My daily deal for today is for a camera I reviewed last year – the Kodak Zi6 is a pocket handheld HD camcorder.
This camera can record video at 720p, and 60 frames per second, which equals “real HD”. The device has 128MB of built in memory, and an SD(HC) card slot, so you will have to invest a little more in a memory card if you plan to record more than a few minutes of content.
The camera runs off AA batteries, and a charger with 2 AA’s is included. To transfer the video off the Zi6, you simply flip the integrated USB connector out the side, and plug it into your PC. The included software allows for easy transfers to Youtube.
The Kodak Zi6 normally retails for $179, but if you live with a refurbished model, you can pick one up for just $99. Shipping is a pretty outrageous $10.
If you don’t want the gamble of a refurbished version, you can pick up a new Zi6 at Amazon for $151, which comes with free shipping.
Check out these other cool gadgets we recently reviewed!
The Vado HD is one of a long lineup of pocket camcorders that has recently hit the market. Last year I reviewed one of the first pocket HD camcorders; the Kodak Zi6. Since then, several other manufacturers have released their own product.
Creative is no a newcomer to the consumer electronics market – they have been making audio and video products for ages, and I still have happy memories of owning my first Sound Blaster audio card back in 1989.
As far as camcorders go, the Vado HD is tiny – at just 3.9″ x 2.2″ at just 0.6″ thick and 190 grams, it is one of the smallest on the market. On the front of the camera is a small protruding lens, and on the rear is where you’ll find its 2″ display, D-Pad control and play/delete buttons. On the side of the Vado HD is an audio/video jack and a mini-HDMI connector hidden behind a plastic dust cover.
On the bottom of the camera is a regular tripod screw port and a flip-out USB connector.
The Vado HD is powered by an internal rechargeable battery pack, rated for up to 6 hours of video recording.
Inside the camera is 8GB of storage space, which is sufficient for about 2 hours of HD+ recordings. The memory is not expandable, so you will need to move clips to your computer when you are in need of more space.
As far as recording quality goes, the Vado HD is quite simply stunning. I’ve used several of these little cameras in the past, but none really produced anything I’d consider worthy of replacing a “real” camcorder. The Vado HD does 3 things I’ve not seen from any other camera in this class:
Audio is impressive
Low light recordings are actually usable
Video quality really looks “high definition”
Audio is actually better than impressive – even when I used the camera in a really tough location (a large stadium with a dolphin show), it picked up all the noises brilliantly. As far as recording in low light goes – it still won’t be a replacement for a camera with night vision, but in a room with just a couple of regular lamps I was able to make a very decent recording.
The camera records video in 720p with the H.264 video codec format. When set to its highest quality setting, you’ll be able to record up to 2 hours in “HD+ and 4 hours in the regular HD format. When set to VGA (low quality), the camera can record up to 8 hours. Zoom is provided through a 2x digital zoom, which I don’t really recommend as it lowers the quality of the clips.
I’ve made several video clips showing the recording quality, and I’m sure you’ll agree that this is quite acceptable for a $230 HD video camera. I’ve seen worse from a $600 DV (non HD) camera.
As you can see – video quality is actually very good, not “professional HD camera” good, but certainly good enough for your vacation video clips.
The Vado HD retail package makes the camera even better. Creative include a Mini HDMI cable and a silicone case as well as a USB extension cable.
The camera charges using USB, so no additional charger is required, though they do sell extra batteries and chargers if you feel you may need some more juice on the road.
Once you have made your recordings, you have several ways to watch them. The first, and easiest is to plug the camera into your TV using the included HDMI cable. Playback over HDMI is of course in HD, and you only need a single cable for video and audio. The second option is what you’ll want to use to archive and edit all your video clips – using your PC.
The first time you plug the Vado HD into your computer, it installs Vado Central, a simple video viewing application. From within Vado Central, you can instantly upload your clips to Youtube, Photobucket or Box.
The best part about Vado Central is that you do not need to install anything on your PC – which means you should be able to use it at the local Internet Cafe, airport lounge PC or restrictive work laptop. Vado Central also has the ability to grab captures of video files and turn them into photos, as the camera itself does not feature still imaging.
If viewing and uploading is not enough, you can also install a basic video editing suite, which allows you to make quick but fairly creative videos in a matter of minutes. The application offers a couple of video effects and the ability to add some background music, but it is not as flexible as a full video editing package. Naturually you can also import and edit the clips in any third party video editing package capable of working with H.264 video files.
The Creative Vado HD costs $229 and is available directly from Creative.com or your favorite electronics retailer.
My daily deal for today is for the Creative Labs Vado HD Pocket Video Camera.
This pocket HD camera shoots in 720p, which results in a resolution of 1280×720, making for very decent HD video clips. Included in the box is a silicone cover, HDMI cable and rechargeable battery.
The camera charges using the built in flip-out USB connector. Controlling the camera is extremely easy, you simply turn it on, and start shooting. You can then view your recordings on an HDMI equipped TV, or on your PC when you transfer them using the included software. Once on your PC, you can also upload the clips to a variety of video sites.
I’ve got a Vado HD in front of me, and will be posting a full review next week, but I can already reveal that it is an extremely impressive little shooter, and produces surprisingly crisp clips with superb audio. The rechargeable battery and included case and cable make it a great bargain.
The camera has 8GB of built in storage, so you do not need to invest in additional memory.
Back in September, Gadling had one of the first real reviews of the (then) new Kodak Zi6 pocket HD Camcorder. Of course, as we entered a new year, new technology suddenly becomes old technology, and companies work as hard as they can to introduce upgrades to otherwise perfectly usable tech.
The new Kodak Zx1 has the same basic specifications of the Zi6, but adds some features that make it worth taking a second look at. For starters, the camera will include an HDMI cable, as well as a set of pre-charged batteries.
The most important upgrade though, is in the enclosure, and allows you to take the camera on your next adventure. The Zx1 is weather resistant, and should be able to cope with a bit of dirt, dust and water without turning into an expensive but cute paper weight.
The Zx1 will be available in April for $149.95 and comes in black, red, blue, pink and yellow. Optional accessories include a remote control (cool!), memory cards, a handlebar/helmet mount, and of course a lineup of batteries and memory cards.
My daily deal for today is for the highly rated Canon HV20 HD camcorder. This high definition recorder shoots video in true 1080 widescreen format, directly to regular (cheap) miniDV tapes.
The camera normally retails for around $720, but if you can deal with a refurbished version, it could be yours for just $539.99+$5 for shipping.
Refurbished products have been sent back to the manufacturer (for any number of reasons), and have been returned to their “as new” condition. One word of warning about refurbished products though – even though many credit cards offer additional warranty on purchases, this warranty usually does not apply when the product was refurbished. The HV20 comes with a limited 90 day warranty.
Included in this package is the camera itself, a battery pack, AC charger, remote control, HD video cable and of course the user manual.
The Canon HV20 HD camcorder is on sale through the Woot spinoff “Woot Sellout”. To get to the sales page, you will have to enter through shopping.yahoo.com, then right in the middle of the screen you will see the Canon HV20. By clicking on that, you will be taken to sellout.woot.com. You HAVE to go through the Yahoo page to get to the deal. As always with Woot! deals, once it is sold out, the deal is gone. At the moment, this camera is still in stock, but there is no telling how long that will last.