Kodak ZX1: Good video recorder. Better than Flip MinoHD

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great build quality, variety of video modes & takes stills.

Cons: A tad bit noisy in lower light.  

The Bottom Line: 
A durable portable camera you'll find yourself taking everywhere.  Good choice for outdoor activities.  

Author's Review
My first experience with a pocket video camera was the Flip Mino HD F460.  While I liked the size & convenience of the product, I didn't like much else: it is too small to handle comfortably and inexplicably stuck to a single video resolution (plus no photos), and no provisions for adding additional disk space.

The gift gods sought to provide a Kodak Zx1 at about the same time.  Jaded as I was, I took the Zx1 on a weekend getaway.  I've kept my Zx1 in my coat pocket ever since.

Body  The Zx1 body is large enough to handle comfortably, but still small enough to be tucked into a pocket.  It feels good in the hand. The skin has enough rubberized points to provide good grip.  And the weight of the double AA batteries helps to stabilize the camera a bit.

The Zx1 is called weather resistant; presumably meaning it can be used in light rain and in sandy conditions.  The side ports are protected by rubber covers, the back battery cover closes snugly, and the unit itself feels overall very well constructed.

The 2 inch LCD screen is fine for shooting and reviewing.  It is easy to see even in bright outdoor conditions.

Controls  With the exception of the side mounted power button, all the navigation and operational buttons are on the front.  Most controls are self explanatory and easily discovered with a little play. But two functions - that for accessing preferences and more importantly the way to change resolutions was a tad obscure and required referencing the small manual.

I would have preferred the shooting controls to be on the side of the unit rather than the front so I could push them with the same fingers gripping the unit.  Otherwise, operating the digital zoom is more of a 2 hand affair.  On the other hand (pause), there is no chance of accidental button pushes while holding the camera - and I suppose that's more important.

Ports   On the side covered by a rubberized cover are ports for hdmi, avi, usb (alas not the standard mini style), and DC in.  The camera comes with all cables, but it is not packaged with the power supply.  (It does come with a recharger and rechargable batteries).

SD Card On the opposite side of the ports is the SD/SDHC Card expansion slot.  The Zx1 takes cards as large as 32 gb.

Software  When plugged in via the USB port, the Zx1 installs a software package called "Media Impression".  This program imports pictures and video from the unit but also provides elementary video editing.  Think basic editing, video picture filters (color effects) and a useful low light noise function.  Media Impression also does the prerequisite exports to Youtube, email, etc..   Overall, a pretty useful swiss knife of basic functionality.  The software works on the Windows platform only. 

Video Modes  Well this section title says it all - unlike the Flip MinoHD, the Zx1 supports multiple video modes.  The selection:
* HD60: 720p at 60 fps-16:9
* HD: 720p at 30 fps-16:9 (default) 
* VGA: 640 × 480-4:3. 
* Stills: 3mb jpg

This variety allows one some control over file size - after all, not all clips are HD worthy.  And the JPG stills, even though just 3mb, are nice for enough for candid moments.

Video Quality  One must make the usual disclaimer that pocket video cameras are not on the same par as the larger handheld cameras.  But the tradeoff is portability and a bit of freedom.  I took my Zx1 while cross country skiing, and filmed my decent down a mountain side without nary a worry about damaging the camera.  As it is often said, "the best camera is the one in your hand", and by that measure, the Zx1 is a fine video camera for hiking, skiing, and just walking round town.

That said, the video quality is fine enough in bright light.  In dimmer conditions, there is a bit of noise - but I have to say, I find it more than adequate for parties and public events.   And in the time it takes to pull a camcorder out of a bag, I'm already filming and tossing the camera over to the next table for review.
 
Package Contents  The camera comes with:
* (2) AA Pre-Charged Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries
 * Battery charger
 * HDMI, AV, and USB cables  
* Wrist strap
* Camera pouch
* Additional battery cover (cosmetic) 
* SD card (sizes vary by packaging. I've seen 4gb & 32 gb)

Summary  Kodak did a good job with the Zx1 - it's the pocket video camera with build quality enough to handle the outdoors.  Although I liked the Flip MinoHD F460 at first for it's compact packaging and nice styling, I found the Kodak to be an overall better choice thanks to it's additional video modes, still camera, and better build.

Kodak Zx1:  Highly recommended.