You’re reading Hivelogic, a website about discovering quality, living more efficiently, and leading a simpler, more mindful life. This site was established in 2000 by Dan Benjamin, a writer, software developer, broadcaster, and usability geek (read more).
I purchased a Flip Ultra in April of 2008, about 6 months ago. It’s great.
You can see the Flip Ultra’s specifications here.
I’ve used it primarily to make short videos of my little boy, now almost 10 months old, as he grows and explores his world. The Flip is perfect for this kind of thing, creating quick little videos, slice-of-life moments captured for posterity. Easy to hold, fitting in a pocket, lightweight, and mostly durable (if not a little hollow-feeling), the Flip Ultra is a perfect compliment to a digital SLR camera, or even a point-and-shoot camera that can record video of its own (more on that later).
Operating a Flip is easy because there are really only two things you need to know to work the thing: slide the power switch to turn it on, and press the red button to start and stop recording. Sure, you can replay and delete saved videos, zoom in and out, that kind of thing, but you don’t need to think about those things most of the time. You can just point it at something and record without worrying about any details. It’s just a super-simple solution for making videos whenever you feel like it.
The Flip Ultra can record up to 60 minutes at 640×480 resolution. This is hardly the quality you’d expect from a traditional camcorder, like the Panasonic PV-GS 300 I’d purchased when the boy was born. But more frequently over the past months, I’d found myself reaching less and less for the camcorder and grabbing the Flip instead. It’s easier to take places, more simple to operate, and getting the video where I usually want it – on my Flickr account – is a one-step process, unlike the slow importing of tape into iMovie, editing down, exporting, etc. Worse, with the camcorder, I had to actually manage the tapes both on the Mac Pro, as well as in the real world, labeling them, filing them away, keeping track of which ones were ready to use, which were half full, considering how to group them (by month? year? topic?). The Flip just made things so easy.
Because of the Flip Ultra’s seemingly durable construction and inexpensive price tag (it only costs around $100), I’m confident enough to bring it with me just about anywhere I go, even handing it to the boy on occasion without too much concern. Much like an iPod Shuffle, it’s almost disposable … if something terrible did happen to it in the line of duty, the loss would be tolerable.
Another thing that’s great about the Flip is the way it records audio. Gruber and I have talked about this on The Talk Show, but to summarize, the Flip seems to somehow be specially tuned in to the human vocal range. Dialog seems to pop out over background noise in a pleasing way, and there’s virtually no bleed-through of environmental noise such as wind or water.
The video quality is decent. It’s great for getting a point across visually: “Hey look family members, the boy can pull himself up and cruise along the sofa!” It looks fine in a window on your computer. It uploads and plays perfectly on Flickr. It looks great on an old TV, if you can find one. But on a high definition television, even to somebody like me who isn’t that particular about TV resolution (I think upscaled DVD’s look awesome in HD), it’s far from ideal.
And the Flip Ultra takes batteries. Regular AA batteries you can find anywhere. They last forever, too. And did I mention that people with absolutely no technological expertise, say, the grandparents, can operate it on their first try?
The Flip Ultra vs. a Point-and-Shoot Camera
If you already have a point-and-shoot with video capabilities that you’re happy with, you probably don’t need to get a Flip (or a Zi6). But if you have a dSLR (besides the new Nikon D90 or the Canon 5D Mark II which both take video), you probably need one.
That said, the Flip Ultra seems to create better video than the point-and-shoot camera’s I’ve tried. Maybe it’s the tuned audio, the low-light capabilities, the simplicity of use, the form factor, or just the low cost (and inherent disposability) that makes me like it better.
I bought a white Flip Ultra, by the way. They’re all pretty good, but the white makes me think about Apple or Nintendo, while the black one looks just like every other handheld device.
Enter the Zi6
On paper, the Kodak Zi6 looks awesome. It records in high definition, 720p at 60 fps. It uses SD cards (which many of us already have available) and you can swap them out when you need some room – no more of the 60 minute limit like the Flip Ultra. Anybody who’s been following Kodak over recent years knows they’ve been pushing hard to get their mojo back by creating cool photography and consumer electronics products.
You can see the Kodak Zi6’s specifications here.
