Kodak Zi6 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Oct 12, 2008 5:00 PM
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Ease of Use (10.0)
If a camcorder in this emerging "YouTube camcorder" market can't manage to be simple, it has utterly failed at hitting its audience's needs. Fortunately, Kodak took the tried and true path laid out by the Pure Digital Flip series. There are no menus and no manual controls (save for the 2x digital zoom) on the Kodak Zi6. Recording and playing back clips could not be simpler or more intuitive. If you've ever used a joystick for anything – from video games to cell phones – you should have no problem operating the Zi6.
To upload video to YouTube, plug the camcorder straight into the computer with the pop-out USB connection and follow the very simple instructions from the software. (You will have to install the included software first.) From start to finish, it's dead simple.
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| The Kodak Zi6 can be held in at least two ways | |
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| The joystick is rather good for such an inexpensive camcorder |
Handling (4.75)
As you might guess from a camcorder of this stature, handling is not a strong suit. No, you should not expect to see professional camera operators rushing to praise the sleek ergonomics or amazing feel of the Kodak Zi6. The goal in designing this was pretty clearly "Make it small!" Even with that stipulation, Kodak did a pretty good job. The body is lightweight and well balanced. The joystick is well placed for the thumb, and it's not terribly likely (though still possible) that you'll drag your finger across the microphone on the front. You can set the Zi6 down on a flat surface and have it stand up straight, a key feature missed by the far more advanced Sony HDR-TG1.
The joystick itself is of a higher quality than we'd expect, particularly because the camcorder requires such little interface. There's no menu or manual controls, yet the joystick is easier to manipulate than some HD Panasonics costing many times the price.
The only hazardous areas are the ports, all of which feel extremely cheap. If you accidentally rip the memory card port cover off, you'll probably live to shoot another day without too much trouble. But the extendable USB arm, the most important connection on the Zi6, feels like as though it's not long for this world.
Overall, the Flip Mino still handles better. Comparatively, the Mino's interface is lighting fast, while the Zi6 drags as you shuffle from clip to clip, or form one shooting mode to another. Also, the touch-sensitive pads on the Mino are just plain cool.
Menu (5.0)
There is no menu to speak of on the Kodak Zi6. While in video or still recording mode, you use the joystick to toggle left and right through the shooting modes: HD, HD60, VGA, and Still Photo. Use the joystick up and down to control the digital zoom.
When you're in playback mode, you have the ability to toggle through the video clips (joystick left and right), and delete clips (the stop/delete button). That's all, folks.
The lack of a menu is hardly a detriment, in this case. The Pure Digital Flip set the trend of making operation as simple as possible. This is a direct reaction to years of overly-complicated camcorders that become expensive door stops.
Portability (9.5)
The Kodak Zi6 is extremely portable, with dimensions no larger than an aging Blackberry cell phone. The actual measurements are 114 x 64 x 23.5mm (4.5 x 2.5 x 0.9 inches). It weighs 107g (3.8 ounces) without the AA batteries.
By comparison, the Flip Ultra measures 100 x 50 x 16mm (3.94 x 1.97 x 0.63 inches) and weighs 93.5 grams (3.3 ounces). The Creative Vado measures 100 x 55 x 16mm (3.9 x 2.2 x 0.6 inches). This makes the Flip Mino the smallest, and the Kodak Zi6 the largest of the three. It can fit in most pants pockets, but it will leave a bulge.
LCD and Viewfinder (2.0)
The Kodak Zi6 has a 2.4-inch LCD, with an unknown resolution. By camcorder standards, this is a small size, but it's hard to argue for a larger screen on such a small device. Kodak could have opted for a horizontal design, like a digital camera, that allowed for a 16 x 9 screen across the entire back, but they clearly wanted the give the Zi6 that cell phone look.
There is no viewfinder on the Kodak Zi6, which should come as no surprise.
Battery Life (12.4)
The Kodak Zi6 ships with two rechargeable AA batteries. It's a rarity for camcorders to come with batteries that you can find in a convenient store. Rather, they typically ship with proprietary battery packs that, while expensive to replace, can provide a lot more power. The Zi6 has no moving parts (i.e. no zoom lens, solid state memory), so it doesn't require much power.
Along with the batteries, Kodak throws in a wall charger to put some life back into the AAs (two at a time). This is certainly more convenient that having to buy a charger yourself.
We tested the batteries for duration. In total, they lasted 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 45 seconds (123 minutes and 45 seconds).
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| The Kodak Zi6 uses AA batteries... | And ships with a small charger |
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