Kodak Zi6

Hello, I'm Rich Trenholm of CNET UK, and this is the Kodak Zi6. It's another entry to the burgeoning mini-camcorder market, with one thing putting it head and shoulders above cameras like the Flip Video and Creative Vado: it shoots high definition video. Many of the Zi6's competitors only film at VGA resolution. But this camcorder has a larger-than most sensor with 1.6-megapixel resolution, which mean it can record at high-def 1,280x720-pixel resolution, at 30 or 60 frames per second. Let's have a look. The first thing that strikes us is that it's bigger than other entrants in the market, certainly compared to the Flip Mino. It does have a much larger screen than the Flips, at 2.4-inches closer to the screen on a compact digital camera. It's clear and easy to use, but we're not sure why it's there, as the point of these cameras is portability and easy web-sharing, rather than playback on the camera itself. Sharing is made easy by this flip-out USB arm, for direct connection to your computer. The button doubles as a tiny mirror for recording yourself, if you're feeling a bit emo. Here you have the HD and AV outputs - HDMI is a bit much to ask, obviously. At the other side we have a switch that toggles between standard and macro focus distance. Below that is a slot for SD and SDHC cards. Expandable memory is another big plus for the Zi6, as the internal memory is a bit paltry, although it does add to the up-front expenditure. Oddly, there's no in-camera option to format the memory card, and you can only delete one clip at a time. You have to manage everything when connected to the computer, which is fine in theory, but if you need to free up some memory when you're out and about it could be a time-consuming process. Fortunately you don't have to spend extra on batteries. It takes 2 AA batteries, which is probably one of the main reasons for the chunky size, but you do get batteries and a charger in the box, so you could also whip them out and stick them in your other gadgets if you wanted. Software includes basic editing and direct upload to YouTube once you're done shooting. Images look crisp in smaller sizes, but blown up to HD footage looks soft. It also feels a bit slow. Overall we feel the Zi6 is neither one thing not the other: it's too small to be a great high definition camcorder, but a little too big to be a portable budget camcorder. It takes memory cards, which is good, but also uses AA batteries, which just adds to the size. I'm Rich Trenholm of CNET UK, and this is the Kodak Zi6