Kodak Zi8 Users
suziko wrote:
I am with Suzi on the attached USB. It's a bit awkward to plug in on my laptop, but I love not looking for yet another cord. I bought a little tripod and for me, this is point and shoot. Could I get better pictures on something else - more features, etc? Probably. But this is easy enough that I don't have to mess with it. Record my video - plug into computer - download the video to laptop - play with it a bit in either Kodak's software or Movie Maker, and upload. And I also agree with Suzi about the still camera feature. This is the one that gets dropped into my bag when hiking or doing family junk cuz I have it all - movies and stills. Love the whole SD card idea also as that actually provides you unlimited storage. I agree with others in that the only thing I have struggled with is sound. It's actually pretty good, but if you want a full body shot through the lens, you are far enough away from the camera that the built in mic doesn't pick up all the nuances of the guitar. Easily remedied with an external mic. And I do think the picture quality is super good for as small and easy as this camera is. Sorry I am a bit late on this discussion, but wanted to put in my two cents worth.I've had my Zi8 for about 4 months now and love it. I've stopped using my regular digital camera for taking still photos, and now use the Zi8 for that because the quality is so good and it's so easy to use.
Dennis already mentioned the things I like about it (besides the still-photo thing), but I want to say that I actually really like the USB connector. I like that I don't need to hunt around for the appropriate USB cable when I want to upload videos. You just plug the camera itself directly into the computer. I like that aspect a lot.
If Izzy was late then I am ridiculously so, but the Zi8 is great. Simply great value for the money. Less than 200 bucks? It could be excused for having limitations but I see none that are worth mentioning. Excellent value. The USB into laptop is a pain, but easily solved with a 2 dollar USB extension cable. The zooming issue Dennis mentioned but not a show stopper.
Here is my two cents. I ended up spending about $30 more and bought a Canon FS200. It is a very small videocam with a 2" LCD that turns in any direction which I like so I can see what is in the frame while in front of the camera. It also has a good zoom and and plug for an external mic. I think the optics are a little better than the Kodak but that is debatable. The LCD that flips out and turns around is what made me go for the Cannon. After getting the Canon I called the support on 3 occasions just to ask basic questions and I got a quick, friendly and knowledgable response each time with less than a 5 minute wait time on all 3 calls. That added to my satisfaction at making the choice I did, after the fact. The Zi8 is a great choice though if you want to save that extra $30 to $40 and don't care about the LCD screen that allows you to see what you are filming from almost any angle including being in front of the videocam. Good luck with what ever you choose. Gary