Yes – it is that time of year again. Retailers suddenly have the urge to sell pink Valentines day gadgets. My daily deal for today takes advantage of the nice discounts on pink stuff.
The Kodak C813 EasyShare digital camera takes photos in 8.2 megapixels, and features a 3X optical zoom, 5X digital zoom and image stabilization.
The camera comes runs off regular AA batteries, but you’ll have to provide your own batteries if you want rechargeables. Included in the box is a wrist strap, USB cable, CD, manual and a set of Alkaline AA batteries.
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.
Did Santa bring what you asked for this year? If not, and you ended up with a reindeer sweater and a gift card to a bankrupt store, then this deal from Bestbuy might be just what the doctor ordered.
The Kodak Easyshare C813 digital camera has a 3X optical zoom, and takes photos in 8 Megapixels. The camera runs off ordinary AA batteries.
As is often the case nowadays, the great price is only available when you buy the camera in pink. Apparently manufacturers make a lot of pink cameras, but fail to realize that not everyone wants to be seen walking down the street with such a bright color.
Included in the box is the camera itself, a USB cable, AA batteries, a wrist strap and a camera insert for Kodak photo printers/docks. There is no memory card in the box, but the camera does come with 10MB of internal memory, enough for about 3 photos, so be sure to purchase a memory card!
Welcome to my product review of the new Kodak Zi6 pocket video camera. This pint sized camcorder is capable of recording video in HD, which translates to a resolution of 720p at a maximum of 60 frames per second.
The Zi6 has a pop-out USB plug, which means you don’t need any cables to transfer your video recordings to your computer. It also has video ports for connecting to a regular TV or an HDTV.
The camera is about the size of a late 90’s mobile phone. On the rear of the camera is a spacious 2.5″ display, 2 buttons and a small joystick for controlling the various features. On the bottom of the Zi6 is a regular screw-thread for using the camera on a tripod or other mount.
On the front is of course the lens, as well as a button for the pop-out USB connector. The Zi6 operates off 2 regular AA batteries, and Kodak have included 2 rechargeable batteries as well as a charger in the box.
On the left side of the camera is the battery compartment, SD slot cover and a slider switch, for putting the lens in macro mode. On the right of the unit is the USB connector and the ports for AV and HD video connections.
Operating the camera couldn’t be easier; you slide the power switch on the top, and in about 2 seconds, you can start recording. Startup, shutdown and record are all accompanied by some funny sound effects. The Zi6 has a fairly limited built in memory, which is only sufficient for about 30 seconds of video, the first thing you will want to do, is purchase an SD memory card. The Zi6 has support for SD and SDHC (high capacity) cards, which means you’ll be able to add fairly large memory cards for very little extra cash (8GB cards can be found for around $30).
When the camera is turned on, you can either instantly start recording, or you can switch the video recording mode. By moving the joystick left or right, you cycle between the 4 different settings; photo, VGA, HD and HD60. Moving the joystick up and down controls the digital zoom. The buttons to the left and right of the joystick are for reviewing and deleting recordings. Included in the box of the Zi6 is the camera itself, a Kodak branded charger with 2 AA batteries (pre-charged!), AV and HD cables, a manual and a CD containing a version of the Arcsoft video editing package.
Now, on to the most important part of the camera; video quality. Let me open immediately by letting you know that the Zi6 will not be replacing a professional grade HD camcorder any time soon.
Recordings in the 2 HD modes are quite decent, but you will immediately notice that every little bump and jitter becomes quite apparent. The camera struggles a little dealing with transitions from light to dark and takes about 4-5 seconds to make the adjustment. My best results were when I used the camera on a small tripod. Audio is sadly quite poor as there is no wind noise cancellation, nor will you find a microphone input jack. Also, don’t expect to use the camera in any kind of low light environment.
I have uploaded an HD recording which should give you a decent idea of what to expect. You’ll see that the quality is not comparable to the kind of HDTV you get from your cable company, but it is certainly better than making a video with your regular digital camera (You’ll need to click on the “HD” button to view it in HD).
Recordings on the Zi6 are made in the H.264 system and can be played back on most powerful computers. Kodak recommend a computer with a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 or higher.
Included with the camera is a version of Arcsoft Media Impression for making some basic edits of the recorded media. This software is PC only, so Mac users are on their own. The software allows you to import all the video clips to your PC, and upload them to Youtube or convert them to a different format.
It is clear to me that Kodak it out to conquer the market, and that they are gunning for Flip, who currently rule the world of pocket camcorders. I’ve used several of these small camcorders in the past, including the Flip, the Sony Net-Sharing cam and the Creative Vado as well as several lesser known Chinese brands, but the Kodak emerges as the clear winner.
There are a couple of shortcomings with the Zi6; The USB plug pops out a little too easy. Often when I grabbed the camera from my pocket, I’d press the front button, making the plug pop out.
The plug also lacks rotation; on my PC I used one of the front mounted USB plugs, which meant I had to plug the camera in upside down. I would have preferred a small USB extension cable or a rotating USB connector.
The low light performance of the camera is quite bad; anything outside or in a bright room will be fine, but don’t expect any usable recordings in a dim room.
Finally in my list of complaints; would it have hurt Kodak to include an SD card? The 128MB memory in the camera is barely enough for 30 seconds of recordings, and with memory prices at an all-time low, even a 2GB card would have been a nice thing to include.
Other than that, it is hard to complain about a good quality camera capable of recording pretty decent HD video for just $179. Between the use of regular AA batteries, the ability to connect to your home (HD) TV, quick startup and extremely easy operation it is clear that Kodak have a very competent little camera here, and I’m sure they’ll be found under many Christmas trees this holiday season (just remember to include a memory card!). The Kodak Zi6 is available in pink and black, and can be purchased directly from the Kodak store.
After spending the past couple of decades surrounded by gadgets, it usually takes a lot to get me excited about an upcoming product. My inbox gets bombarded with product announcements and updates to existing products 100’s of times a week. But there is currently one product “coming soon” that is very high on my “must have” list, and it’s from a pretty unlikely source.
HD video capable? Check. Built in USB connector? Check. Runs off AA batteries? Check. Can be expanded with cheap SD cards? Check. Weighs just 3.8 ounces? Check. Costs less than $180? CHECK!
The Kodak Zi6 is a handheld digital camcorder, much like the highly successful “Flip Camcorder” that made its way to retail stores in the past year. The ZI6 is different though; it can record HD video files. No longer will you have to settle for grainy and stuttering movie clips of your kids first dive into the pool, you’ll be able to film their antics in 720p HD at 60 frames per second.
HD video recording is in its infancy, a “real” HD camcorder still costs around $1000, but Kodak have managed to shave as much off the price of the Zi6 as possible, and it will be retailing for just $179.95. Of course, at this price point, you don’t get a nice optical zoom, and the image quality will be the lowest HD resolution (720p), and not 1080i or 1080p like a high-end camcorder can produce.
The camera should be available within the next month, but Kodak have made it easier to get your hands on it, as soon as it is available thanks to their new pre-order page.
A quick recap of the specifications; the Zi6 can record in wide screen 720p HD at 60 frames per second, it has a 2.4″ LCD screen, an integrated pop-out USB jack, direct-to-Youtube uploads and it can be expanded using SD and SDHC memory cards up to 32GB. The Zi6 has just 128MB of internal memory, so an additional SD card is a must if you plan to record HD video.
The Kodak Zi6 ships with AA rechargeable batteries and recharger, AV and HD video cables (component), a wrist strap, a pouch and a special version of Arcsoft Media Impression, for editing HD video. Hopefully I’ll be able to post a full review as soon as I can get my hands on one.