Kodak Zx1

With the Zx1, Kodak is targeting fans of YouTube who are ready to move on from using a webcam or a mobile phone and upload video in HD.  Thanks to its water- and dust-resistant case, this pocket camcorder can go almost anywhere.  It's a little too thick to be pass as a mobile phone, but then again, you do get a HD camera in an impressively small case.

Handling

There are no advanced features Zx1, which prefers to stick to the task in hand.  There are no menus or manual settings, just a series of buttons coated in  slightly tacky red rubber buttons, which allow you to record a video clip, play it back, and, if you want, delete it.  There's no chance of getting confused with any technical, settings, at least.

Given its robust exterior, it seems the Zx1 is aimed at recording video on the go, where there's not necessarily any time to ensure that every setting is perfect.  The fact that power is supplied by two AA batteries--easily rechargeable or replaceable almost anywhere--also helps. 

One minute of 720p video can fill up to 60 MB, so the 128 MB internal memory, more suited to taking still photos than video, can be supplemented with an SDHC card.  A 32 GB card will allow you to capture several hours of video.  You can save space by reducing the video quality to another fomat.

Like Creative's Vado HD, the Zx1 also includes software (Arcsoft's MediaVision) to allow you to publish videos directly on YouTube.  Alternatively, you can copy your video onto your computer and watch them there.


Image Quality

Because the Zx1 shoots in 720p HD quality, the video it captures is excellent, and even sharper than the Vado HD.  Its colour handling is a little uneven, though, with a tendency for cooler tones (blues and whites) to dominate.  Indoors, the tiny sensor has a hard job seeing anything in a dark room.

The 2'' LCD screen is good enough for lining up your shots, but to really enjoy your videos, you'll want to use the HDMI cable (which, for once, is supplied), to watch your films on a HD TV.