Product Description

Kodak ZI8 Pocket Video Camera black 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.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Black
• Brand: Kodak
• Model: Zi8 Black
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 2.00 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 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

From the Manufacturer
Define yourself in high definition.

It’s 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 you’re 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.

Product Features

• Take full HD 1080p videos wherever you go
• Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in image stabilization
• Premiere your videos in the palm of your hand with the vivid 2.5-inch color LCD
• No cables to worry about–just swing out the USB arm to upload, share and charge
• Get a new perspective–take amazing 5 MP 16:9 widescreen HD still pictures
• Share on Facebook and YouTube with ease–built-in software makes editing and uploading simple
• Compatible with PC and MAC (Use with Apple iLife Suite of products) operating systems
• Compatible with iTunes for syncing with Apple TV, iPhone and iPod Devices
• Plenty of room for more–record up to 10 hours of HD video (Record ~20 min per 1 GB at 720p HD at 30 fps) with the expandable SD/SDHC Card slot that can hold up to 32 GB
• Capture your friends in their best light with smart face tracking technology
• See more details and accurate colors in low light
• Make audio awesome–the external microphone jack lets you record in stereo
• Be ready for the big screen right out of the box with complementary HDMI cable
• Record from a distance or play back on your TV with ease with available remote control
• Grab attention and define your style with the ultra-compact design, stunning looks, and a range of colors

What's in the Box:

• Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera
• KLIC-7004 Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery
• Adapter and cable for battery charging
• HDMI and AV cables
• Wrist strap
• User’s Guide
• ArcSoft MediaImpression Software for Kodak (on-camera)

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Customer Reviews

Best camcorder if you're on a budget and need external mic input
Updated Star Rating: 4 Stars (can anyone tell me how to edit my previous star rating?)

In my previous review of the Kodak Zi8 I was pretty frustrated at the fact that whenever I used the built in microphone the recorded videos had an annoying high pitch whine that made the audio from my videos almost unusable. Kodak recognized that this was an issue and created a firmware update that fixed the problem. It also fixed a few other things like the previous issue of the image getting darker as you zoomed in. They seem to have fixed all of the major problems with this firmware fix.


I do tech product reviews so I need the following things:

- External mic input - most of my videos are shot wearing a lapel mic
- Macro mode - I have to get close to little tiny screens
- SDHC memory - I go to all day trade shows, I need 10+ hours of video
- Power options - I need to be able to shoot while AC power is plugged in or use a large external battery.
- Under $200 - I'm poor.

Because of these requirements no other camcorder can fit my needs. One cool thing about this camera is that it is much more upgradable than the other pocket cameras on the market.


Con:
-The built in microphone is OK now that they fixed the whining noise, but it's still not amazing.

Work-around:
- Don't use the internal mic... I use an Audio Technica lapel mic for 1 person interviews.Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone For events I ordered a Sony stereo mic to use instead of the built in mic. Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone . Although I wish that Kodak made the internal mic better, for the most part I am kind of excited that the Sony stereo mic will give me much better sound than any of the standard internal mics that any of the pocket cams have.



Con:
-Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) sucks a lot of juice. Also the Zi8 uses a proprietary battery rather than cheap swappable AA's. Battery life when shooting non-stop is 1hr 16min in 720p 60fps with EIS on. If you turn off EIS you get about 1hr 41min at 720p 60fps.

Work-around:
- Use the USB to power cable that comes with the camera in conjunction with an external battery source. This is a must if you are going to be recording for more than an hour with EIS, cause that's about what the internal battery will give you. Tekkeon TekCharge Rechargeable Li-Poly Battery You can just stick this battery pack in your pocket and connect the charging cable to the Zi8. This will allow you to record for a super long amount of time. I haven't tested to see what my total record time with the battery pack will be but it should be around 5X the standard recording time. (about 6 hours with EIS on, almost 9 with it off) This gives you the best battery life of almost any camcorder. Sure it's an extra cost, but when you're at an all day trade show you don't have to worry about running out of juice.



