Kodak Zx1 – High Definition Pocket Video Camera – Black
Posted by Notcot on Mar 27, 2010 in Photography |
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The Kodak ZX1 is a continuation of Kodak’s line of HD handicams. It is capable of taking excellent quality HD video in 720p. There are a large range of these sorts of cameras on the market now, with the Kodak and the Flip MinoHD being the market leaders, I would say. I have used both, and shall compare their relative merits.
1. Quality of image
This is the one everyone will really care about. The new Kodak ZX1 does make a noticeable improvement over its Kodak predecessor, particularly in low light. Previous Kodak USB cameras were virtually unwatchable in anything less than full daylight. The ZX1 performs well in overcast conditions, and is watchable indoors, though there is a noticeable increase in noise. However, the Flip MinoHD wildly outperforms it, with far more detail, less noise and less streaking. In daylight, I’d say the Mino HD still has the slight edge, but the differences are less prominent.
2. Quality of Sound
Again, the Flip MinoHD is head and shoulders above the ZX1 in terms of sound quality captured. The ZX1 is still no slouch, and sound reproduction is perfectly adequate and useable for a camera of this size and for the intended market. But its microphone shows little regard for distant sources, and the person holding the camera can sound a little over-loud and distorted. The MinoHD doesn’t have these problems, with distant and near sounds being captured smoothly.
3. Looks and usability
This is more of a case of personal taste. The MinoHD is smaller (about the size of a Nokia 6300, though a bit thicker) and probably slightly simpler, with a big red button for recording. It is also square on the bottom, which seems irrelevant, until you come to try and stand the ZX1 on a table top and you realise it will just fall over! The ZX1 has a slick brushed steel front, with sexy touch-sensitive buttons. It also comes in a range of great colours – I have the red, but actually think the yellow looks the best. However, the MinoHD’s menus are more intuitive and quicker to navigate.
4. Features
The ZX1 features the ability to take still pictures, which is actually incredibly useful. Why the guys at Flip didn’t think to do this is unknown, but it creates a massive weakness compared to their rival. Who wants to bother taking two cameras with them? Sometimes you’ll see something that doesn’t warrant a video, but would make a great still. Also the Kodak allows you to change the level of fidelity, meaning you can save on memory by recording on lower resolutions. Even better, it allows/requires the use of an SD card, which means you have virtually limitless memory. And it uses rechargeable batteries which are shipped with it, along with a charger! The Flip doesn’t do any of this. The ZX1 wins this hands down.
The ZX1 is a great camera in its own right, but the MinoHD does edge it out in terms of performance and function, and would be the obvious choice if it wasn’t for the lack of features. Its a tough choice, and really depends on what you intend to use the camera for. For long trips away from your PC, the ZX1 is the camera for you. If you are staying closer to home though, the Flip might be the better choice.
Rating: 4 / 5
As I am lucky enough to own a Flip Mino HD, the obvious thing is to compare the two but to be honest, there are so many differences in what are essentially similar products, this is difficult so I’ll concentrate on the job in hand which is to review the ZX1. However, where differences occur, I will point them out because which you go for is a matter of personal preference.
First of all, the most important thing is the quality of the image and sound. Picture quality is excellent for the price. Sound is OK but nothing to write home about. The lack of optical zoom is disappointing. The digital zoom is only 2x but isn’t as blurry as some SD equivalent cameras (at least in HD mode). It is a bit jerky when you zoom in and out though. The viewing screen on the camera is a reasonable size and clear (and bigger than that on the Flip).
A nice touch is that there are four modes of use, Standard Definition, HD at 30FPS, HD at 60FPS and still pictures. Obviously, the higher definitions use more memory so you won’t get as much film on your memory card. I found it difficult to take still pictures without camera shake due to the shape of the camera, which is designed for taking movies, not stills.
The ZX1 is fairly bulky, especially compared to the Flip Mino, and is more difficult to keep in your pocket. You do get a nice carry case with it so you can slip it on your wrist.
Two main differences between the ZX1 and the Flip (in order for people to make the choice depending on their preferences). Firstly, whereas the flip has a built in battery, the ZX1 uses 2 AA batteries. Useful if you want to take some spares (which you will probably need to do). However, you do get two Kodak rechargeable batteries AND a charger included. Battery life is reasonable but a couple of spare rechargeables will most likely be a lot cheaper than buying disposable batteries.
Secondly, whereas the Flip has internal 4Gb memory, the ZX1 uses SD cards. There is no SD card included so you will need to factor this into the price. However, with ever increasing sizes of SD cards being available, this could be more useful if you are planning to take a lot of film before you can get to a computer to store it.
You do get a very good set of accessories though. As well as the aforementioned batteries and charger, there are all the leads you need to connect to the TV and computer including an HDMI cable. I’m well impressed with this as you don’t usually get one of these included even with an expensive Blu Ray player. A spare battery compartment cover is also included which is nice as you will be changing batteries on a regular basis and it might get worn.
Overall then a very good camera for the price. Simple to use and good quality clips. if you want professional results, spend more and get a camcorder with optical zoom and all the bells and whistles. However, if you want something for your holiday clips that’s very straightforward to use, you can’t go far wrong with this.
