Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera Black

Kodak Zx1
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is amazing. The video quality is amazing and the weather proof body is amazing. Took videos at the beach that were amazing without having to worry about ruining my full size video camera.

Camera fits in your pocket & the controls are EASY! Read a lot of criticism about not having a built in USD port (W/o using a cable) but found it easier and faster to simply insert the SD card into my laptop.

Do not hesitate purchasing this product…

What a deal! And lefties can use it
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera gives you no excuse for not shooting videos–not only does is slip into a pocket so you can keep it handy, but it’s weather resistant so you can use it where other cameras could be damaged (rain, beach) I bought it for my daughter but haven’t given it to her yet since I’ve been having fun with it! My daughter has a little cam corder with one of those flip out screen and she never uses it since it’s never right with her. When she sees something she wants to shoot she has to waste time getting the camera out and usually ends up missing the action. And speaking of the cameras that have those flip-out viewers, just try using them if you’re left-handed.

Look on the little quick-start guide for the Kodak site where you can see a complete manual and information about getting other support.

I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 since I haven’t had it very long and still have things to experiment with. But to far I have been very pleased.

Bad Feedback Issue- Twice
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Just returned my second unit…during playback – either when played back on the unit or transferred- there is high pitched feedback that can’t be eliminated.

Very disappointing as every other attribute of this is outstanding.

Going to have to look elsewhere.

LIKED IT UNTIL…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera: LIKED IT UNTIL I CONTACTED KODAK ASKING HOW TO REVIEW ALL THE VIDEOS NONSTOP WITHOUT HAVING TO FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE EACH TIME ONE IS FINISHED PLAYING. I WAS TOLD THE CAMERA DOES NOT HAVE THAT FEATURE. NOW I’VE CHANGED MY MIND.

Good not great, like it don’t love it… + Great tip for Xbox 360 Users!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Just a few quick things…

Outside in sunlight, or in a brightly lit room, the vid quality is sweeeeeeeeeeet… i love it… in lowlight ocnditions, bleh… that’s no big deal though, pretty much what I expected.

Durability… NICE… I’ve accidentally dropped this thing a couple times, including two weeks ago, I was spinning it on it’s lanyard and it flew and took a nice crack on the floor, battery cover popped off, batteries flew over the flow and everything, scared the crap outta me, but put it back together and good to go!

Sound quality is so-so… I’d hoped for something a bit better, some stereo action, but nope…

Quick tip for XBox 360 users and others… since it records in H264, the .mov extension can just be renamed/changed to .mp4 extension and it’s good to go… will play over your 360 or other devices, no transcoding required!

GREAT CAMERA BUT
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Got the camera for my mother to use when she babysits my daughter. The camera is very easy to use and comes with all the cables and rechargeble batteries.

The HD resolution is unreal, on the computer and TV (camera comes with HDMI cable). I just returned from a cruise and videos are great. The only problem I found was low light conditions. Using it inside can be a problem with limited light, otherwise the camera performs better than I expected.

Small, convenient, but puzzling
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We read the reviews before buying the Kodak Zx1. We used it on our 3 week trip in Scotland, going to Skye and the outer islands of North and South Uist and Benbecula. We downloaded the videos every night to our laptop, freeing up lots and lots of space for the next day. It was very good for both videos and still pictures.

The only complain we have is what was detailed by others. There is NO manual with the camera, and figuring out the operation of it on the fly was a little disturbing. Like another reviewer posted, we inadvertently deleted everything in memory with just the touch of the (wrong) button.

I’m sure that the Kodak will be part of all our future trips. But figuring out how to use it was more of a chore than a pleasant adventure.

Great item in price range
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Grandparents wanted to give as Christmas present to 7 yr old girl. Earlier, they bought a “kids one” and it was total junk, didn’t even last the day. Compared this with the Flip camera, chose this one. Price was within their budget, had to buy memory card separately. Battery power seems to suck up when using regular batteries–had to wait while included charger with batteries was charging. Nice item and she liked the color. My daughter ended up recording a cartoon so she could watch it later. Likes making mini movies.