As much as I liked the Flip Ultra, the idea of recording in high definition and being able to expand storage would be a big win. And c’mon, just look at the Zi6’s awesome screen.
I ordered one direct from Kodak on the day they became available (this was much earlier than they became available from Amazon). Kodak shipped it the next morning, along with a commemorative Olympic pin which I didn’t want or ask for.
I received the Zi6 a day later and unpacked it. The Zi6 is an incredibly well built, solid hunk of technology. It’s noticeably heavier than a Flip, and you can really feel the weight in your pocket. In every way that the Flip almost feels cheap, the Zi6 almost feels expensive. It has a grippy, rubberized body, compared with the Flip’s smooth plastic shell. It has a little toggle-style stick for interacting with the menus, the kind you used to find on cell-phones before the iPhone came around. There are menus to interact with, and settings to select. There are a few buttons on the right and left of the little toggle-style stick which allow you to control things like playback.
I charged it up and popped in an 8GB SDHC card, and started experimenting. To start and stop recording, you press down on the little toggle-style stick to record. Doing this feels clumsy and sometimes you wind up pushing the toggle-style stick in a direction you didn’t intend to. But that’s all OK, because the view screen is so fantastic. It’s big and bright, but despite that, the Zi6 has a pretty solid battery life. Nothing like the Flip Ultra’s battery performance, but not bad.
You connect the Zi6 to your computer the same way you connect a Flip to your computer: a little arm with a USB port on the end of it pops open and swings out. Whereas the Flip’s USB-arm really pops out as if it were spring loaded (it probably is), the Zi6’s arm operates a bit more smoothly. Once connected, just like a Flip, you can browse the device’s media files and copy them to your computer for storage, review, and editing.
This is when I watched the videos I’d recorded.
This is also when I repackaged the Zi6 and sent it back to Kodak.
I sent the commemorative pin back, too.
Gone Daddy Gone
After I tweeted that I’d sent the Zi6 back, a nice woman from Kodak, Jennifer, emailed to ask me why. Another few points scored for Kodak … they get Twitter. Even so, there were a number of reasons as to why the Zi6 wasn’t right for me – at least not yet.
In perfect conditions, the Zi6 is capable of capturing great quality video. But there were just too many situations where getting good, or even acceptable video was impossible.
- The Zi6’s low light performance wasn’t great. OK, to be honest, it was piss-poor. The quality took a nose dive unless you had really bright lighting – like outside at noon. Indoors, even in our sunlit family room, the end result would be dark, dim, almost pixellated.
- Video stability was another big issue. If your hands shake a little, say you’ve had a cup of coffee earlier in the week, that will translate to the video. Unless done very slowly, if you pan the camera left or right, the video will blur and pixellate (there’s probably a fancy term for this, let me know in the comments if you can).
- Audio quality, especially outdoors, wasn’t so good. The Zi6 seems to pick up a much wider range of audio than the Flip. You might think that this is a good thing, but when making videos of people, it’s not. With any kind of background or environmental noise, people’s voices seem drowned out, the ambient noise overpowering the dialog. If there was even a little bit of wind, it would be picked up and obscure the dialog, too. If you’ve ever talked with somebody on a cell phone in the wind, you know exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about.
I’m sorry that I didn’t post any of the video from the Zi6 because to be honest, I really just wasn’t that happy with what I’d taken. At the time, I wasn’t planning to write this review, but looking back, I wish I’d taken some side-by-side video with the Flip and the Zi6 just for this purpose.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, better video under perfect conditions wasn’t as valuable to me as being able to get decent video under any conditions. Maybe if I’d never tried a Flip Ultra, I’d have fallen in love with the Zi6.
That said, I’d certainly be interested in trying out the next version (or refresh) of the Zi6. I still think it has the potential to be a great product and unless Flip continues to innovate (beyond the minor tweaks in the Flip Mino), Kodak might just learn a few things and push the envelope beyond the Flip’s current reach.
Cameron Westland
09 October 2008 at 9:28 am
Dan, you just convinced me NOT to get the Kodak and to get the Flip, I am in Canada and have been eagerly awaiting the Zi6, basically I want it to replace my old Nokia N95 that used to take great video.
