Good

HD SHOOTING TIME:
F: 120 minutes.
M: 120 minutes
CL:120 minutes
K: 25 minutes with batteries they included, 120 minutes if you buy an SD card

MEMORY:
F: 8 GB
M:8 GB
CL: 8 GB
K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential, but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.

RESOLUTION:
All 720p which is excellent, just one step below the top 1080p format.

MICROPHONE:
F: Stereo
M: Mono
CL: Mono
K: Mono

SOUND:
F:Premier AAC audio. Best sound quality but still not great in winds
M: Good sound quality but still not great in winds.
CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.
K:Poor sound quality

ZOOM:
F: 2x
M:2x
CL:2x
K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it's 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if, for example, you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.

CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:
F: 4.3x2.2x1.2 4 oz
M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz
CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz
K: 5.5x2.5.0.9 5.6 oz

SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:
F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces
M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound
CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces
K: 4x 5x 2.5" 2.4 lbs

TECHNICAL DETAILS:
F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don't need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.
M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm
CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice), USB extension cable,(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.
K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.

SPEED:
F: 30 frames per second.
M: 30 frames per second
CL: 30 frames per second
K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.

VIEWING SCREEN: All 2" except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4"

IMPORTANT NOTES:
F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo rather than mono sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan, we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren't IN the water, we are around the water...on boats, in the sand with sea mist, etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software...just plug in to computer and it pops up.
M: Colors don't appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.
CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.
K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images...so the images were shaky, much like a cell phone camera. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said, this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4" Very poor shooting in low light with even MORE shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality...same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s'pose. You can get still photos from the Flip cameras of better quality by using their software. You can pick out ANY frame and turn it into a higher quality jpeg. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it. Poor color in comparison to Flip Ultra and Creative Labs but still better than the Mino.

And, finally, the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:
Fast Company: "Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital's "Best Pocket Camcorder Yet." 6-09

USA Today: "New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch" 4-09

Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone, Flip, Kindle, and Zip Car For Answers

There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.

CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me, expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However, keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2" screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that's important to you..

Also: No matter which one you get, you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don't forget those.

Also note: It's confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders, they do not change the names on the new versions, nor do they change the names if it's an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the "HD" after the brand name and look for "2nd generation" or "newer version" on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don't get the older models.

And: The software that comes with the Flip and Mino allows you to take any part of the video and create a still photo from it.

Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me. :-)

I own both of these cameras. I have seen a lot of requests for information regarding the comparison of these two products and thought I might try and contribute. For me there is no clear winner. I believe if you want superior image quality and are traveling for a length of time, the Kodak's replaceable batteries and memory are preferable. If you want something that is extremely easy to use, has great desktop software for both the PC and MAC and is easily put in your pocket, the Flip is the way to go.

Flip:
Slightly more user friendly
Great desktop software and Mac compatibility
Good low light performance
Doesn't suffer from apparent dropped frames of the Kodak when in low light
Rechargeable batteries
Considerably smaller

Kodak:
Much less expensive. Major national retailer is selling these for 39% less then the Flip.
Noticeably sharper image
Better color rendition especially under artificial light
Desktop software is not as easy to use and supplied software incompatible with Mac. However iLife apps work fine with this camera.
Much larger viewing display but the whole unit is larger as well
Removable memory
Easy to get and replace AA batteries

Length:: 7:34 Mins

Sample footage taken with Zi6

Just got the Zi6 in today. I've run it through the paces and am pretty impressed by this little rascal. By default, it starts off set to HD, but it can be toggled to HD60, VGA or still camera easily. The HD resolution is very good for a camera of this type and looks great on a 42" HD screen. The build quality seems good and transfer to the computer was seamless. I used a Mac for this.

Get this if you want a trouble-free, catch-the-action-as-it-happens kind of shoot. Yet I think used, under the right conditions, it might even fool some into thinking this is better equipment than it is.