Technology is pretty easy, which is good. Don’t recommend giving such advanced equipment to a child. She treats it well, but a less responsible person would ruin this. It is suppose to work well with You Tube, but hope we don’t get to that yet!

great little camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Terrible instruction but a great camera. Took it out on the jet skis, mountain bike and even to the theme park log ride with my boys. Everyone loves and my neighbors are all buying the same camera. WHAT?? Yes, it does not work with my MAC!!!

Decent!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this mainly for tennis practice because it can record 60 fps! That’s what I was looking in a HD camera.

I have to say that I have been impressed with the quality of this little camera. It is worth every penny for such a small camera and great price!

The only downside for me are the batteries! I wish they didn’t use AA batteries! They die too quick!

Two 2500 mAh Ni-MH batteries last about 1 hour! maybe 1.5 hours.

So be sure to take a bunch of batteries with you. I take 4 charged ones, beside the two inside, with me. And by the end of the day I am left with 4 dead batteries on my hand that I have to recharge when I get home.

I was impressed with packaging too. The camera came with A LOT of stuff in the box. They even provided HDMI cables!

Great outdoors
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Takes great outdoor footage and is very durable. If i throw it against a brick wall it probably won’t break. It’s water proof so I use it in the rain but I don’t think you could drop it in a pool. Indoor footage in low light, not so nice. I got around that though by having my kid follow me around with a flood light when i am taking video.

Convenient and nice quality, however…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this for the size and convenience of being able to take quick HD videos while on my recent Hawaii trip. The HD quality is fine but wow do you need a steady hand. Not real good for moving and filming, which is what I needed. I saw this problem in other reviews, but thought “how bad could it be?” It can be pretty bad. When I viewed my videos on the computer, the colors were reversed (sky is orange, blue is red, etc.)! I have to read other reviews to find out why. I had to use the Kodak software to resave the videos in another format to get true colors. I may have lost HD quality. I need a solution to this. I’ll check other reviews for a solution. This part is just weird. Not true plug and play if you have to manipulate the videos to get natural color. Very frustrating. I may try another product. Anybody know why this color reversal happens? Two stars for features, convenience, size, ease of use while filming. Linking direct to TV is easy and videos look very good on HD TV, but shaking is frustrating. I’d wait for the next generation devices that may have motion stabilization.

Just what I was Looking for!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was Looking for an HD camcorder/camera and this is it! I purchased the black one. This thing is just great! I use it all over, in church the park just hanging out. I carry it every single day! I have a lot of vidz up on youtube it’s youtube ready BTW so this is a plus+ I’ve had this since March and she has not failed. I’ve shot a lot of still pics w/it also. Honestly very low light settings are not great but things like rain storms very low cloud cover is great. I can hook it directly up to my HD projector and enjoy what I’ve shot in 720 HD via HDMI cable supplied! It also looks good on SDTVs as well It comes w/rechargeable batteries and charger. It comes w/ a little gray carrying case. It takes a SDHC card, I have a 16GB and it does very well. It states it can hold a 32GB. Very low profile so U can catch anything/one @ anytime. LOL! I put up a pic to compare to dollar bill in size. So 5 stars***** all the way!

Just a little disappointed
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I like a lot about this camera. I got the blue one – the form factor is good, the removable memory and batteries are good and the video quality when taken outside is phenomenal – but…. All of my videos inside – even with decent lighting are grainy and choppy. For this reason, I’m disappointed because it is not a versatile camera. I’m not going to carry two different cameras. So… What to do…

have to read before buying
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is very portable camera, has hd which for a pocket camera got a decent quality. It is very useful when you are on the road where you don’t have enough space to carry all those hd bulky cameras but has three main bad point that you have to check before buying.

1- the zoom is not smooth and is very short.

2- the menu is not friendly, which should be because it not a profesional camera.

3- the most importan for me. the camera doesnt tell how much space you hace free in your sd until is almost full. you record without knowing how much memory you have used and how much memory still remainig. awful.

kodak zx1
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The video it produces is extremely shakey. It actually takes better pictures than it does video. There is a high pitched whine when you play back in the soundtrack. Overall I would say it produces marginally better video than a good cell phone. Pass on this one and try something better.

what? no way to cahrge batteries without removing them?
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
this is a cool camera and seems to work well – for the price.

