Kodak Zx1 Camcorder Reviewby Kaitlyn ChantryPublished on Jun 5, 2009 9:40 AM |
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 The Kodak Zx1 ($149.95 MSRP) offers its own unique HD recording experience for an ultra-compact budget camcorder. It has its quirks—sloppy button design, confusing labels, an impossible-to-find menu—but it also has some strong benefits. Kodak's inclusion of a 60p record mode in addition to a 30p setting is a welcome addition and the camcorder's solid, practical construction separates it from the crowd. Overall, the Zx1 is more difficult to use than the Flip UltraHD, but significantly easier to use than the Sony MHS-PM1.There's also the case of performance, which may not be all that important to some users, but is still a significant aspect of the Zx1's capability. The Zx1 put up mediocre results in our bright light testing and its auto white balance system couldn't compensate for numerous types of indoor light. In low light, however, the camcorder did much better, posting impressive results across the board. As a still camera, the Zx1 wasn't very good: its photos had inaccurate colors, too much noise, and didn't capture images with a high level of sharpness. But at least it takes still photos—more than we can say for the competition from Flip. The Kodak Zx1 can't match the bare-bones simplicity of the Flip UltraHD or the rest of the Flip line of camcorders. Even so, the Zx1 has quite a bit going for it. It feels good in the hand, it doesn't succumb to a gimmicky USB-arm design, and it runs on regular AA batteries. It also records to removable SD/SDHC memory cards, which is a treat for anyone who already has a stockpile of them lying around. All this, along with the camcorder's $150 price tag, make it a compelling choice for a low-end pocket-camcorder. |
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Comparisons | (Page 15 of 17) | ||
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