Downshots? A few. Using the toggle to zoom is unavoidably audible and you do need a steady hand. Not the best low light performer ever was. Minor caveats really. What was Kodak thinking with pink? Yes, I have the black model. Battery life is moderate the Zi6 is a hungry, hungry baby.

Cool things? Yes! Seeing yourself in the reflection of the USB button to self shoot was definitely a sublime idea. The ability to use AA batteries rock too. Screen is good too.

Get Zi6 if you want to have some fun making video.

The other day I realized I did not have a camcorder. I really wanted to be able to record our first Christmas in our first house, site visits to wedding sites, etc., so I started looking for digital camcorders. However, I wanted it to be small and very portable, have good video quality, record in HD resolution and it had to fit into my tight holiday season budget.

My first instinct was to look into the new Creative Labs VadoHD. The original Vado received great reviews and had 4GBs of flash storage. The new VadoHD records in 720P resolution at 60FPS and sports 8GBs of storage. The problem is that 8GBs apparently only holds 2 hours of 720P 60FPS video. It's slimmer than my cell phone and fits right in my pocket, but at $230 2 hours of video was not going to cut it. If I could have expanded the storage via SD card I would have been sold.

The other option would have been a Flip Video MinoHD. The MinoHD is basically the same device as the VadoHD. It was also developed from is standard definition predecessor, the Mino, and shoots 720P 60FPS video. It's roughly the same size and costs the same ($230), but it can only hold 60 minutes of video at 720/60. If I can't expand the memory, than no deal.

Both are capable of switching to VGA and 720/30 modes to shoot video that would use less storage, but then you're compromises video quality for storage. Both devices also use Li-Ion batteries and can charge via the attached USB connector which also serves to connect to your computer for quick transfer of all of your videos.

Then I found the new Kodak Zi6 HD. Just like the others it can shoot 720/60 video, has an attached USB connector and some flash memory. The difference is the Zi6 only has 130MB of on board flash memory. To make matters worse only 30MBs is usable by you. The other 100MBs is used as a sort of CD partition with the included Kodak video editing software on it. 30MBs of storage offers about 20-30 seconds of video at 720/60. Ouch.

Believe it or not, the memory isn't a deal breaker. The Kodak Zi6 has expandable memory via SD or SDHC cards up to 32GB! The drawback is the SDHC cards are an added cost, but at the current $160 price of the Zi6 you can get a Zi6 and an 8GB card for about $200. The MSRP of of the Zi6 is $180, so even at MSRP you can still get 8GBs of memory for the same price as the VadoHD or MinoHD. 8GBs gives you an estimated 2 hours of video (like the VadoHD's 8GB storage).

So what other differences are there? The Zi6 is a bit bigger than the competitors, but it's still lighter than any other device I own. This is surprising because it runs off 2 AA batteries. At first I was put off by it's increased size over the Vado and Mino and the fact that it uses 2 AA batteries, but the Zi6 felt much nicer in my hand than the others and the ability to change dead batteries on the fly was very appealing.

The Vado and Mino require you charge them via USB. That's great, but what if I'm on a trip and don't want to bring my laptop or I'm out for the day a long way from any USB port? The Zi6 also comes with 2 precharged rechargeable AA batteries and a little Kodak charger that plugs into the wall. The battery life for the 2 AAs is great at 4 hours.

The larger size also allows for other things to be larger, like the screen. The Zi6 has a 2.4" LCD screen for recording and reviewing your video. The screen is very nice with a sharp picture.

For comparison, the VadoHD has a 2" screen and a battery life of 2 hours per charge.

The Zi6 only has 2 buttons and a joystick directly below the screen. Each button performs 2 functions. One function for during recording and one for during playback. The joystick controls the 2x digital zoom and recording options (VGA, 720/30, 720/60 and still image) and acts as the record "button" by pressing in on the stick. The joystick also changes functionality when in playback mode for selecting videos.