Until you run out of battery and have to recharge. There is NO way to recharge the batteries without removing them from the unit itself. Who make a digital device these days–and does not allow for easy recharging.

I tried using the ACDC adapter as well as USB – and then confirmed directly with Kodak. There is no way to recharge the device without removing the batteries. What a pain!

I cannot recommend this product.

Mark

When on a tripod and in well lit situation, produces pretty good video
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this because I wanted to take a camera camping to get some video of what we do and just to put together some little videos. I tried to walk with it while we were hiking and the footage was unusable, if there is movement, everything is blurry. This is ok though, as it doesn’t have any type of image stabilization. When I rested the camera on a rock/ledge, the video was great. The image looks pretty good for the price. The camera supports sdhc. I bought a 16 gig card, and it works great. I don’t really need the audio to be amazing, as I would dub over it. There are a few things that make it less than perfect. When shooting in HD and HD60, the camera heats up a bit. Not real hot, but it defiantly heats up a bit. When shooting in HD the battery life is cut way down when compared to VGA. Probably 30 minutes of HD footage vs 45-60 minutes of vga. Another thing is the focus capability of the device. When closer than about 3 feet sometimes it will not focus correctly. It is a fixed lens though, so you shouldn’t expect it to really be able to do anything macro. The last thing is the low light capability of it. If you are inside, in a room that is not super bright, it gets very grainy and you can see red/blue stuck pixels…

But if you want a really cheap, really decent picture outside during the day time, with expandable memory, this is a pretty good buy. If you want to do vlogs, or more inside footage, i would not suggest this camera.

DO NOT buy this video camera
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
DO NOT buy the Zx1. Kodak advertises remote control as one of the selling features. They LIE! There is no such thing available either in the Lodak stores or at retailers. FALSE ADVERTISING and pretty crappy customer service when I asked about how to get the ADVERTISED remote. I no longer trust Kodak and will likely return this camera since the remote control was an important feature to me.

Very impressed. Picture quality is stunning for a camcorder this size.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I read a number of reviews on the Zx1 before purchasing it and the video and sound quality really exceeded my expectations. One of the very convenient features of on the device is the HDMI port which allows it to be connected directly to an HD tv. After filming a few test clips I decided to attach the player to my tv to test this feature out. The screen on the Zx1 is surprisingly crisp and bright and I was skeptical that the “crispness” of the video would be maintained after it was blown up to fullsize, but it was.

It is also very convenient that the device uses AA batteries, but still maintains a small form factor. I was also pleased that it has expandable memory.

Overall I am very impressed with the Zx1. The only minor complaint is that the native file format is .mov. Though most people will find this convenient I would have preferred .avi or any other format.

Great for the price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is so convenient and easy to use. I carry it with my in the diaper bag and am able to capture all of my sons little moments. The video quality is great!

Zx1 is way better than Flip
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Flip Ultra HD and returned it. I then bought the Zx1 and I’m so glad I did. Mainly, the Flip video was too shakey. The Zx1 video is clear and much more stable than the Flip HD. I like the design better too–the Zx1 is smaller and feels more solid. Also, the Kodak is just a better deal. It includes batteries and a small charger, plus all the cables you need (HDMI, VGA & USB). For the money, it’s great. I love it.

The best camcorder for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I own a sony dv camcorder and I do not use it often because i got tired carrying it around my neck. But this one is so small that you can hold it in your pocket.

I had a choice in purchasing a Vado HD or a ZX1.

I picked ZX1 because you have the option to change sd memory cards, replace AA batteries anytime, easy to carry around, the price fit my budget, and it was weather resistant. The video quality is great, cant really complain coming from a pocket camcorder. What I wish it had was a wide angle lens like the Vado HD because I find myself moving backwards to get a good shot of everything. Other than that, I really like using my new ZX1 camcorder.

8/25/09 — I just got a Wide 0.5x Conversion Lens for Camera Phone made by Toda Seiko and it fits well on my ZX1. Now I can capture more area and dont have to move backwards to get a good shot of everything.