Cheers!
Jenny Cisney
09 October 2008 at 9:32 am
- nice woman from Kodak here - thanks for the Twitter points scored, there are so many tweets out there sometimes it is hard to keep up with them all - I did pass your feedback along to our Zi6 folks here
Nicholas Tolson
09 October 2008 at 9:33 am
Great in-depth comparison. Very cool to hear that Kodak is on Twitter and actively so. I never would have guessed that.
Without using both cameras - or now, reading this - I would have automatically assumed the Zi6 was the better product due to its HD capabilities.
The info on the better audio recording performance is key. I think its easier in general to watch (or put up with) a video with so-so video quality vs a video with so-so audio quality. Maybe that’s just from years of watching America’s Funniest Home Videos or something. :)
DeGeeked.com, for which I am an editor (full disclosure), chose The Flip as their “best video camera under $200” a few months ago before the Zi6 came out. http://www.degeeked.com/answers/detail/whats-the-best-video-camera-for-under-200
Glad to see that still holds up.
Dan Benjamin
09 October 2008 at 9:39 am
One thing I want to be clear about - my goal isn’t to criticize the Zi6. It’s a great product overall. There are just a few tweaks that Kodak could make in order to transform it into the fabled “Flip Killer.”
To be honest, I think rev 2 of the Zi6 will do just that. After all, the Flip Ultra is the second version of the Flip ...
Jay Goodman Tamboli
09 October 2008 at 9:48 am
Kodak sent me a review Zi6 for us to use at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. My experience was quite similar to yours: I thought the higher resolution was great, but it also looked shaky. More importantly, we use the cameras to do a lot of interviews at political events. A standard microphone would be useless in spin alley at the presidential debates, but somehow the Flip picks up the audio. The Kodak didn’t work quite as well. The Kodak is a great device, but at least for my purposes the Flip works impressively well at a great price.
Brian Warren
09 October 2008 at 9:49 am
Thanks for the hands on review Dan. I had a hunch this is what the experience would be like. I imagine in future versions, we’ll see improvements.
The other thought I have is that HD video is very dense, regardless of how simply it’s captured. It requires more time and storage, so the commitment to shooting/editing/uploading to flickr is greater. The flip feels more like just taking a snapshot or a polaroid of a specific point in time. I like that.
Dan Benjamin
09 October 2008 at 9:51 am
@Brian - that’s a great analogy - the Flip is like a Polaroid camera for video.
Brian Warren
09 October 2008 at 9:55 am
@Dan Merlin Mann made the “snapshot” analogy before me. Credit where due: http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/41151115/ellie-in-the-park-a-few-years-ago-my-mom-gave
Geoff Cheshire
09 October 2008 at 10:55 am
Dan, any thoughts on the Mino vs. the Ultra if buying today?
jeffsawyer
09 October 2008 at 1:08 pm
I’m very happy with my Zi6. *I’ve never owned a Flip and bought the zi6 on my friend’s (@lawpower) recommendation and review (http://xrl.us/otbyq). I own a pro-sumer Sony MiniDV cam and have been intending on getting either a Canon or Sony HighDef cam soon, but haven’t really had the need.
I’m going to HK and Thailand in about a month and wanted something small, portable and ran on easy to find battery life… Since the Zi6 uses AA’s and SD cards it’s an easy fit. I really like the way the cam feels in my hand and the interface is intuitive enough…
With all that being said, the cam needs too much light as this review mentions. Given good lighting, the pictures turn out great. It’s also great if all you intend to do is put the clips on youtube, your blog or something like that, but want them to be in an HD format by default. I think that’s the target for this and I love it.
follow me! :)
Jemaleddin
10 October 2008 at 6:28 am
My girlfriend bought me a Flip Mino for my birthday and I haven’t had a lot of chances to play with it. A couple days ago my son had a bad day at school and that afternoon we made a video to cheer him up. 3 minutes of recording on the Flip, seconds to transfer it to my 2-year-old MacBook, 25 minutes of editing and a few seconds to upload, and there he is on YouTube. In under an hour. I spent longer playing with the YouTube speech-bubbles than I did making the video.
