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Introduction
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01.Design
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02.Product Tour
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03.Performance
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04.Color Performance
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05.Low Light Performance
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06.Motion Performance
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07.Sharpness Performance
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08.Sample Videos
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09.Usability
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10.Ease of Use
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11.Handling
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12.Controls
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13.Features
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14.Recording Options
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15.Hardware
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16.Other Features
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17.Sony MHS-PM1 Comparison
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18.Flip UltraHD Comparison
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19.Kodak Zi6 Comparison
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20.Conclusion
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21.Photo Gallery
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22.Specs & Ratings
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23.Comments
Previous: Page 16
Other FeaturesNext: Page 18
Flip UltraHD ComparisonSony MHS-PM1 Comparison
When you look at the Kodak Zx1 and Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1 side by side, they appear to be pretty similar camcorders… especially when you have pink and purple models. Aside from their compact appearance, these are two very different products.
In bright lighting conditions, the Sony blows the Kodak out of the water: there’s far less noise and an accurate white balance results in far better color performance. Take the camcorders into low lighting conditions—like Fourth of July fireworks or a popular club—and Kodak comes out on top. Footage is far brighter with the Kodak, resulting in better colors and less noise. The Webbie’s superior sharpness won’t help if you can’t see your friends’ faces in that bachelorette party video. Neither is a good option for a still camera: there’s no flash, barely any features, and the low-resolution photos aren’t any better than what you’d get with a cell phone camera.
The differences go deeper than performance. The Kodak runs on AA batteries; the Sony is a rechargeable lithium battery. The Sony has a unique swivel-head for easy self-recording; the Kodak does not. The Sony has a good joystick and a small zoom toggle; the Kodak has an unwieldy d-pad. Neither offers the streamlined user experience of the Flip series: the Sony has a lot more options and finding them is no easy task; the Kodak has fewer options but using the d-pad and ambiguous buttons is not intuitive. We had fewer problems installing the Kodak software, but neither the Kodak nor the Sony software is as foolproof to use as the Flip software, which is also Mac-compatible.
Shop for the Kodak Zx1
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