As you may have noticed yesterday with the Problogging Is Dead launch, I have stepped into the high def video blogging realm with a new purchase, the Kodak Zi8 pocket HD camcorder. This little hand held unit is about 200 dollars after tax and records in 1080P @ 30 FPS, 720P @ 60 FPS or 30 FPS and WVGA. So as you can see, there are a wide range of options to chose from and record time depends on what size SD card you have inserted into the unit. As you can see by the picture, it is about the size of my iPhone 3GS and it actually weighs less. The 2.5″ viewfinder is good enough and gets the job done, and the Kodak Zi8 also has some cool features that other hand helds don’t like an external mic plugin port and HDMI output (HDMI cable included).
So basically, you get a lot of bang for the buck as a blogger looking to create some HD video online. It even has a macro focus setting if you want to get real up close and personal.
Is it super high quality HD? Not really but who is really going to be able to tell once you compress your footage and put it online? The smaller chip size and cheap lens are not going to have the output of a $1,000 and above video camera, but…for its intended purpose…I think it is the best out there right now. I actually used to do post production editing in Atlanta back in the day, so it is pretty cool to see how far video has come over the years. Who would have thought that for 200 bones you can have high quality video and on a hand held? Pretty cool in my book.
A couple of notes from the video.
- I like Dunkin’ Donuts and they have 0 Trans Fat…so that makes them healthy right?
- You can own two Boxers and grass…just not both at the same time.
- You build a waterfall in your backyard to make it more relaxing only to find that you really built a really expensive water bowl for the dogs.
- Yes…my check engine light is on. It is a stupid valve above the gas tank that I have been too busy (fancy description for being lazy) to spend the 30 bucks to fix.
- Yes…my wife was really laughing at me.
The ease of use and tripod mount for this camera makes video blogging much easier, so expect to see more video on RobbSutton.com and my other sites in the near future.
For the best prices on the Kodak Zi8 HD camcorder…click here.
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Hey there Robb.
Thanks for sharing. Now I just knew that there are some related products for “video-purpose” only.
Looking forward to grab it one someday.
Why the Kodak and not a Flip HD?
Also I’m curious about uploading videos, how big do these get (obviously different sizes for different qualities, but a ball park figure would help!).
I have a 3MB/0.3 connection, which is horrible for uploading, but what can you do when you live in Spain.
The Flip is only on-board memory, doesn’t include the HDMI cable, only has a 2″ screen and only records in 720p at 30 FPS.
With the Kodak, I got higher quality video, more features and same price.
My file sizes are pretty large on purpose…but for several minutes you can have quality video in the 100mb range.
Nice review. I was looking at the Kodak and the Flip.. Might have to go with the Kodak now.
Its a lil bigger then the flip mino.. was that an issue?
Not an issue at all. I wouldn’t want it any bigger though…
I have the Flip and the only thing I don’t like about it is that you can’t see yourself if you are recording yourself. Other than that I love it. It boots up and is ready to record in about 2 seconds, allows you to do simple video editing from any computer its plugged into, and the one I have does 1080p and I got it for $179.
Both would probably be good in my opinion, I went with Flip for price and ease of use.
I wish the Kodak had a “see yourself mode” too. The Sony had a rotating lens…but who wants to use their memory sticks?!
Interesting that Flip doesn’t mention 1080P in their features on the website. You would think they would push that.
Thanks for the review. I’m shopping for a hand held HD camera at the moment. Of course the Flip is still a contender, but I’m leaning more towards the Kodak.
I found it funny how you had to try and drive while filming and your wife was laughing about it. Why couldn’t she handle the camera?
I thought it would be funnier if I did it. She thought it was! Being a little bit of a control freak doesn’t help either…
It’s the features like optional external mic connection, and expandable memory that really made it a definite purchase for me. Also, I was able to gnab it for $140 just prior to the Black Friday rush this past Thanksgiving. If price is a concern, it’s definitely worth it to keep an eye out for a similar price drop to occur again.
140.00 is a steal for sure. They’ll end up having something similar like that again for the patient.
My bad. My Flip is 720p. Your right Robb, my bad.
Sorry bout that.
It’s all good! It was your video of “What beer do you want in an emergency situation” that made me think…”I really need to go get an HD camcorder and do more video”.