I can’t imagine that I’d be able to do that with the Zi6 just because the better quality would mean that it would require more horsepower on the computer, more lag between operations, more transfer times, etc. And the Flip was awesome in all the ways you said: I took the video in my basement. My poorly lit basement. With Jared’s highly variable speech-volume. And his back and forth swaying. But this video worked out wonderfully.
Simpler is better.
Douglas F Shearer
10 October 2008 at 12:00 pm
Thanks for the review Dan, I was all ready to place my pre-order (Amazon Uk) before I read this.
Maybe a Flip for me then.
dave
10 October 2008 at 12:12 pm
You actually got feedback from Kodak? Amazing. I emailed and phoned Kodak about their Digital Picture Frame (the EX-1011) before buying it, and they wrote, unequivocally, that yes, you could transfer pictures directly from a Mac to the picture frame, wirelessly. So I buy it, and guess what. Wireless transfer ONLY works between the picture frame and Windows. So I phone Kodak again. Oh, sorry, the other people were mistaken.
And they shafted users with there Kodak Gallery site, which is advertised as ‘free’, but it only is IF YOU KEEP BUYING STUFF FROM KODAK. Which means it’s NOT FREE.
Kodak just doesn’t seem to get the digital age.
Rob Russell
10 October 2008 at 12:22 pm
point 2: “motion blur”? :)
It’s probably a tough bit of code to reproduce that effect.
Sean Fitzroy
10 October 2008 at 12:30 pm
Great review (found via Gruber’s blog)!
The pixilation and blurriness you’re referring to is a result of the type of video compression used on these cameras. To compress the video to such a small size (relative to uncompressed video which is huge, even SD) the algorithm assumes that most of the pixels will be the same from frame to frame.
On a tripod, or even with a larger camera, this is usually true, however smaller cameras are more susceptible to shakiness. When the image shakes or wobbles all of the pixels change at once. This forces the software to either (1) use more data to record all of the new changes (2) keep the same data rate, but record the changes in lower-resolution (that’s the sudden blockiness you see).
The manufactures could minimize this issue by using optical or digital image stabilization - either would present a more consistent set of frames to the compression software, but optical stabilization means more hardware complexity and shorter battery life, while digital stabilization requires that some of the pixels on the image sensor, and therefore some of the resolution, be sacrificed.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll be buying a Mino. I have a Canon SD1000 but I rarely use the video mode, and I think the ergonomic differences in the Mino represent enough of a tipping point that I would carry and use it frequently.
ryan hamilton
10 October 2008 at 12:33 pm
Nice write-up Dan. Just received a white Flip Mino from Amazon yesterday. This makes me feel much better about my purchase. Cheers
Wolf
10 October 2008 at 12:33 pm
Dave, you’re ruining this so-far awesome comment thread.
Solid review, love the writing style. I own a Flip Ultra (albeit a black one) and am very happy with it. The battery life is superb and it’s ease of use is great - just like the Wii, the majority of people just get what they have to do in seconds.
GQB
10 October 2008 at 1:47 pm
I needed to get a recorder when my expensive JVC recorder developed a fatal scratch on the recording heads (only three years old) rendering it a piece of trash. I also hated having to playback in realtime to xfer to iMovie.
I saw the announcement for the Kodak and it really looked like what I wanted. But I needed it for an event the next day and instead got the Flip Mino and never looked back.
I’ve recorded an order of magnitude more ‘footage’ with the Mino than I did in 3 years of the ‘better’ camera.
Good quality that never gets taken loses out every day to OK quality that you use all the time.
The reason I’m glad I got the Flip (other than your validating review… whew) is that
1) its always charged… I leave it plugged into the USB and grab it as I’m out the door, or leave it in my glove compartment for no more than a few days.
2) the battery life exactly matches the storage capacity… 1 hr battery, 1 hour of recording. I never take more than that.
3) No batteries to screw with or dispose of.
I love the Flip Mino.
Dan Benjamin
10 October 2008 at 3:22 pm
@GQB (and others recommending the Mino) - have you ever compared the size/weight of the Mino to the Ultra?
