Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 106
 A Sweet Little Camera--But Buy A Memory Stick! November 25, 2009
Leslie (Salem, MA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I wanted a very portable, easy-to-use, basic camera for family use, and this fits the bill perfectly. Picture quality is very good (high density is available) and focus is fine. I like the fact that you can switch from "landscape" mode (most uses -- a meter or more away) to "macro" mode (for ultra close-ups just inches away). My biggest concern was how my less-than-steady hand would affect jumpiness, but it's no worry at all.
What I failed to recognize when I bought the camera was that it really can't be used without a memory card; internal memory gives you maybe 20 seconds of video at the lowest resolution. Memory cards are anywhere from off-brand cheap to high-end expensive. After reading reviews, I decided on the moderately priced Kodak brand and went for the 8 MB card ($39.95 + free shipping at HSN as of Nov 09). You'll also want to buy a case, since the lens has no cap.
The biggest disappointment is the zoom (digital not optical), which is very jumpy. I've read online that Kodak has a firmware update that you can download to resolve this problem, however. Another thing to consider: apparently XP has a problem reading the 8 MB memory card. But there's a download on the Microsoft site to fix this (KB934428). I haven't done either of these yet, but plan to do so.
 So far, sooo great November 24, 2009
Anne L. N. Morrison (Wisconsin)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I ordered the camera last week and then after reading more reviews here and elsewhere, I immediately decided to cancel the order. Unfortunately, Amazon had already shipped and they told me to either refuse the package, or to try it and then return it, no charge, if it didn't work. It arrived yesterday and I fully expected to return it today. We spent the night playing with it, however, and we are not returning it--it works fabulously. Perhaps it came with all the firmware updates installed because we had no issues with picture, with sound quality, etc. We didn't experience any of the issues other reviewers have mentioned--there was no high pitched sound, no lines, no problems filming in low-light. We use a Mac and the uploading was effortless--no additional software needed. We were able to play clips in quicktime, in iphoto or in imovie. Image quality is very good. I don't normally write reviews and I typically wouldn't write a review after having so little experience with an item, but I feel that this product is getting a bad rap and so far we love it.
great small digital video camera November 24, 2009
Franz Kafka (New York City)
I haven't fully put it through its paces, but so far it looks like a winner. . . .
 Great HD Picture but the lens not wide enough!! November 24, 2009
M. Maitlen (Los Angeles, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this unit to record my kids without having to carry a bulky recorder around. The video quality in good light is excellent. It's really easy to use. In under 15 seconds, I can be shooting away. The battery will run out faster than an 8gig memory card, even on 1080 resolution- so consider a spare battery if you are on a trip.
There are two drawbacks that make me hesitant to recommend this product. First off, the lens has no wide-angle capability. I find myself always having to back-up to try to get a "medium" shot. With a minimum focus of about 3 feet, you can't shoot people or things in close quarters. There is a macro function but unless you are an entomologist, it is not very helpful.
The lack of a wide angle lens compounds the second problem which is the lack of a good image stabilizer. Unless you are holding the unit rock-solid, the image gets blurry very easily. And without a wide-angle lens, you are forced to constantly follow objects that move or they will move out of the tight frame line.
I would suggest going to Best Buy to test this camera and its competitors before you come back to Amazon to get the cheapest price.
Kodak's Zi8 in a word: OUTSTANDING... buy it!! November 24, 2009
Stormy Weather
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased my Zi8 through Amazon 10 days ago (over
the flip ultra hd) and absolutely LOVE it.
The quality and convenience factor is so high, it's replaced
both my $900.00 Canon HD Camcorder, and my old flip video cam.
Here's what I like about the Zi8:
#1: External Mic Jack -- YES!!! By adding a low-cost external
mic, I now have AMAZING sound on my videos. (External mics ALWAYS beat
camcorder's in-camera mics for quality). For just 24 bucks, I added a:
Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone off Amazon's site.
#2: Internal Mic is FAIR - no whine or noise, they've fixed that. It's
about the same as any internal mic as far as quality goes... OK,
but not great.
#3: Facial Recognition: this works incredibly well - focus locks
right on, and stays locked on... I'm impressed!
#4: Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery - this thing really lasts... I bought a
2nd one, but probably should've saved my money.
#5: The HD & Widescreen on the Zi8 is really impressive. For the web, I'm
shooting mostly 720p - and VERY happy with the results. The quality
is really crisp.
#6: Works PERFECTLY with my MAC... just plug it in to the USB
port on my MacPro and I've got my video. Sweeet.
#7: Low Light Performance is very good, as is the image
stabilization.
I picked up the optional remote from Kodak. When I need to
video myself, I just tripod mount my Zi8, plug-in my ext mic,
and use the external remote to make my video segments -
works really great.
This is the pocket video cam I've been waiting for. The quality
of video the Zi8 puts out is fantastic, and I'm using iMovie to edit
it on my Mac.
Absolutely NO REGRETS - this is one great video cam.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 106
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