Kodak misrepresents this camera
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
When I first tried to record on the Kodak Zx1, it lasted 10 seconds, and then an icon appeared indicating “out of memory.” When I went to the Kodak chat area and explained the problem, I was informed that the internal memory is only 128mb, providing a buffer only. I told her that the instructions never mentioned you needed a memory card for the camera to work. She said that she would notify advertising to add a notation to that effect. I’m sure you get the point.

Very nice, portable camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is hands down better than the Flip camera, in so many ways!

Pros: The two biggest reasons this is better than the Flip are being able to add your own memory (SDHC card), and having user replaceable AA batteries. I don’t have to carry around my laptop to charge or to download the videos, nor I need to carry any external charger – perfect for when you’re going on vacation or anywhere outdoors – just get spare SDHC cards (8GB goes for < $20) and a few pairs of AA batteries, and you can last weeks without ever connecting it to a computer. More yet - with an included HDMI adapter cable, you can even connect this directly to a TV and playback your videos.

Cons: The firmware on the camera can be better, especially the colors and icons used to designate the “delete” action – what were they thinking? Secondly, there is no practical zoom in here, you need at least 6x zoom to really record practical events, however, I’m sure packing that mechanism probably would have made this a bulkier camera, so its just the price you pay for portability. If you think you’ll never shoot video less than 50 feet away, this small camera is not for you.

I’ve not tried the computer software used to download the videos that came with it yet, once I try it, I will update this review. I’ve only been recording with the highest quality HD60, using the Transcend 8GB SDHC card, and so far, the quality of all the video I’ve taken has far exceeded my expectations.

I’ve owned the Zx1 for almost 2 months now, I’m happy with the purchase.

Great First Impression & Works Well With Windows 7
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After a lot of research I finally ordered the Kodak ZX1 on Saturday for next day delivery and it arrived on Monday as scheduled.

First impressions are very positive. The camera is light, sturdy and well built. It’s rubbery exterior gives you a nice feeling grip. Setting up the camera took less than a minute and it was really simple to start recording. I’d read somewhere that some people didn’t find the menu very intuitive, but I had no problems recording, playing back & deleting clips.

So far I’m really glad that I bought this instead of the Flip Mino HD. I really like being able to use regular AA batteries and using SDHC cards (upto 32GB) for storage. I also like all the accessories that come with the camera including rechargable batteries & charger and HDMI cable. I plugged it into our 46″ Plasma TV and the video playback looked great.

I also found it really easy to download video to my computer. I’m running Windows 7 (Release Candidate) which is remarkably stable and so much better than Vista. I just plugged in the camera, Windows 7 auto detected the device and I was able to browse the storage just like a hard drive and drag video files to my computer. And although the files come in MOV format, they play straight away on Windows Media Player that comes with Windows 7.

I gave it 4 stars because it comes with hardly any storage i.e. you have to buy an SD/SDHC card to use it. Not a big deal, since I managed to get an 8GB card for $20 from Amazon, but it’s the one thing that I would have happily paid an extra $20 if the Kodak would have included it with the camera.

Great product for the money.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My wife and I had a baby earlier this year and she expressed her concerns that I was going to “miss everything” in our daughters early development with such trivial thing as work. I had previously been looking at the Flip HD camcorders but I usually do a lot of research before making such purchases and I leaned towards the Kodak Zx1 based on user experiences (not unlike what you are reading now). It seemed that the quality was on par and usability was even higher based on opinion so I opted to purchase the Zx1 and have had great experiences.

The quality is great for outdoor filming, indoor is better than expected and the battery life is awesome. The camera included a pair of rechargeable batteries and a charger too. If you use a PC there is software to upload automatically to YouTube, as a Mac user I didn’t get to benefit from that but it’s still a nice benefit to the Windows crowd. Also there is a built in port for playing directly on your HDMI compatible televisions.

Great video for the price.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought my ZX1 in blue colour, and I’m happy with this Pocket video camera.

I love the rechargable batteries, you can buy and extra sets and have with you in your pants pockets.

It contains the hdmi cable!!!! awesome. no need to buy one!!!!

when I watched the videos thru the hdmi cable, the image quality ,it’s very impressive.

The image quality is awesome when recording in daylight,and it is so grany indoors. Besides, you get a slow motion sensation when filming in a very low light condition.So, when filming indoors, be sure to turn on all the lights around you..

