Kodak Zi6 – runs on AA NiMH batteries
Thumbs Up:
Large LCD display; good 720p HD video quality; SD card slot; supplying of video cables, carrying case and Alkaline batteries.
Thumbs Down:
Less internal memory and no SD card supplied with Kodak Zi6; inbuilt software not compatible with Mac; and cannot recharge the batteries via USB connector.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
Kodak Zi6 is a 720p HD camcorder that has 1/4.5” sized 1.6-megapixel CMOS optical sensor. It has 128MB internal memory and one expansion slot that supports SD cards up to 32GB. The Zi6 has digital photo shooting mode, widescreen video capture, inbuilt flash and automatic white balance. The flash modes are Close-up and Normal. 2.4-inch LCD display works as a viewfinder.
Lens of Kodak Zi6 has a focal length of 4.1-4.1mm with an aperture of F/2.8 that offers 2x optical zoom. The minimum focus range if 27.6 inch and macro is 5 cm. It has automatic zoom adjustment.
The camcorder interpolated still resolution is 3-megapixel. The still image format is JPEG and video capture format is H.264 and MPEG. The additional features of Kodak Zi6 are inbuilt stereo microphone, voice recorder, USB 2.0 compatibility, onboard USB connector and YouTube capture mode.
Kodak Zi6 has inbuilt ArcSoft MediaImpression software that only supported for Windows operating system. In addition, the camcorder works as USB mass storage device on Mac operating system.
Supported operating system includes Microsoft Windows XP SP2/Vista and Apple Mac OS X 10.4 or later. The system requirements is CD-ROM, XGA monitor, USB port, minimum 1GB RAM and minimum 300MB free hard disk space.
Kodak Zi6 has three connectors including 1×composite audio/video output, 1×component video output and 1×USB. The Zi6 uses two AA NiMH rechargeable batteries. Accessories supplied inside the package are threaded mount, Alkaline battery charger, video cables, batteries, hand-strap and neoprene carrying case. Kodak is providing one-year limited warranty with the Zi6 camcorder.
Razzle Dazzle:
Kodak Zi6 is 4.5 inches tall, 2.5 inches wide and 0.9 inch deep and it weighs around 5.6 ounces. The Zi6 easily hits in pant pockets.
Inside Dope:
Kodak Zi6 is an inexpensive high-definition camcorder that does not provide good user experience. We agree that it shoots the video at 1280×720 pixels of 720p HD resolution at both speeds of 60fps and 30fps. However, its HD video quality does not match the quality from standard HD camcorder of competitors such as Creative, RCA and Flip Video. Moreover, the Zi6 has bigger size than other models from Flip Video in the same price range.
Kodak Zi6 has 2.4-inch LCD display and inbuilt microphone. The display is sharp and mic is very sensitive. The Zi6 has two AA nickel metal’s batteries, instead of a standard removable lithium ion battery. It also ships with a charger for charging these batteries. The camcorder has onboard USB connector that flip opens on pressing a button. You have to remove the batteries for charging. On the downside, you cannot charge the Zi6 through USB connection like Creative Vado and the Mino. We are surprised that these batteries have increased the size of the Zi6 and the company does not use small sized lithium ion battery to decrease the size.
Kodak Zi6 has new switch to toggle between macro mode and standard mode. It also has a slot for SD cards up to 32GB. It has internal 128MB memory and out of which only 30MB is user-accessible. You can capture 36 seconds video of HD quality at 60fps for this 30MB. The manufacturer is not supplying any SD card inside the package.
Like other mini-camcorders, Kodak Zi6 is user-friendly and easy to use. We have little issues about the design. The joystick button sits between the playback/video button and delete/stop button. It will be confusing for some people when same button has been assigned with two different functions. Moreover, there is not enough space between joystick and buttons, so there are chances of mispresses. It is annoying that you have to keep the Zi6 powered on at the batteries even at the time of USB connection. You will also not get any options at the Zi6 camera to format the memory card and to delete multiple or all the items at a time. The company expects that the users can do the file management through computer.
You can use the joystick to select different settings of HD, VGA and still image capture in video recording mode. The VGA setting is very useful for limited storage space or compressed size videos meant for Web and email distributions.
Kodak Zi6 has four speeds of fast forward and rewind. You can also rewind the video footage in frame by frame speed. We appreciate that Kodak has inbuilt ArSoft Media Impression software that installs automatically on USB connection to your computer. However, this inbuilt software supports Windows operating system only. You will get a shortcut for uploading the videos at YouTube and various photo editing options such as brightness, color, contrast and photo trimming. You can also slice your video clips into cohesive mode and customize them with a title and background music. The software is not compatible to Mac, but still the Z6 camcorder will work as USB mass storage device on connecting it to a Mac computer. You can drag and drop the files of recorded videos and still captures at the Mac machine and then use iMovie like software to edit them.
Kodak Zi6 has more resolution options than Flip Ultra and Mino models. However, there is visible less sharpness and image noise. The video also looks soft. It looks blown out and loosing detail on a comparative large view. In bright light, the video quality is sharp, but still shows noise in low light. Still, the video is usable for small size view.
Kodak Zi6 offers accurate exposure and colors, but still has slow performance. It does not adjust quickly from bright light to dim light and the auto-focus is sluggish. When you move the camcorder, then the objects always tend to move in and out of the focus. We recommend you to keep the camcorder still for better video quality.
When you purchase a micro-SD card for additional storage, the total price matches the cost of Aiptek Go-HD, which is one of the best camcorders. The video quality is only good to match the quality of Flip Video Ultra and Mino. The Zi6 offers big LCD display, SD card slot and ability to use AA batteries in an affordable price.
Nitty Gritty:
Kodak Zi6 has large size and is overpriced as compared to its competitors. It has appealing design and good video quality. If you do not mind the cost and Alkaline battery, then you can think of buying Kodak Zi6. However, we will recommend you to check other camcorders in the same price range that can offer you better features and excellent performance.
