The Kodak Zi6 does up the ante for video quality amongst YouTube-oriented camcorders, at least in the majority of lighting conditions. But the question is, if you're aiming at YouTube, do you need HD anyway? Fortunately, you don't pay much of a premium for it over the Flip or Vado, although you will need to shell out for an SDHC card straight away. For simple capturing of family moments, however, the Zi6 does a competent job. So if you're not just shooting for YouTube, the extra resolution swings things in its favour over the competition, although video hobbyists need not apply.
The Zi6 has a serious look to it and this follows through to the result themselves. This is where potential buyers need to consider their needs carefully. Are you primarily looking for online sharing? Do you find yourself playing back these video files on your large TV and wishing they looked better?
The Zi6 delivers where the Flip and Vado flounder, giving you good quality video in a compact form. This is also our biggest criticism of the Zi6: HD video processing puts much greater demands on your PC and this is true of moving, saving, converting and even viewing the files. However, PCs will become better at coping with these demands and the future will be better equipped for sharing HD files as broadband speeds increase and so on.
There are distinct advantages to having separate batteries and a removable memory card. You can plug the card straight into your PC or perhaps even your TV and if you are doing a lot of filming, you can easily switch to a different card. Ditto the batteries - you are not tied to charging the internal battery, so if you are going on an extended vacation, you can easily buy additional AA batteries if you need them.
So whilst the Zi6 appears to occupy the same space as the Flip and the Vado offerings, they really are quite different beasts because of the range of considerations for the different specs. On the whole though, as an alternative to a bulky camcorder, being able to slip this HD video device into your pocket is a very attractive prospect indeed.
The Kodak Zi6 is well-built and feels substantial. We liked its large, responsive buttons and controls. However, thereۉs no USB extension cable or removable SD/SDHC Card provided in the box and the mono microphone picks up operational noise.
The Kodak Zi6 is anything but Z grade. It offers impressive HD image quality and some interesting extras, including variable framerate options. For the price and size, it's a winner.
(Les notes de la presse sont données à titre indicatif et représentent une interprétation du test par Numerama)