I just recomend, when recording, hold your camera,don’t shake your hand a lot, and don’t do some rude movements. No image stabilization.

The ArcSoft softwere to edit and make videos, suplied by kodak ,it is so primitive and slow.And yes the kodak website is so useless,not too much information.

I love the “AVS video convert softwere”,that other reviewer recomended.

I’m upset,the camera doesn’t have a counter!!!! you don’t know how many minutes you have to still recording!!!!.I learnt, that the 8 gb sdhc card allows 2 hrs of video recording in hd format.So, get a 16gb sdhc or a expensive 32gb.

I recommend using the sdhc card class 4.The class 6 will froze.

The picture camera mode.is great outside. Indoors it is useless, alot of blurry pics.

I guess, I will keep my camera for a couple of years,until a new kodak comes out…

Kodak Zx1
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought the Zx1 to take along on motorcyle trips. I installed a camera mount on my motorcyle for on the road video. Here are some of the good and bad points.

The good:

1.Easy to carry.

2.Uses AA batteries or AA rechargeable batteries.Easy to find.

3.Different choises of recording quality. VGA,HD30, or HD60. Will also

take still photos.

4.Uses a standerd SD or SD HC card. Cheap and easy to find in stores.

5.USB connection to the computer.

6.Videos I have taken are pretty good quality.

7.I can actually operate this thing while on the move on my motorcycle

without crashing. It is simple to operate.

8.Pretty rugged.

9.Fast bootup and quick to record time.

The Bad:

1.Eats batteries like a thirsty camel.Bring spares.

2.Video has no image stabilization. You need a steady hand or a tripod.

Bring Dramamine if you are watching video where the camera is moved

quickly.

3.Include SD cards and batteries in the final price for comparison with

other cameras.

4.Records in Quicktime. Yuk for us WMV users.

5.Operating symbols on the back are cryptic till you get used to them.

Don’t press the wrong (small) button like I did or you will delete

your videos.

6.Software is OK (it’s comes with the camera)but good editing and maybe

format converting software may be a consideration.

7.I was not real fond of the software being pre-loaded on the camera and

installing itself when the camera was hooked up to the computer.I would

prefer it came on a disk. This way I would have more control when new

operating systems came out.

Overall it is a fun camera to use. It is very portable and pretty durable.

HD60 videos were pretty clear. Good outdoor camera. Poor low light camera.

I think I would wait on buying one if I did it over. It reminds me of the first digital camers that needed a few generations to develope. Still, it is an impressive device for being so compact.

Better than expected…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Picture is amazing..sound quality is good. I’m still trying to figure out how to download and edit, but I’m sure I’ll get it once I have more time to work on it. Definitely worth the money and I love how compact it is.

Great For Its Its Itended Purpose
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a good product for its intended purpose which is taking video on the go. I agree with the posts that picture quality is poor in low light, but I did not purchase it with the thought this would be a replacement for a high end night shot camera. It works very well for daily photos and video. The lens angle is a little narrow if you are used to most snapshot cameras which are wide angle but you get used to it. These cameras have a known potential defect in the sound quality and the first I ordered had a high pitch whine during playback. I returned it and the new one works great. I really like the fact you can swap batteries with AA so I don’t worry about not having a functioning camera if I cannot recharge. Software is not that great so I use quicktime pro to edit the video.

I would buy another.

You get what you pay for
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Each shot taken requires repeat pressing of red play button, which gives an ending “jump” to every video. This always needs to be edited out which is a pain – takes an addition step before one can use in movie. Disappointed in product.

High pitched whine on the audio, on 2 different units
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I’m really confused at the people that are reviewing this product so highly.

I ordered this and received it this week. Upon trying it out briefly, I noticed that when you played back a movie on the camera, there was a high pitched whine over the audio. I copied the movie to my PC and viewed it and sure enough, it wasn’t just the camera speaker, the high pitched whine was there.

I went to Kodak live chat, where a man named Jourdin R was very patient and helped me for about a half hour. I updated the firmware, tried various volume settings (audio feedback?). After trying several things, he said “The unit is malfunctioning and will need to be sent to Kodak to be serviced.” I told him that I just received it and it was brand new out of the box. He said I should return it to the store.

