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When I saw this camera it took me about 10 seconds to have my Flip Mino HD up for sale on Amazon in hopes that I could generate a little quick cash so I can afford this beauty. Kodak has put together the PERFECT video creation camera for the small entrepreneur.

What makes this camera so cool?

A few things. Not only is the camera small and portable, but you can film while the camera is plugged in, this is VERY freeing from the battery dependent world of the flip mino camera (although the Flip Ultra makes up for this by using AA batteries).

Secondly, and much more importantly, this is the only personal HD camera which has a dedicated microphone-in jack. This means that instead of relying on woefully poor quality in-camera microphones, you can invest in a better microphone to get much better sound from the camera. In fact, if you want to go all out, you could purchase a wireless microphone and have an instant super high quality web video creation tool. Anywhere, any time, you could whip out incredibly high quality video.

Finally, since this camera uses SD cards to store video. You can use SD cards much like you use tapes in a more traditional camcorder. The benefit of this over a camera such as the Flip or using my cell phone’s built in camera, is that if you are planning to record a session which is longer than the capacity of the camera, with the Kodak Zi8, you simply just need to swap out the SD card. When compared to the 20 minutes or so of downtime to download a full load from the Flip Mino HD (I learned this the hard way) you will be up and filming for much longer with the Kodak.

The low profile of the camera is pretty amazing considering that it delivers full 1080p quality video.

Oh and did I mention that it is currently retailing on Amazon for just $150?. I guess a few people at Kodak are going to tighten their belts to deliver this beauty to the market at a way-more-than reasonable price.

So Whats the Down Side?

I mean, come on, its too perfect to not have any negatives. There is ALWAYS a catch. Well, alas, yes there is a catch, the global BANE of existence for awesome portable electronics.

Battery life is pretty much miserable. Based on my research I am hearing reports of getting about one hour and change per charge of the camera’s proprietary battery. So, even though you can plug it in in order to extend its battery life, it would be permanently tethered if you do that.

And what makes things worse, its image stabilizing technology seems to be relatively ineffective in keeping the camera’s image stable if you are holding it with your hands. There will be a significant shake in the camera’s video if it is not screwed on to some kind of tripod or other camera stabilizing device. The good news is that you CAN mount it on a Tripod.

The final concern for the camera, although this is just simply a note which can be overcome with a little extra money (of course!). If you plan to use this camera’s high definition features, then you need to make sure that you purchase a high speed SD card (SDHC) (aff).

My Personal Conclusion

I WANT! . The downsides to the camera are not enough to stop me. Camera shake is inevitable with any portable camera and I have zero intention of using this camera in any unprofessional way.

For the features that it sports it delivers a similar experience that the $3,000 JVC HD camera we purchased for my office does. That camera solves many of this camera’s faults, but when it comes down to the price comparison, you simply cannot beat this deal.

God Bless,
-Dan