Paul Boutin
10 October 2008 at 3:44 pm
You guys are crazy. I own a Zi6, my friend had the Flip. I wouldn’t exchange my Zi6 for his flip.
Yes, I agree, it’s shaky (I don’t move), it’s low quality in low light ( I don’t shoot in low light). As for the sound problem, I didn’t notice it. I’ve always heard what I wanted to hear.
The big killer to me is the HD picture quality. It’s HD!
I can slap it on my 50 inch Pioneer TV and it’s the same HD I get watching TV.
Let me repeat, it’s HD in my pocket.
This is my daughter I’m shooting now for posterity. 20 years from now, she’ll say wow it’s not 3D but at least I will be able to say, no but it’s HD. ;-)
As for youtube users, there is a low quality settings that shoots videos in none HD in order to upload to youtube quicker.
As for me, I use vimeo.com now… it’s HD baby… ;-)
GQB
11 October 2008 at 12:32 am
The specs are here…
http://www.flipvideo.com/products_flip_ultra_specs.II.shtml
The Mino seems to be about 1/4” smaller in height and width, and feels about the weight of a flip phone.
As for the Zi6’s ‘HD’, the reviews I’ve read of it say that the HD primarily makes it a nice full screen picture on a large 16:9 screen, but in no way does it produce what can by any stretch of the imagination be called “HD”. I don’t even consider the compressed crap that comes over cable as HD, let alone files that can fit on a flash card.
By Kodak’s own specs, the ‘HD’ files also take up a LOT more room.
I’m sure the Zi6 is a nice little camera… neither are professional quality. They’re our generation’s Polaroids.
For me, not having to futz with batteries is the clincher.
Pault
11 October 2008 at 5:53 pm
Other than the jitters and programming resources at kodak, firmware updates should be able to provide improved voice recording and low light recordings. Right?
David
12 October 2008 at 3:11 am
Does Flip have any plans to make an HD-capable version? Seems like they’d want to have an option to compete with the Zi6 on that point, since they seem to have an edge on other things. I don’t have either camera, but want to buy something fairly soon. I want HD, but I have shaky hands and shoot in low light, so the Zi6 is obviously not for me.
Mick
12 October 2008 at 4:51 am
Good review. I just bought a Flip Ultra after considering the Zi6. I eventually picked the Flip based on cost alone so your review makes me feel pretty great about my decision. Thanks.
Brian Dusablon
14 October 2008 at 7:34 pm
I picked up a Flip Mino along with my new Canon SD1100 IS P&S.
I did side-by-side comparisons, and while some of the Flip’s video was a little clearer, the audio and video quality of the Canon, even in low light, was on par and sometimes even better.
Thus, I chose to stick with one pocket cam, instead of two, because the Canon, for just $50 more, also had the ability to take kick-ass still shots.
As Dan said, if you have a DSLR that you take everywhere, maybe the Flip is for you. But if you’re like me, and have a DSLR for planned events, but want a do-everything camera for your pocket to have with you ALL the time, don’t limit yourself with a pocket video camera.
Now, when true, quality HD video recording comes to the pocket cams, I’m all over it :-)
steve Garfield
18 October 2008 at 11:36 am
I just got the Kodak Zi6. Been waiting for an HD camera that creates .mov files. I’ve been having fun with it and have posted some videos over on video:
http://vimeo.com/stevegarfield/videos
Ed Fladung
20 October 2008 at 2:18 pm
great article, Dan. I’m convinced. I bought a Flip Ultra, using your amazon link. keep up the good work.
Patrick Haney
21 October 2008 at 12:07 pm
As someone who owns neither the Flip or the Zi6, I can honestly say I’m holding out for something better. The Flip’s size and weight, along with the decent low-light capabilities, makes it a great option. However, the Zi6 records in HD and has an SD slot, meaning more room for video and the ability to swap out memory when one card is full.
What it comes down to for me is that every video taken by the Zi6 that I’ve seen is very shaky. Also, I’ve noticed the blur caused by panning. Fix these two things, and I’ll buy a Zi6 in a heartbeat. The audio issue isn’t noticeable in my opinion, but I’ve only watched other people’s videos (and no more than a dozen so far).
Kodak has an opportunity. Here’s hoping they take advantage of it.
