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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #889 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Kodak
• Model: Zx1 Black
• Released on: 2009-02-11

Manufacturer's Description
The Kodak Zx1 is one of a new generation of minicamcorder that is designed to make it incredibly easy to shoot, share and enjoy high quality video.

A colour for everyone. View larger.

Introducing a new generation of compact video camera
With the explosion of sites like YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo there is now huge demand for easy ways to shoot and share video clips. So, enter The Kodak Zx1. Designed with action and adventure in mind the Zx1 has a rugged design with a rubberised finish on the back for good grip and is NEMA rated IP43 making it dust, water and ice resistant. With a compact design it’ll fit nicely into most pockets and the brushed steel front with rubber buttons looks great and makes it a joy to use. The Zx1 is powered by 2 standard AA batteries, 2 pre-charged NiMH batteries and a charger come in the box but if you ever run out of power, replacement AA batteries are readily available.

Anatomy of the Zx1. View larger.

HD quality
The Zx1 stands out from many of the other minicamcorders on the market because it shoots stunning quality 720p HD video at upto 60 frames per second (fps). You can choose other video modes simply by clicking the left and right arrows on the keypad selecting HD 60fps, HD30 fps, VGA or still camera. The biggest advantage of the high resolution is that it’ll look great when blown up. This isn’t so important if you only view video on a small window on your PC screen but with the Zx1 footage you can scale the video to full screen and retain image sharpness, for the best possible picture the Zx1 has HDMI connectivity so you view the videos on your HDTV. Both HDMI and standard composite cables are included in the box. On the go you can view your clips on the 2 inch LCD screen with the option of slow motion and you can find the best bits using the four speeds of fast forward and rewind, up to x16, or simply go forward or back frame by frame. The Zx1 also includes a mic and speaker to capture and playback sound and the high speed processor in the Zx1 adjusts exposure and autofocus quickly. For rock solid video the Zx1 features digital blur reduction technology and tripod mount if required.

With the Zx1 you’ll never run out of memory, whilst many minicamcorders feature small internal memories, the Zx1 has an SD card slot which can take upto a 32GB SDHC card good for upto an incredible 10 hours of video at HD 30fps (1GB = 20mins). And if you run out of memory on the go you can simply change to a new card.

Easy editing software included.

Easy to share
The Zx1 comes with ArcSoft MediaImpression software which is automatically installed when you connect the Zx1’s USB connector to your PC. The software is incredibly easy to use and allows you to organize your videos and features an easy one button upload to YouTube and Vimeo. You can also re-format your video clip to the best resolution for sending on email at the touch of a button. To put you in the directors chair there’s a basic ‘movie maker’ feature which allows you to add text screens for a titles at the beginning and credits end of the movie, edit clips, sequence a number of clips to tell your story and add music. A media convertor also makes it easy to transcode your videos for viewing on other common devices like an iPod or Kodak picture frame and you can burn DVD’s for viewing on TV and archiving. Uploading your videos is easy too simply connect the Zx1 to your PC with the USB connector and the video’s automatically upload and are ready to use! The ArcSoft software is not Mac compatible, but if you own a Mac its easy to transfer your videos simply buy dragging and dropping to your desktop as you would for any USB device and you can edit your video using iMovie.

Ready to go
No need to buy any extra cables or batteries. Included in the Zx1 are 2x AA NiMH rechargeable batteries, a battery charger and HDMI, composite AV and USB cables. However, although there is 128MB of internal memory on the Zx1 you’ll need to buy an SD card to shoot a useful length of video.

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Customer Reviews

Comparison to Flip MinoHD - which is best????
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.

Excellent piece of kit and good accessories
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.

An HD Camera That Fits In Your Pocket
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...)