The Zi6 can take still image pictures, but they're about cell phone quality at 3MPs, but in a pinch they look fine. The video is what the Zi6 is made for. The video looks great. It's very clear, color reproduction is fantastic and there's no chop or blurring recording at 60FPS. Even VGA looks good. VGA is going to appear grainy and not look as good as 720/60 video, but it's great for recording something that you want to e-mail or upload to YouTube (small size).

The only problem is the video does suffer in low light situations. Outside the video is amazing for a $160 mini camcorder, but inside with shades pulled and less light the video gets a little grainy. That's not so bad though. For the size and price it's expected and it's certainly still watchable. You'll just find yourself slightly disappointed because your other videos will look better. That isn't to say the Zi6 can't record good video inside. If you have a lot of light or can open the shades, the video quality goes up.

The Zi6 comes with a set of composite and component cables for viewing your video on an HDTV (or SD set). The 720/60 video looks awesome upscaled to 1080i on my 42" set.

The Zi6 has a macro mode you can set by flipping a switch to the macro setting on the side of the camcorder. It allows you to take very close (about 1" away) video with blurring and seems to work great. It takes a second to focus, but does the job well.

Once you record your video you can use the attached USB connector to transfer it over to your computer. It can work just like a flash drive or you can use the accompanying Kodak software to import and edit your video. It's compressed with H.264 compression with AAC audio and played back with Quicktime.

I just click and drag the video over and have not tried the software, yet. I have Adobe Premiere, so I expect I will never use the Kodak software, but I might just to see it.

My only gripes with the Zi6 are mere quibbles. For instance, you can't format the memory card on the fly. You have to select each video individually to delete them or use a computer. That's no big deal though. With expandable memory I can have multiple SD cards available and I always move my videos over to the computer. I can't stand having clutter on my storage devices anyway.

It's also slightly irritating that the Zi6 does not remember your video setting. It defaults to HD 720/30 whenever you turn it on even though I use 720/60 exclusively, but it only takes one click of the Joystick to the right to fix it.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Zi6. Sof ar it's allowed me to get some great footage of our 9-month old puppy getting lost in 2 feet of snow and I've done a lot of experimenting with lighting conditions and video modes. I can't wait to get some "real" footage on Christmas morning and at Christmas parties this week.

At ~$200 for the Zi6 and an SDHC card you can't go wrong.

I'll be posting some sample video on Vimeo later. Vimeo supports HD video, so it should show the real quality.

NOTE: I use a Lexar SDHC Class 6 card rated at 20MB/s. I was fortunate to actually speak to a Kodak representative at Best Buy who recommended that class and speed. If you use a cheap off-brand card not meant for photography/video you will probably have choppy video. This is due to the card's write speed not being fast enough to keep up with the video.

I just got this camera, and really do like it. Opinions seem to vary on this, but I actually do like the fact that you can just drop in two easily-available AA batteries to power it. I hate and detest gadgets that use some sort of rare, esoteric battery type that isn't readily available everywhere. You can use rechargeable AA batteries if you wish, and it actually comes with a couple of them (pre-charged) and a recharger. For me, though, the whole idea of a tiny little camera is to have it with you for instant use when an unforeseen opportunity presents itself. With rechargeables, you have to plan ahead for when it'll be used by constantly having a pair of charged batteries on hand....and it takes many hours to charge them.

The one thing I dislike about this camera so far is that USB plug that pops out. Maybe it's perfect for a laptop computer, but on desktop computers you wind up having to plug it in the USB slot somewhere on the computer's case or on the monitor, and it's just being held suspended in the air by that little plug, and gravity is pulling the camera down and trying to bend that plug and its socket, which doesn't seem like a very good idea as it puts strain on those delicate parts. I find I either have to hold the camera in place, or use a piece of tape or something to hold it there. Ridiculous. I tried getting around this problem with a USB extension cord, but for some reason the camera didn't seem to like this, and it remained unrecognized by the computer. Same thing happened when I plugged it into a USB hub. When I relented, and plugged the camera directly into the socket again, it again recognized it. Why? Who knows? The pop-out plug seemed to me like a neat idea....until I actually tried it out and encountered the practical problems with it.