Ed
31 October 2008 at 9:29 am
After reading the Wired Magazine article that rated the Kodak higher than the Flip Mino, I was bummed that I didn’t buy the Kodak instead of the Mino. However your review has given me some relief from the “grass is always greener” syndrome.
I purchased the Ultra and was really happy with it. I loved the ability to take video underwater with the Flip underwater case or attach it to my bike with the action mount. When the Mino came out at half the size I immediately bought one and have taken some cool vid of my kids and like previous posts have said, it’s so dummy proof and small that for the price it really is a no brainer. Bottom line is I’ll stick with my Mino until Flip comes out with their next model.
Steve K.
09 November 2008 at 11:40 am
Thanks for the review. I need to know a couple of things. I am looking to get either a Flip or Zi6. It is for my nephew who is 8. Both seem to offer same ease of use in the camera. I am more interested in ease of use on the Mac with iMovie. I have heard Flip videos do NOT simply drop right into iMovie. Is this true? Please expand on this. The Zi6 uses H.264 and therefore should drop right into iMovie without any conversion needed. I would like some info on what it was like to use the files from both cameras with the Mac and iMovie. Ease of use is key to me since my nephew will be using it. I don’t want him to have to site through endless conversions. I want it to just work. Any info would be greatly appreciated from you Dan or your readers. Thanks!
Jim Norton
12 November 2008 at 4:20 am
Flip now in HD
Simple to Shoot in HD
The world’s smallest HD camcorder, weighing only 3.3 ounces
Convenient flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your computer to launch built-in FlipShare™ software
Built-in memory for up to 60 minutes of high-quality video
Rechargeable lithium ion battery— charges via your USB port. Approximately 2 hours of recording per charge.
Start recording within 3 seconds of power-up
Advanced playback, pause, fast forward/rewind features
Records high-quality H.264 videos that work with iTunes, iMovie, and iPhoto
“Child Safe” mode to prevent accidental deletions of clips
Fast lens – great low or bright light results, 2x digital zoom
1.5” color high-brightness (transflective) display for easy recording and super-clear viewing in bright sunlight
Silent mode for recording in sensitive situations
TV connector cable included to watch videos on television
Tripod mount fits any standard tripod
Video: 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per second progressive scan
Simple to Share
Built-in FlipShare™ software for instant viewing, editing, and one-click emailing with upgraded features:
Browse, playback, organize and archive your videos
Create movies with videos, music & titles
Edit clips and save still photos from video
Instantly upload to AOL, MySpace, YouTube and other video sites
Share your videos using email or greetings cards (free and unlimited video sharing)
Records high-quality H.264 videos that work with iTunes, iMovie, and iPhoto (MP4 files)
The following accessories are designed to work with the Flip Mino HD Camcorder.
The Flip Video Action Mount securely attaches your Flip Video Camcorder to handlebars, helmets, and other outdoor gear so you can record all the action while keeping your hands free. $14.99
The Flip Video Tripod is an ultra portable mounting device for your Flip Video Recorder. Set it up almost anywhere and record anything - even yourself. Comes with 5 sets of colorful interchangeable feet to match your camcorder. $14.99
The Flip Video USB Cable makes it easy to connect your Flip Video Camcorder to any computer, even those with hard-to-reach USB ports. Package includes three colors: White, Orange and Pink. $14.99
Here’s what’s in the box:
Flip Video Mino HD Camcorder w/ built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
Protective carrying pouch
Wrist strap
TV cable
Quickstart Guide
Product Specifications
Internal Memory: 4GB (60 minutes)
Screen Size: 1.5” (transflective TFT)
Screen Resolution: 528 x 132 pixels
Video Resolution: 1280 x 720
Frame Rate: 30 frames per second (constant frame rate, progressive scan)
Video Bitrate: 8.8Mbps (average - auto adaptive algorithm)
Video Format: H.264 video compression, AAC audio compression, saves as MP4 file
Lens Type: Fixed Focus (1.5m to infinity)
Aperture: f/2.4 (fast lens for great results in low-light environments)
Zoom: Smooth multi-step 2x digital
Interface: 8 Touch-Sensitive Capacitive Buttons (Power, Play, Delete, Record and 4 way navigation)
Dimensions: 3.94” x 1.97” x 0.63” (H x W x D)
PC Connection: Built-in flip-out USB arm (up to 2.0 USB speed)
TV Out: NTSC (cable included)
Battery Life: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, charges using built-in USB arm
