BOTTOM LINE -
4.5 StarsThe Kodak Zi6 is the best lightweight, versatile, portable HD video device on the market. It is well suited for an on the move, simplicity-minded individual.
With a baby girl due this month I started looking for a digital video camcorder awhile back that could fit in my pocket and could be up and recording in seconds - just in case there was a quick smile or funny moment.
SPECS (sure, you can get it off the product website, but here’s a quick look ordered in importance to me)
HD60: 720p at 60 fps—16:9, HD: 720p at 30 fps—16:9 (default), VGA
Large 2.4 in. LCD
128 MB internal memory with SD/SDHC card expansion slot up to 32GB
2x AA batteries (Ni-MH recommended)
USB 2.0 (high speed); component output; AV output
2.5 × 4.5 × 0.9” in dimension
Weighs 3.8oz without batteries (add 2 oz for rechargeable and 1oz for lithium AAs)
2X digital zoom
Normal and close-up focus
Auto white balance
Still JPEG Picture 3MP
Speaker and Microphone
1/4” tripod mount
THINGS TO NOTE FOR THE DIGITAL LAYMAN – GETTING STARTED1st of all it is important to note that there are still those of us that do not synch and recharge all our cameras/PDA/iPhones/digital devices every night when we return home. The digital layman (myself included) should already lean towards the Zi6 because the user can record video over several days without changing the batteries or having to download the video onto the web or hard drive.
You download your Zi6 videos using a retractable USB 2.0 arm. The first recommendation I have for a user is to get a USB extension cable. I do not feel comfortable plugging the Zi6 into my computer where the Zi6’s weight is being held up only by the USB arm. A USB extension cable will allow you to lay your Zi6 on a flat surface every time. Lately, I’ve just been removing my SDHC card and plugging the card into my laptop instead.
Because the Zi6 uses 2 AA batteries, you don’t need to plug the Zi6 into your computer because you don’t have to recharge an internal battery. If you never use your internal memory, you’ll never have to plug the Zi6 in at all. FYI, plugging your Zi6 into your USB drive will not recharge Ni-MH batteries. The AA batteries were the main selling point for me as I do not plan on taking a computer on vacations or always finding a computer to recharge my pocket camcorder at a friend’s or relative’s home.
You might want to pick up a tripod for your camcorder as well. I picked out the flexible
Joby Gorillapod Original.
MEMORYThe Zi6 comes with 128 MB internal memory and most of that is reserved for its editing software. Only 30 MB is actual memory you can use. Kodak does not provide you with an SD/SDHC card, so I purchased an 8GB card for under $20 from the same site I purchased the camcorder. At the highest quality of recording you’ll burn less than 1MB per second (30 MB for 35 seconds) so my 8GB card will record just over 2 1/2 hours of HD 720p.
OPERATION Now that you’ve got your memory card and perhaps your USB extension cable, let’s get started.
The Zi6 quickly turns on and is ready to record in default HD mode within a second or two. You cannot change the default setting, but you can scroll to the other video resolution or JPEG still mode using the joystick device. If you want to record right away just depress the joystick and you’re making a movie right after a little chirp. Depress the joystick to stop recording. There is no red light to let other know you’re recording, but the chirp will warn of your intentions.
If you want to review your movie after recording, you can press a pinky-sized button to the right of the joystick and watch your videos. There are 4 fast-forward and rewind speeds so you can quickly review what you captured. The speaker is adequate for personal review but not for large group viewings. If you want to delete your movie, you press the button to the left of the joystick and confirm the delete. You can only delete one file at a time. The only way to delete mass files is by using the included PC software or using your file manager on your computer.
You can be up and recording within minutes of receiving your Zi6 as the batteries included (with charger) are charged. If you can use a point and shoot camera, you can use the Zi6 with the same level of confidence.
HOW TO TRANSFER/UPLOADThe Zi6 comes with ArcSoft MediaImpressions (PC only). Using this software you can upload from the camcorder or the storage card to folders of your choosing. After the upload you’ll be prompted to erase the copied videos to free up space on your Zi6.
With a Mac, you’re going to have to just drag and drop your videos to your computer.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR VIDEO?The PC software gives you just enough bells and whistles to make small adjustments to contrast, color, and brightness. You can make very simple movies with music, title screens, and different transitions from clip to clip. There is no music editing, however, so you’ll have to just let the video play along with whatever song(s) you choose. The software is adequate, but you’re not going to wow Hollywood anytime soon with what you might make.
If you take a long video and want to edit it, you can cut one section at a time and save these cuts as smaller movies. With these cut sections, you’ll be able to make a final, edited masterpiece.
The Zi6 records MOVs, so for those of you wanting another format, you’ll have to use the Media converter where you can send your movies to connected Apple, Sony, and Kodak devices. You can choose between MPEG 4 and MP4s. To get a WMV movie, you’ll need to email it to yourself. I use this feature the most as emailing it converts my MOV to WMV and lets me reduce the size of the video so I can email videos around 1MB in size for about 20 seconds. You can choose your video quality and video size. For example, a 25MB MOV can be reduced to 1.2MB at 320x240 and low-medium quality.
If you want to pull out a still pictures from a movie, there is an option to grab a frame and save it. The resolution is 1280x720 and saves only at a ~170KB size. If you want to take stills, I would suggest using a digital camera.
There is also a feature that lets you upload directly to YouTube. Most pocket movie devices have this feature as the demand to publicly share video continues to grow.
If you want to just watch your movies on a HD or regular television, you can use the included HD or AV cables.
IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE Zi6?Other than some desire to be able to plug your camcorder in and recharge the batteries while you upload all captured images, the Zi6 does not have too many faults.
The software that comes with the Zi6 is free and performs like free software. If you want to make great movies, perhaps you should look at better software.
If you do not have a steady hand, you’ll need to practice capturing you movies with your elbow tucked or by using both your hands. Quick movements with the camcorder will result in a jerky movie. If indoors the quick movement might result in a delay for the white balance. I guess what I’m saying is you might have to set up a tripod for your Twister games.
Unlike a camera where the lens closes or you have a cover, the Zi6's screen and lens remain exposed. I have a tendency to watch the movie playback and then leave fingerprints on the lens. Also, you have to be careful where you lay the Zi6 down.
CONCLUSIONI’ve been using this camcorder for a little over a month and I’m very pleased with the Zi6’s ability to capture my baby girl’s once in a lifetime moments that a still image just cannot recreate.
I’ve shot over 4GB of movies and the included batteries are not even 1/2 empty.
The software is just what I need right now to share images with my friends and family. Later down the road I might invest in better software when I have more video to fill a DVD. I might then worry about fancy intros and music clips.
I ended up getting a Joby gorillapod tripod that fits the standard tripod mount so I can be in more of the movies in different environments.
The camcorder cost me $130 online (free S/H), the 8GB card ran ~$17, and the
Joby Gorillapod tripod cost ~$20.
For the captured memories – I hate to sound like a credit card commercial – but the movies are priceless.