By the way, the built-in memory is almost useless. You get about 30 seconds of video with it, and no more. For the camera to be of any practical use, you HAVE to get a memory card. I got an 8 gigabyte card, and it's extremely easy to install. You just plug it in, and there's an illustration in the instruction booklet to show where, and how the card should be oriented when inserting it.

This is not a replacement for a high-quality HD camcorder with a nice lens, zoom, and all the fine features. I have one of those, but I don't take it out often, and when I do I turn into a videographer/camera-man. So, bought a Zi6. It is a great product for its size and portability. It's only a little larger than a PDA. I can stick it in my pocket and get hd-quality video anytime. Once you come to terms with its limitations (it's weak in low-light conditions, and its zoom is quite basic), it becomes a great companion. I picked Zi6 over Flip because of its ability to use either rechargeable or AA batteries and because of its expandability via SDHC card. It's great for unobtrusively capturing family videos and all kinds of life's moments. In short, pick this video camera for the same reason you'd pick a small point-and-shoot over an SLR.

Three months ago I held Kodak products in reasonably high regard and I was excited to have purchased my Zi6. As of today, I will never by any Kodak product again. Here's the story...

Early May 2009: Purchase a brand new Zi6 video recorder.

Late May 2009: Take Zi6 on vacation. Upon returning home, I discover that there are several bad (hot) pixels that light up like X-mas lights in the videos I take and are terribly evident in moderate to low-light conditions. Although disappointed, I realize that issues like these can be mapped out in software/firmware and plan to contact Kodak to have it serviced.

Early June 2009: I contact Kodak to provide me software to map out the bad pixels; they indicate that they do not offer end users the ability to map out pixels themselves. I ask the online rep to assign me an RMA number to have the bad pixels mapped out; they indicate that I should go to their main support page and use the automated services there. I go to the automated page and there is no category for bad pixels. I have to contact a rep (again) to request an RMA; finally I am sent the information after some toil.

Early June 2009: I send out the Zi6 for service to one of Kodak's subcontractors. I include the actual pixel location areas in my documentation that went out with the unit (no ambiguity here... I want bad pixels mapped out. Period.)

Late June 2009: I receive my Zi6 back and the service memo indication is that the unit was "calibrated"; I was suspicious as to why it was recalibrated and no mention of pixel remapping. I take the Zi6 on a mini-vacation over a weekend. Upon returning home, I discover that the bad pixels are still there.

Late June/Early July 2009: I contact Kodak again and complain that the unit was not repaired as I wanted; the bad pixels were not remapped. I explicitly request that the service request indicate that I want bad pixels mapped out and the rep writes it up that way. I package up the unit and send it off to the same Kodak service contractor (Precision Camera) in CT with documentation indicating where the bad pixels are located and again emphasize that I want pixel remapping service.

Late July 2009: I receive the unit back a second time and the service memo indicates the was issue and the unit checked out; I cringed that nothing was done again.

Early August 2009: I went on a late summer vacation trip and took the Zi6 along to try taking more videos (oh yeah, I took a spare camera too as my trust in Kodak had already been heading South).

Early/Mid August 2009: I review the vacation video taken with the Zi6 and yes, the bad pixels again had not been repaired by Kodak or its service subcontractor.

Mid August 2009: I contact Kodak one final time and rehash all the trouble they've put me through and the fact that they don't listen to their customers. For three months all I wanted was to have the bad pixels mapped out of the unit and instead got a huge runaround. Kodak's final reply... the unit checked out okay with the service company. (Did I mention they don't listen to their customers?)

Buyer beware if you plan to purchase a Zi6 or any Kodak product based on this experience. My opinion is that they just don't care about their customers, their service repair providers are a joke, and they don't stand behind their own products or warranties.

If you have a functioning Zi6 and enjoy it, then good for you. I'll never buy Kodak again after this waste of time and money.