Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera (Raspberry) - Zi8 Raspberry

OK for the price but has limitations

7/19/2010

At this price range, the Zi8 is probably a good buy, but after using it for a few months I wish I had spent a little more money and gotten a better camcorder.

The lens angle should have been wider.

The still photos are not very good quality.

The image quality of the video is not very impressive.

If you are going to do any taping outdoors, you MUST use a external microphone. I did some taping on a sunny day with hardly a breeze, but when I downloaded the video onto my PC there was a lot of wind noise picked up by the built-in mic. Wind noise is notoriously difficult to remove from an audio track, so I am going to have to do the taping all over again.

The Zi8 has almost no built-in memory, so you will have to buy an SD card. Be sure to factor the cost of an SD card into your price.

The battery life seems a little short.

The zoom feature isn't all that impressive. The button used the control the zoom makes it a bit tough to zoom in and out smoothly while holding the camera.

The outside of the Zi8 gets smudged pretty easily.

If you can't afford anything more expensive, then the Zi8 may be a decent choice. But if you can afford to buy a camcorder in the next highest price range, then I would recommend doing that.

Terrible Software, External Mic Not Lined Up With Video

7/18/2010

The hardware design of this camcorder is very good. I bought it for the HD and the external mic function. Recording is easy but when you try to edit the video on the computer, it is very counter-intuitive and extremely user un-friendly. Coming from Flip, which makes editing so easy, this proprietary Kodak software is just a nightmare!!! You can't view your Zi8 video with other generic software and the software that comes with the camcorder -- for lack of a more civilized word -- simply sucks.

Also the video does not always line up with the sound coming in from the external mic. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes there is delay. Sometimes the video is choppy. Plus the quality control is questionable because my charger will not charge.

So back it goes! I will not waste my money on this. I'm buying the Flip HD instead even though it does not have the external mic fuction.

I LOVE my Kodak zi8

7/18/2010

I have had camcorders in the past, but the zi8 is my favorite. It is so small that I carry it in my purse, the HD quality of the videos is beautiful, and it is very simple to transfer videos to my PC. I am very happy with this purchase.

Shaky

7/15/2010

Great camera but when you record the video comes out shaky...unless you put it on a tripod

Kodak Zi8

7/14/2010

Ideal handheld photo and movie camera. Easy to use and uploads are a snap. Price and performance match.