Tripod Mount: Yes
Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista
Mac OSX
Min. Requirements: (Windows) Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz processor, Windows XP SP2 with 512 MB of RAM or Windows Vista with 2 GB of RAM, display monitor and video card support for 1024x768/24-bit color, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0, USB 2.0 port
(Mac) 1.66 GHz Intel CoreDuo or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM, OS X Tiger 10.4 or Leopard 10.5, display monitor and video card support for 1024x768/24-bit color, QuickTime 7, USB 2.0 port
Software: Built-in FlipShare™ software with upgraded features:
Browse, playback, organize and archive your videos
Create movies with videos, music & titles
Edit clips and save still photos from video
Instantly upload to AOL, MySpace, YouTube and other video sites
Share your videos using email or greetings cards (free and unlimited video sharing)
Khürt Williams
12 November 2008 at 6:58 am
If you already have a DSLR why not purchase an HD camcorder that uses SD or Memory Stick for recording (such as the Sony HDR-CX12 or Panasonic SV-AV100)? The video quality will be better, the zoom lens will be better, and you will have the benefit of video stability control.
Brian Weaver
03 December 2008 at 4:41 pm
I just purchased the Kodak Zi6 a couple of days ago, and in those 2 days Ive recorded inside my house, and a few things outside and the quality of the videos (in HD60) is great!! it does require a lot of light though. For under $200 I really didn’t expect much, the only thing I was really wanting from this camera was the ability to record in HD or 720p. I have 2 complains. 1. I can record a little over 13 minutes on a 1 GB memory card. The files are ridiculously large, but I guess the “HD” files are huge. 2. I cant seem to find a good editing software to edit .MOV files. (Which the Kodak Zi6, records its files in) Ive used the free editing program that came with the camera, but its not doing nearly what Im wanting it to do. If anybody knows of a good editing software for .mov files please let me know. Or even some software that I could convert the .mov file to an .avi or .wmv file without losing the “HD” quality. Please let me know. thanks!!
julie Wittwer
04 December 2008 at 5:51 pm
I am looking at the Kodiak zi6 and the Flip mino. I own a mac with imovie. I’m wondering if:
1- I can download from the kodiak Zi6 to imovie and not lose HD quality?
2- Can I copy it to DVD and will it look good?
* I know the mino only has 30fps and doesn’t look good on dvd.
Sara M.
27 December 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hi!
Well 4 Christmas I had asked for a flip… but my dad got me a Kodak Zi6.
So I wasn’t that disappointed until I tried to edit the vids.
Since I own an Hp, I have Windows Movie Maker, so I can’t use it to edit the vid I take. Also the editing Software that comes free with the camera basically sucks.
I was just wondering if you knew about any kind of software that I could Download to edit my vids. Or if you knew how to convert the .mov file to an .avi or .wmv file.
Thnx.
David Smith
01 January 2009 at 6:47 pm
I purchased the Zi6 over the Flip (Ultra not yet available in Canada) for my wife for Christmas because of the larger screen, HD capability and ability to use SDHC cards and so not be limited to the internal memory. I noticed that the view at the VGA setting is more narrow than the HD. Not sure what the flip is like. I much prefer the wider angle of the HD setting. (I’m not talking about the wider screen of HD versus VGA.) I’m guessing the VGA signal is taken off the centre of the sensor, essentially a zoomed-in and cropped view of what the HD image would have been like. I can say that the shakiness can be a bit of a problem, but less so in HD mode because of the wider angle view. Indoor light levels are a bit of a problem too, but acceptable - it’s an inexpensive product. The lens is f2.8, a bit dimmer than the flip’s f2.4. We don’t have any experience with editing. We have both a Mac and a PC. We’ll see how that goes. I have a feeling that battery life may be an issue - the batteries are showing low after about an hour of use, taking pictures and viewing them, and having the device connected to the computer. Does it use power from the computer or its own batteries when plugged in I wonder? I’m also wondering how much time will be available with HD and HD60 settings. The Kodak card that I bought for the camera says a 4 GB card will provide 90 minutes at 5 Mbps, which I gather is the VGA rate. I haven’t yet been able to find the rates for HD and HD60. It will likely be used fairly frequently by my wife because it’s so simple to use, and small enough to be carried around without to much trouble. I like the way this technology is going.