I RMA’d this camera, and ordered a second one of these cameras, hoping it wouldn’t have the same problem.

I received that second camera today, and guess what, same high pitched whine over the audio.

I tried to be patient, because I wanted to like this camera. I liked the idea of a AA driven HD pocket cam that used a removable media that I already used in other cameras (sandisk SDHC).

But 2 models of the same camera with the same defect tells me that this isn’t an isolated problem. It’s not something that is possible to ignore. Because of it, I cannot recommend this camera.

Pocket Sized Performance
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Camera works well.

The abilty to add/replace new memory cards and use AA batteries makes it a nice for taking on the road, without a laptop.

Issues: while it is water/sand resistant, the rubber casing and batter cover will make this feature less than reliable as they pop open with ease. I’d rather have them more difficult to open, but protect my camera better.

The audio of the button presses will be heard in your play back.

Great product with poor battery charger
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I consider myself to be a tech-a-holic so when i saw this it was a must have. At the time of purchase it was the only “real” HD enabled handheld digital vid cam. It was simple to use out of the box and very easy to transfer video or review on a display. The picture is great for the most part. The only thing i miss on it is a view finder since i video myself acting like a moron often.

The one negative is that the charger failed after one use….yes one use. I have yet to call tech support but will do so this week. They have pretty good service so ‘m not too concerned.

Overall, i highly recomend considering ths device if you’re searching for an affordable, portable video camera.

A best buy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For starters Amazon delivers on their promise of a 3-day delivery. This is a company you can count on.

The Zx1 is right on target. Right out of the box it does exactly what you would expect from a small pocket video camera – decent quality and simple operation. Even indoors the quality was acceptable – which is more than you can say about most cameras in this class.

This is clearly a second-generation pocket video camera – with improved controls and support for large capacity SD cards. The AA batteries are just what you need to make sure you will never run out. I was surprised to see that a charger was included.

My big concern about buying a Flash Drive HD camera was the issue of file format. This is a thorny issue with all HD video cameras. I could care lass about HD – I just wanted decent quality and the ability to edit video.

The plan is simple – archive the ‘HD’ content and keep it for future editing when software and hardware are readily available. And meanwhile

convert the files to AVI or another usable DVD formtat for immediate use.

The supplied ArcSoft program does primitive conversion of the 720p format to 640 DVD format – but in Quicktime – which Windows Media player version 9 still refuses to recognize in Windows XP ( I hate Vista)

There are many third party programs which do a better job of conversion – the one I use is AVS Video Converter 6. It took the raw MOV file from the SD card and converted it to AVI format with the 720 lines preserved and good sound quality. As with all such conversions it is slow but the quality is excellent. This is not a trivial conversion. Of course AVS will convert it to any of a dozen other formats – some with smaller file size – but none with higher quality.

Since this camera is so new, the Kodak web site has very limited documentation for the Zx1. They avoid entirely the issue of file formats and that is because it is a thorny issue. Along these lines I should mention that without loading any software, you can slip the SD card in your computer slot and you will get a MOV file. It comes up as a Quicktime file. My version of Quicktime played the movie O.K but there was no sound. I’m sure an update is available – but it may not be free.

Of course my Quicktime player did play the MOV file after it was converted by ArcSoft.

Hey for $150 – this is a great buy and it seems to be durable also.

Great Camera for it’s intended purpose
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I deliberated over the ZX1 and the flip Ultra, and after reading many reviews and watching several videos from each, on You Tube, decided on the Kodak. My being into amature photography, with many vintage film cams as well as a digital DSLR,am not a big fan of video’s anyway. That being said there are occasions video’s are handy, so not wanting to spend a lot on one, I begine my research.

Pocket camcorders? Never heard of them before about a month ago. I soon discovered two of the major players in this field seemed to consistently be The Flip Mino and the Kodak. Well without getting to drawn out I decided on the Kodak beacuse ….. SD card memory up to 32gig, and double AA batterys, belive me I know how it is to be someplace like Malin Oregon and have your Lippo batt go dead.