Con:
- Image stabilization can't rescue video you shoot while moving around. Any camera motion makes video awful.

Work-round:
- Accept the fact you should probably be using a mini tripod with this camera or at least stand still. Also, although it takes a bunch of time to process if you have the new iMovie the image stabilization processing you can do is light years beyond what the EIS in the Kodak Zi8 can do.


One more important note. Make sure you buy high speed SDHC memory cards for this thing. If your SD card is not fast enough the camera will record for like 2 seconds and then stop with an error. It took me a while to figure out why the camera kept stopping recording when in HD mode but worked fine in SD mode. It was because of my old SD card. You need to make sure your SD card has a write speed of at least 9MB/s if you want to record in 1080p. These high speed cards cost more, but you need them for any camcorder that is going to record HD video to them, it's not just the Zi8. I think most Class 6 high speed SDHC cards should work.

If you want to get the most out of this camera plan on spending an extra $100 - $150 in order to buy upgrade items. Personally I've come to the conclusion that the extra expenses were worth it. It all depends on what you plan on using the camera for. For a typical mom purse cam this would not be my recommendation, I would say go with a Flip Ultra HD. But for someone with particular needs like mine this camera may be the only one that fits the bill.

Significant improvement over zi6
Since I already own a Kodak zi6, I will restrict my review to comparison between Kodak zi8 and zi6. Overall, I feel that zi8 is a significant improvement over the previous model. The video quality is definitely better than zi6 in all conditions, whether outside in bright sunlight or indoors in low light. The firmware is superior giving a more user friendly interface and buttons layout is much nicer. Unlike zi6 where setting menus was hidden, this time you get direct access to settings including controlling the screen brightness, altering mic sensitivity, turning image stabilization on/off and enabling/disabling face recognition.

I think this is a great video camcorder at a great price. Go for it!

------------- update: Sep 24 2009 --------------

Upgraded to the latest firmware 1.03, and this eliminated the background noise in my recordings completely! Wow. Thanks Kodak for listening to costumers and quickly fixing the mic bug.

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Not the perfect cam: shaky video and random high-pitched sound with in-cam mic
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R236M6ZCFWTKMC It's surprising how practically none of the reviews (CNET, WIRED, etc.) talk about the high-frequency sound/whine when using the in-camera microphone. (One I saw used a Sennheiser mic-in, and when they unplugged the mic, you could hear the noise...) I feel like Superman when Lex Luthor sent that high-frequency message which only he and dogs could hears. I can't reproduce it reliably, and tested in quiet spaces and with different recording quality settings. It occurs in about 1/2 of my clips. I used a Radio Shack 33-3013 with it, and that sounds great. See the video review: 1st section is with the lapel mic (very visible), 2nd section is with the lapel mic, held next to the camera, 3rd section is with the built-in mic. I downsized the video, but the audio is 48KHz/16-bit.

I wanted a cam with a decent mic so I wouldn't have to carry two things with me. I wonder if other reviewers listened to their footage in loud offices and couldn't hear it. Or this one is faulty.

I also miss the wide-angle lens of the Creative Vado HD. I failed to find real numbers on the focal length, so I can only say the Vado is "much" wider. Macro mode, however, is lots of fun. (Check out Vimeo for a post on how to use magnetic wide-angle and macro lenses with a VadoHD...)

I really wanted to love this camera, but I can't. The image stabilization may help with fast pans, but walking-footage looks pretty bad. If the sound can be fixed, or even attributed to certain situations/settings, it'd be much more usable. If someone else knows what's up, please comment.

My perfect cam would be the Vado HD with its wide lens, add mic-in and interchangeable memory. I could replicate macro with little add-on, homegrown lenses. The VadoHD is smaller, and the non-shiny surfaces doesn't look finger-printy.

Pros: interchangeable memory (I like to keep the camera rolling), macro mode
Cons: high-pitched whine with in-cam mic, narrower lens, footage looks much shakier than the Vado HD