Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera

Camcorders, Gadgets — By Ricky on May 31, 2009 at 11:56 pm

Planning to celebrate some special memories, then what better way of getting the same recorded to cherish sweet memories at a later stage. When it comes to buying a camcorder there are many options available which could be misleading. You can buy the latest kodak Zx1 HD which is the successor to the Zi6. The x stands for extra small which means it is smaller than the Zi6 in size and 1 resembles the number of units that is packed in a retail box.

The Kodak Zx1-HD may be called as an HD models as it records video in 720p resolution at up to 60 frames per second, which may qualify it as an HD camcorder but they are not par at the actual HD camcorders that are very expensive.There are many factors that go into creating an image, not just a CMOS sensor capable of capturing an image at a certain resolution.
kodak zx1 compact 720p hd video camera Kodak has upgraded the processor in the Zx1 model; however it incorporates the same 1/4.5-inch 1.6-megapixel sensor as the Zi6. The LCD size has been reduced from 2.4 inches to 2 inches. It is quite compact and can fit in any pocket which makes it desirable. The weight of this model is slightly heavier than its older counterpart as it uses AA batteries instead of slim lithium batteries. The battery lasts about 12 hours on a charge – more than enough for a week’s vacation – and because it uses AA’s you can replace them at will however you cannot recharge these batteries like other models which can be charged with a built in USB connector.

This model is available in different shades like black with red highlights, blue, pink, red and yellow shades. It is designed with stainless steel on the back and the rubberized finish on the front, which helps you maintain a good grip on the device. Kodak bundles a wrist strap along with the lightweight carrying pouch.

This petite camcorder is tough which makes it dust, water and ice resistant but it is not waterproof or designed to be operated in extreme colds. Rubberized doors seal, all the ports which makes it possible to shoot in the rains. The optional rubber case provided by Kodak makes it drop resistant.

Like the Zi6 the Zx1 comes with no useful internal memory. Out of the 128mb built in memory, 30mb is allegedly available for video and stills. But roughly at 1.5 megabyte per second for 60fps video or 11 minutes of video per gb of storage, it can accommodate only about 20 seconds. It does not include an SD card in the box either. The Zx1 accepts SDHC card up to 32 gigabytes.

However considering the low cost charged by Kodak the omission of memory card is understandable, but the failure to include a better USB connectivity solution is a big blunder. Like many other competitors Zi6 included a flip-out connector built into the device. However, Zx1 requires a separate USB cable to connect the Zx1 to a computer, with a proprietary Micro-USB variant. The main disadvantage of this scheme is that you need to have a connector around you to get your videos off the camcorder.

The Zx1 is designed in away such that it is easy to use with a little usage you get used to the buttons which are conveniently placed and easy to follow. The buttons are placed under the 2 inch LCD screen with the record button in the center, a four-way directional pad to control its 2X digital zoom and frame-rate options, and four dedicated buttons for deleting clips, starting and stopping playback, and jumping back into recording mode. When you are in a shooting mode by clicking the right arrow or the left arrow key changes the recording modes from HD60 or HD (30fps) to VGA (640×480) to still image capture whereas in the playback mode these buttons correspond to fast forward or reverse mode.

In comparison to the zi6 the Zx1 doesn’t handle extreme close-ups as well as the Zi6 does, but video quality in other areas has actually improved when compared with its pocket able HD sibling. It has been noticed that the Zi6 sometimes cast a bluish hue over white backgrounds, but the Zx1 shot brighter, whiter video when we put it through the same paces. Kodak also seems to have fixed the color-over saturation problem which was seen in the Zi6, but video wasn’t as sharp as the footage and the video also looked darker than most other pocket HD camcorders, even in bright indoor lighting. It performed better in low light than the Zi6; however,footage wasn’t as smooth, and a bit choppier than our best low-light performer.

It was noticed that that when its 2X digital zoom is zoomed out to its widest potential, the Zx1 is also in line with most other pocket camcorders. The Zx1 model offers the same wide-angle lens as the Zi6 and rivals such as the Flip MinoHD, but falls well short of the comparatively super-wide-angle Creative Vado HD.

kodak zxa hd Perhaps the most noticeable difference when compared between the two models of Kodak which does not go down the line is the Zx1’s weak mic. The Zi6 has great mic on board with perfect volume clarity however, the Zx1’s microphone is at the bottom of the pack which could be the reason of trouble in picking up softer sounds.

Kodak has Windows based software in the device which automatically installs when you plug the Zx1’s USB connector into your desktop or laptop PC. Kodak includes ArcSoft MediaImpression, which provides the usual shortcut upload to YouTube, as well as some editing features that let you trim your clips; adjust contrast, color, and brightness; and splice you clips into a cohesive “movie” complete with customized background music and titles. If you own a Mac , you can easily copy four video or images from your computer by dragging and dropping the files from the camcorder as you would with any USB storage device (and upload them to YouTube easily enough) and then edit your video using iMovie.

Overall the Zx1 is a good value at less than $150 which is definitely better thab Zi6 it is actually worthy sub-$200 competitor to HD pocket camcorders such as the Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 as it offers great frame-rate control and expandable-memory options for the price. If you are an active You tuber or just a videographer with a really bad case of the drops, it’s a nice option for your pocket-camcorder needs. If you choose to pick up something with best video quality than you could choose Creative Vado HD or the Flip MinoHD–but both of these devices cost nearly $100 more.