Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Comparison to Flip MinoHD - which is best????, 15 Jul 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
The Kodak ZX1 is a continuation of Kodak's line of HD handicams. It is capable of taking excellent quality HD video in 720p. There are a large range of these sorts of cameras on the market now, with the Kodak and the Flip MinoHD being the market leaders, I would say. I have used both, and shall compare their relative merits.
1. Quality of image
This is the one everyone will really care about. The new Kodak ZX1 does make a noticeable improvement over its Kodak predecessor, particularly in low light. Previous Kodak USB cameras were virtually unwatchable in anything less than full daylight. The ZX1 performs well in overcast conditions, and is watchable indoors, though there is a noticeable increase in noise. However, the Flip MinoHD wildly outperforms it, with far more detail, less noise and less streaking. In daylight, I'd say the Mino HD still has the slight edge, but the differences are less prominent.
2. Quality of Sound
Again, the Flip MinoHD is head and shoulders above the ZX1 in terms of sound quality captured. The ZX1 is still no slouch, and sound reproduction is perfectly adequate and useable for a camera of this size and for the intended market. But its microphone shows little regard for distant sources, and the person holding the camera can sound a little over-loud and distorted. The MinoHD doesn't have these problems, with distant and near sounds being captured smoothly.
3. Looks and usability
This is more of a case of personal taste. The MinoHD is smaller (about the size of a Nokia 6300, though a bit thicker) and probably slightly simpler, with a big red button for recording. It is also square on the bottom, which seems irrelevant, until you come to try and stand the ZX1 on a table top and you realise it will just fall over! The ZX1 has a slick brushed steel front, with sexy touch-sensitive buttons. It also comes in a range of great colours - I have the red, but actually think the yellow looks the best. However, the MinoHD's menus are more intuitive and quicker to navigate.
4. Features
The ZX1 features the ability to take still pictures, which is actually incredibly useful. Why the guys at Flip didn't think to do this is unknown, but it creates a massive weakness compared to their rival. Who wants to bother taking two cameras with them? Sometimes you'll see something that doesn't warrant a video, but would make a great still. Also the Kodak allows you to change the level of fidelity, meaning you can save on memory by recording on lower resolutions. Even better, it allows/requires the use of an SD card, which means you have virtually limitless memory. And it uses rechargeable batteries which are shipped with it, along with a charger! The Flip doesn't do any of this. The ZX1 wins this hands down.
The ZX1 is a great camera in its own right, but the MinoHD does edge it out in terms of performance and function, and would be the obvious choice if it wasn't for the lack of features. Its a tough choice, and really depends on what you intend to use the camera for. For long trips away from your PC, the ZX1 is the camera for you. If you are staying closer to home though, the Flip might be the better choice.
|
|
|
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent piece of kit and good accessories, 9 Jul 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
As I am lucky enough to own a Flip Mino HD, the obvious thing is to compare the two but to be honest, there are so many differences in what are essentially similar products, this is difficult so I'll concentrate on the job in hand which is to review the ZX1. However, where differences occur, I will point them out because which you go for is a matter of personal preference.
First of all, the most important thing is the quality of the image and sound. Picture quality is excellent for the price. Sound is OK but nothing to write home about. The lack of optical zoom is disappointing. The digital zoom is only 2x but isn't as blurry as some SD equivalent cameras (at least in HD mode). It is a bit jerky when you zoom in and out though. The viewing screen on the camera is a reasonable size and clear (and bigger than that on the Flip).
A nice touch is that there are four modes of use, Standard Definition, HD at 30FPS, HD at 60FPS and still pictures. Obviously, the higher definitions use more memory so you won't get as much film on your memory card. I found it difficult to take still pictures without camera shake due to the shape of the camera, which is designed for taking movies, not stills.
The ZX1 is fairly bulky, especially compared to the Flip Mino, and is more difficult to keep in your pocket. You do get a nice carry case with it so you can slip it on your wrist.
Two main differences between the ZX1 and the Flip (in order for people to make the choice depending on their preferences). Firstly, whereas the flip has a built in battery, the ZX1 uses 2 AA batteries. Useful if you want to take some spares (which you will probably need to do). However, you do get two Kodak rechargeable batteries AND a charger included. Battery life is reasonable but a couple of spare rechargeables will most likely be a lot cheaper than buying disposable batteries.
Secondly, whereas the Flip has internal 4Gb memory, the ZX1 uses SD cards. There is no SD card included so you will need to factor this into the price. However, with ever increasing sizes of SD cards being available, this could be more useful if you are planning to take a lot of film before you can get to a computer to store it.
You do get a very good set of accessories though. As well as the aforementioned batteries and charger, there are all the leads you need to connect to the TV and computer including an HDMI cable. I'm well impressed with this as you don't usually get one of these included even with an expensive Blu Ray player. A spare battery compartment cover is also included which is nice as you will be changing batteries on a regular basis and it might get worn.
Overall then a very good camera for the price. Simple to use and good quality clips. if you want professional results, spend more and get a camcorder with optical zoom and all the bells and whistles. However, if you want something for your holiday clips that's very straightforward to use, you can't go far wrong with this.
|
|
|
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An HD Camera That Fits In Your Pocket, 27 May 2009
Received this camera on Saturday, after reading lots of reviews on the net, and watching some sample clips the camera has made on YouTube and Vimeo.
And it's fantastic!
I thought the sample clips were of great quality, but those had been compressed by YouTube/Vimeo - the actual recordings you can make with this camera are much, much better! Even on the second highest setting (which is waht I use), 720p at 30 frames a second, the quality is top-notch - your videos will be razor-sharp, and, with the HDMI out (and included HDMI cable), the videos look absolutely fantastic on our 720p HDTV.
It's dead small, like a mobile, and rugged too - have already taken it to the beach for a test run, no probs at all.
I would say that if you're looking for an HD camera, and don't want to carry around a bulkier, more expensive model, you'd do no better than getting the ZX1 (the fact it takes SDHC memory is great as well, much better than other brands who have a set internal memory - as, once that's filled, that's it - with this camera you can just carry more SDHC cards, and away you go. Also, as it uses AA batteries instead of a propriety battery, it's always easy to find batteries on the go...)
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
