Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera – improved version of the previous Zi6

Sum and Substance:

Thumbs Up:

Rugged body, attractive looks, capable of 720p video capture, good video, has a expansion slot for memory cards, runs on AA sized batteries, faster performance than previous Zi6.

Thumbs Down:

Kodak doesn’t give a bundled memory card, software isn’t compatible with MAC, batteries cannot be charged through USB connector.

Inside the Trunk:

Carrying pouch and wrist strap.  ArcSoft MediaImpression, utilities and drivers.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera is a 720p camcorder, wit 2x digital zoom, optical sensor size is 1/4.5”, videos are stored in H.264 format. Camcorder sensor resolution is 1.6 megapixels, interpolated still resolution is 3 mega pixels, images are stored in JPEG format. The camcorder has 128 MB built in memory. Lens of the device is 4.1 mm – F/2.8 with focal length is 4.1 mm, lens aperture is F/2.8, max focal length is 4.1 mm, minimum focal length is 27.6 inch.

Additional features include USB 2.0 compatiblity, YouTube capture mode, Built-in speaker, Weatherproof. The display of the device is 2 inches big. Connectors on the camcorder are DC power input, composite video/audio output, HDMI and USB. The Zx1 is powered by 2 AA sized NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Supported operating systems  are Apple Mac OS X 10.4 or later, MS Windows XP SP2 and MS Windows Vista. The device come with a 1 year warranty.

Razzle Dazzle:

Being a mini camcorder, we thought that the Zx1 was bigger for its class. But still it is compact and will easily fit in pockets. The device weighs 5.3 ounces and it is because the presence of two AA sized batteries. The mini-camcorder is available in color options of yellow, red, pink and blue. The exterior feels good to touch with the brushed metal body and the rubber finish on the front. The rubber also lets you get a good grip on the camcorder.

Inside Dope:

This camcorder from Kodak is the successor to the Zi6 which was also a HD minicamcorder. It had a fairly big LCD screen and a decent video quality. Zx1 follows on the same footsteps but this camera has a rugged exterior and it can stand rough use.

Though billed as an HD camcorder, the Zx1 cannot take full HD 1080p resolution videos and all you get is 720p. That said; don’t expect the quality to be anywhere near full-fledged camcorders.

Just like the Zi6, the Zxi has the same 1/4.5-inch 1.6-megapixel sensor. Kodak told us that the processor has been upgraded in this model which gives a faster performance. The size of the LCD has been reduced from 2.4 inches in Zi6 to 2 inches in this one.

The Zx1 is powered by 2 AA sized batteries which add to the weight of the mini-camcorder. Kodak bundles rechargeable NiMH batteries and a charger in the package. You cannot charge the battery from the USB cord, you will have to put them in a charger and plug it in to the wall unit. There is also an option for lithium ion battery, the KLIC-8000.

The body of the Zx1 is rugged and though it is resistant to water, ice and dust, it is not waterproof and you are advised not to operate the unit in extreme cold. The mini-camcorder can take light rain with the rubber seals over all the ports. There is an optional protective case for the unit which increases its resistance.

The Zi6 has 128 MB of internal memory of which only 30 MB is available for storing your stills and videos. It can store 20 seconds of videos with the 1.5Mbps recording rate at 60 fps (11 minutes of video occupies a gig of memory) Kodak doesn’t include a memory card and the device supports 32 MB of SDHC cards.

One thing which really disappointed us was the lack of a USB port. Kodak gives a proprietary port along with an adapter for connecting the unit to the computer. Zi6 had a flip out USB connector so we don’t know why Kodak didn’t give us one in this device.

Mini camcorders like these are known to have fewer buttons and an easy to use interface. This is because such devices are made for newbies and they would get turned off if operating the device gets complicated. This minicamcorder also has less buttons but the buttons are not easy and will take some acclimation. The same buttons do two different things in different mode. For example, in recording mode, pressing the left or right buttons will change the recording mode but in playback mode, these keys relate to reverse/fast forward.

Kodak Zx1 has a 2 inch display screen and the sound gets loud enough but you will have to push it to the limit for this.

The video quality isn’t as good as full sized camcorders but it certainly is nice for its class. Videos sound a bit noisier than what we had on Flip Video MinoHD, especially in condition of low light. If you are viewing videos on a computer, we will recommend you to play the videos in a small screen. Full screen videos look pixelated. For connecting the device to a HDTV, Kodak gives you a HDMI cable and there is also a composite video cable for small TV sets.

The Zx1 had good color representation and low light performance, though not as good as Flip MinoHD, was acceptable. The autofocus and the exposure adjustment is a lot faster owing to the speedy processor. However, if you want rock-solid videos, you will have to get a tripod. The bottom of the device has a threaded mount for this.

For best quality videos from the mini-camcorder, use the HD60 setting, where in 60 refers to the fps rate. The more economical modes are useful if you are low on memory or if you want the videos for putting on sites like YouTube.

Kodak has a software built in which automatically gets installed when you plug the unit in to a computer. ArcSoft MediaImpression lets you upload videos directly to YouTube and gives some features for editing like brightness, color and contrast adjustment. There is a ‘movie’ mode where in you can put a background audio track for the video and also give the clip a title. The software cannot be used for Mac, so if you own an Apple’s computer you will have to follow the usual drag and drop system and then use iMovie for editing.

Nitty Gritty:

Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera has improved from the previous Zi6 and with the $150 price tag, we think it is a good buy. However, we would have liked if the video quality was improved a bit and Kodak should have provided a USB port on the device.