So I went shopping and it was a little hard for me to find the ZX1, the first four stores I went to only had the Flips and the Kodak Zi6. Didnt like the Zi6 as it seemed flimsy compared to the flip. So almost bought a flip, and I am not a great fan of Kodak anyway. But finally found the ZX1, and still liked the build and feel of the flip a little better, but it was I felt really to bulky for a shirt pocket and the ZX1 is not much bigger than my Motorola cell phone, true portability. I also felt the side by side videos on you tube showed a little better color rendering form the Kodak.

The test. Got it home charged the batterys on my Everready NiCd charger and read the instructions, You might as well say what instructions, Kodak really let this fine little camera down in this department. Anyway I decided to test in the worst case scenario for these little cameras, and that is indoor low light levels. What a surprise, not bad at all! No it does not match a fast F stop lens camera for low light shooting, but far exceeded what I expected after reading all the moaning and groaning about it. Face it none of these tiny camcorders are going to be pro-quality at about $150 nor are the going to have image stabilization (hold still like we used to do)they are a great deal with acceptable video. I am very pleased with the ZX1.

Most of all for video’s like houshold inventory, or e-mail video clips it is superb, and rugged poratbility, give it an A+. I am always a firm beliver a small basic camera yhat you have with you when a photo moment presents itself, is better than the finest of large bulky video or photo equipment sitting at home in the closet. Kodak deserves an A+ great job on this camera just fix the instructions.

After we got it back from the Shop the second time – this ended up being a great camera!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
We bought this Camera the end of June and got it from an Amazon Seller in July, just in time for our family vacation. We took it on vacation and found that all of our videos came back with a horrible high-pitched whining noise in the background. it was excruciating. We returned in August to be told that since we were out of the 30-day window, the Amazon seller would no longer support the sale – I had to go to Kodak.

What followed was almost 4 months of pain. We finally got an RMA and sent the Kodak to an authorized service center (Precision Camera). It was gone well over a month before coming back and we were told that the repair center fully checked the model. The second we plugged it in – we could hear the high-pitched noise again. not a darn thing had been done. Talking to Customer Service was painful and time consuming. It was well over an hour and a half each time I chatted with them. The second time I called they had me downloading firmware updates and trying different memory cards – when I was pretty sure it was the camera.

So early November I packed it up and sent it back to Precision Camera. I just got it back today (3 December) and I was pleasantly surprised. No high-pitched noise anymore. It’s pretty much completely gone of any high-pitched noise now. I hear a little something in the background, but this is much more manageable. The repair center did include a little fact sheet this time saying that some noise form the moving lens was to be expected. That’s bull, the problem was a high-pitched whining noise and had nothing to do with a lens movement.

So – Ignoring the over 5-month-wait to get a working video camera – it’s a good enough camera. We loved the idea of something small and simple that wouldn’t get ruined in the rain. The case seems pretty rugged and I’ve been tempted more than once to toss it in the pool to see if it will still work. I’ve resisted that so far though.

Other things I liked:

-HDMI Output. This isn’t too practical for me since I have only one input on my HDTV, but I like the concept.

-Simple, easy to use interface – except that I keep hitting the wrong button instead of playback.

-I’m pretty sure the USB connection on the camera is a proprietary Kodak plug – which means going though them when I eventually lose the cable.

-The HD Signal is great.

-Not changing tapes is great.

-Frankly, I’m pretty thrilled with the VGA quality, so the HD version is just that much nicer.

Things I don’t like:

- No memory card. I guess that makes sense because you wouldn’t want to pay extra for a small memory card they would inevitably include, but you can’t just start taking video (not ones over 30 seconds anyway).

-You have to remove the AA rechargeable batteries and the charger is only 110 volt. I was surprised that it didn’t have an adapter that plugged into the camera.

-Like so may other digital video cameras, the low light or indoor video is not great. Not horrible, but not great. Under incandescent lights everything looks yellow. Again – not a problem with only this camera but many other lower-end models. Outside during the daylight is pretty much fanstastic.

So overall the camera is fine. It does what it says it does. It’s a reasonable price. I could even like the strange colors they have. Basically it was a fine deal – but I just could not get over how I had to wait so very long to get a working model. I felt like when I complained Kodak was patronizing me and I just couldn’t stand that. I was completely ticked off when I got the camera back the first time and not a single thing had been done.