David Smith
01 January 2009 at 7:01 pm
Whoops. I see the Flip Ultra is available at Futureshop.
Felicia Bond
09 January 2009 at 4:10 pm
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good luck
Steve
11 January 2009 at 10:36 am
Hi There, i just purchased the Zi6 and i must say im really happy with it over all. My biggest draw backs are;
1. Low light, it needs to get better.
2. IS (Image Stabilization) is a must.
Know i know they could ad IS but its probably lacking to keep cost down ($170CDN @ Staples). But wow… if one isnt smooth with it, its going to give people some major headaches. Ive seen this issue with other pockey HD cams as well, so IMO its more of an issue with companies not adding the feature rather than not being able to do it. I wonder if the ZX1 will have IS, if so its going to quickly replace my Zi6.
Other than that, im really liking it. The colour of the footage is top notch, IMO far better than the Vado HD and the Flip HD. The colours just seem to screem and grab yeah.
Out of this genre of pocket sized HD toys, i dont think ONE is a clear winner as each has its own PROS and CONS. The individual needs to pick the right choice that will cater to their own needs.
Quick question, does any know if there will be any firmware updates that will help round off the product?
PS - for the ones who exp really chopy playback its been suggested to use high speed SDHC cards. Im using verbatims Prem 16Gb Class 6, and i dont have any choppy playback… well, not unless i move the camera super fast while recording. When i get some normal SDHC cards ill test and compare and post on youtube. This may help clear up some people who are getting choppy playback.
Thanks again for your write up…
HAPPY NEW YEARS
James
16 January 2009 at 2:28 pm
I agree for the price the Zi6 rocks. Its my first video cam and so glad I go this and not the flip. If you use the tripod and connect to a HD TV, the video looks professional. If your considering this cam, get it and you will be on here raving about it too.
James Macheath
18 January 2009 at 2:27 am
From Amazon the Zi6 was £90, del free, plus an 8 gig SD card £9, with NiMH batts and a charger.
The Flip F260P-UK ultra was £137 + £4 p&p, has ordinary batts and no SD slot - and no HD. Sure, you need light, but so what? Buy a bulb. HD needs a steady grip, so does pistol shooting, brace yourself. Zi6, no contest.
David
01 February 2009 at 8:30 am
I just bought a Zi6 and love it.
With that, I agree with Dan on all of his points. But for the price the Zi6 does rock.
1. low light - buy yourself an Arri kit. You’ll love it and never have a lighting problem ever again.
2. stability - shaking and ‘smearing’ happens with almost all cameras. Buy a TRIPOD or a Steadicam Jr.
3. audio - the Zi6 does not have any external mic inputs. No lav or boom mics here.
In order to have great looking video and great audio you HAVE to spend money on good equipment. Panasonic has a great HD camera out right now for $1300 or Canon’s HD camera for $1000 (don’t quote me on price)
OR better yet… HIRE A PROFESSIONAL TO DO THE JOB. Look at his or her’s web site video and you will see if they know what they are doing.
So, if you want good looking video and decent sounding audio OF YOUR kids growing up and not spend an arm and leg then the Zi6 is a must - extremely small and the video file is so easy to edit and deliver.
Leave all other events for PROFESSIONALS.
cindy
18 February 2009 at 8:04 am
I got the Zi6 for Christmas. Love to record with it, but—-I am not able to make movies with the software. the movies don’t match the sound and skip when try to make a movies. if i play each clip individually it is great. Any ideas?? I am very frustrated and ready to send the whole thing back.
james macheath
09 March 2009 at 1:02 pm
To edit Zi6 movies, download free Quicktime and upgrade to Pro. Then you can make clips, cut and paste them together and output in different formats. Can’t remember the cost - about $25.