Rating: 5 / 5
Received this camera on Saturday, after reading lots of reviews on the net, and watching some sample clips the camera has made on YouTube and Vimeo.
And it’s fantastic!
I thought the sample clips were of great quality, but those had been compressed by YouTube/Vimeo – the actual recordings you can make with this camera are much, much better! Even on the second highest setting (which is waht I use), 720p at 30 frames a second, the quality is top-notch – your videos will be razor-sharp, and, with the HDMI out (and included HDMI cable), the videos look absolutely fantastic on our 720p HDTV.
It’s dead small, like a mobile, and rugged too – have already taken it to the beach for a test run, no probs at all.
I would say that if you’re looking for an HD camera, and don’t want to carry around a bulkier, more expensive model, you’d do no better than getting the ZX1 (the fact it takes SDHC memory is great as well, much better than other brands who have a set internal memory – as, once that’s filled, that’s it – with this camera you can just carry more SDHC cards, and away you go. Also, as it uses AA batteries instead of a propriety battery, it’s always easy to find batteries on the go…)
Rating: 5 / 5
When I first opened the box I was a little scepticle of the results that such a small unit (no bigger than a mobile phone) could deliver but I was pleased to be proved wrong – and how so ! !
Getting the basics out of the way; inside the box you’ll find the camera itself, a spare battery cover, wrist strap, 2 pre-charged AA batteries, charger, USB lead, HDMI lead and quick start manuals. The more in-depth instruction manual can be view or downloaded from the Kodak website.
I would suggest you install a SDHC memory card into the unit before recording as the inbuilt memory will only provide enough storage for 10 seconds of video.
THE CAMERA itself is a breeze to use, extremely under complicated and mastered within minutes. The zoom is pretty weak – so don’t expect the same performance from this as you would from a higher end HD camcorder – as this doesn’t pretend to be in that league. There are side ports for mains input, USB and HDMI connectors.
THE RESULTS were astonishingly good. I set the camera to record at its highest quality setting which is 60 frames per second in HD. My first video was simply walking around my garden following the dog around. I connected the camera to my Panasonic 42″ directly through one of the HDMI inputs and pressed play…… I was astounded ! ! The results were clear, rich and very lush High Definition images and the sound was as acceptable as any other camcorder I’ve used….. I watched the results with a totally unexpected smile on my face created from the “wow” factor I was viewing from this now incredible little unit.
Don’t get me wrong – as stated, this won’t replace the £500+ models which come loaded with whistles and bells but what it will do is give you a perfectly acceptable way to record good quality HD videos at an extremely reasonable price. My only concern is that the camera is so small and light that it’s prone to pick up the slightest movement in your hand – but I’d suggest a mini tripod to counteract this – which can be fitted to the underside of the unit.
All I can say is try it – and come away smiling ! !
A wonderful little camera that won’t disappoint.
Rating: 5 / 5
The ZX-1 is an HD handheld camcorder from Kodak which is focused on simplicity and accesability. And in those traits it does very well.
For the record, I am not very experienced with cameras and video camcorders. The Zx-1 then, was a good entry level device to get me more interested in filming – which it has done. Straight out the box, it contains everything you need to get started except a memory card. The camera does have internal memory, but it’s minimal.
I was impressed with the number of different connector cables in the box including an HDMI cable and also the rechargable batteries complete with charger. Personally I think that having AA batteries instead of an internal one is quite beneficial and suits the camera very well – and to have the required equipment included is a very welcome bonus.
The camera itself is reasonably chunky.. maybe twice the thickness of my previous phone. It does feel well built though and seems to be splashproof and relatively shockproof. The screen is okay but does feel quite low quality.
Recording is a matter of pressing record and once again to stop. There is a lackluster zoom function and no other options on the handset. You can flick beween stills, HD and HD60 – with the former looking distinctly average and HD60 looking very smooth indeed. The picture suffers drastically in low light conditions, with no nightvision or other image enhancing functions – recording in dark environments is almost pointless.
Also, due to the design of the camera – the steadiness of the recording depends on how still you can hold your arm. This means that the picture can often be very shakey. The picture also always feels zoomed in. The viewing angle is quite narrow and to fit a lot in on the screen you have to stand quite far back from whatever you’re recording.
The included software is easy to use and reasonably robust for the camera. It’s already loaded on to the device, so no disc is needed to install. It has a feature to upload to youtube that I’ve not used, but seems pretty easy.
to summarise some points..
+ Easy to Use
+ Compact
+ Splashproof
+ Seemingly tough
+ Good number of included accesories
+ Software easy to use
+ Picture quality on HD60 looks pretty good
+ Reasonably Cheap
- Not for recording enthusiasts
- Very bad in low light conditions
- No special effects or functions on the camera
- Picture can be shakey
- Picture always seems zoomed in
- Low quality Screen
Okay so as I said, I don’t have much knowledge to compare the ZX-1 with other products. But I have listed what I like and dislike about the camera. I’m defintitely happy with it and from discovering it’s weaknesses, I will be able to use the camera differently to minimise them. It’s dependant on you though if those faults are enough to put you off.
I will be using it plenty in future though and from using it – It’s sparked an interest in filming and editing more.
Rating: 4 / 5