KOdak Zx1 HD
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The Zx1 is a nice little compact camera. For the price it is a relatively good buy. Unfortunately cameras in this price range do not have image stabilizers so if you pan in any direction you will get a very shaky picture. If you pan really slow it might not happen. It also does not come with thorough instructions. The mic is not the greatest in the world. I compared the video to the Iphone video and in my opinion the iphone wins. However, not everyone has nor wants an iphone. I like the Zx1HD . It is convenient and does a decent job. It is a good little camera. Just remember that if you want higher end camcorder quality video, you are going to have to pay a lot more.

Kodak Zx1 HD pocket video
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great product for quick video clips of anything. Works outstanding in daylight and outdoors. Indoor lighting quality is not as good. But for the price and convenience, its just right.

The best I’ve seen in this category.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Any reasonable person should be able to figure out that you will need a memory card since amazon tries to suggest one when you purchase. That’s why these types of cameras are referred to as “flash drives” (another reviewer)

Pros: Does well in lower light than others. Good in normal room light. I found others just no good indoors.

Very small and portable. This was a critical requirement for me.Splash resistance.

Seems rugged but I didn’t do a drop test. Sorry.

A bonus feature not advertised was how well this blocks out wind noise on very windy days yet allows all the normal talking to be recorded. Never seen that before!

Crystal clarity out doors. Just amazing, although most of these types of cameras do well outside.

Cons: On an inexpensive camera like this, is subject to shaking which makes it irritating to watch. But knowing this I use a tri-pod or just a steady hand (don’t forget to hold steady!), and movies are really great!

You have to break the $400 barrier for anti-stablization features.

In low light, Images are still bright, unlike others, but a little softer looking, less than optiimal forcus, acceptable. . . remember, this is a $140 camera, so it’s fine.

My battery charger seems to be defective. But I have these all over the house and it wasn’t worth returning. Still, would have been good if it worked for road trips.

Still waiting for the remote to be offered! But at least it’s coming?

Close up is a little blurry, unlike the Zi6, a trade off I guess. Oh well, beats the heck out of using my cell phone for you-tube!!!

Notice to Mac users! When I plugged in into the mac, i-photo boots up. When you try to download, it will hang up! It might download some pictures and short movies. But anything over a few minutes and no joy. Easy way around this one. !. Plug in camera 2. Kill or minimize i-photo. 3. You will see a folder called “NO NAME” on your desktop. Click on it and there are all your movies and pictures! 4. Just drag these to where ever file you want to store them. Or just view from that folder and close. 5. When your done, right click and and click “eject”. If you want, you can clear the memory card from the camera or just keep filming more stuff if your card is bigger.

I am a very happy camper!

Not all that it’s racked up to be, I went with the HD FLIP
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I liked the idea of this little camera much more than the Flip. I love the SD Card aspect of it but beyond that it wasn’t all that great. The picture quality was pretty bad in anything less than perfect light. I saw little if any difference between the 60fps and the 30. The only reason I’d say get this over a HD Flip or perhaps another camera like these is if you need more than 2 hours of shoot time and want to be able to have 32 gigs of memory. In the end I returned it and got the HD Flip, which isn’t perfect either but the picture quality was much better for my needs.

Great Camera for the price…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have been waiting for this camera available in Amazon. Ordered and received the camera.

Pros –

720p with 60fps is simply great.

The small form factor with rubberized case, water & dust resistant is a must if you are primarily using to record your kids moments.

Comes with standards AA rechargeable batteries with recharger.

Mini HD cable to view the videos in 720p in your HDTV

Now cons part -

The USB port is not standard mini USB. This looks like Kodak’s proprietary port. I would have given 5 stars if Kodak provided the mini USB port interface.

There is a “DC in 5V” port in the camera. I am assuming this is to charge the camera. But no addtional information or the about these anywhere.

The same goes to IR sensor.

It takes time to get used to the buttons.

The price dropped by $10 within 3 days of my purchase and amazon refused to price match as per their new return policy. Now it $15. Little disappointment.