how is the battery life on this camera? That's kind of the only thing I'm worried about. Kodak says you can film for 1 hour. yikes!
You can get 10 hrs of video on this thing, but if you can only film for an hour, that sucks. Does is take AA batteries so at least you could just swap them out? Thanks!
@jw1487 Battery life is decent for a handheld cam like this. I get about 90 minutes (or more) on a single charge. No AA batteries unfortunately. You are required to use Kodak's rechargeable battery. You can always purchase a spare battery and swap, so that would give you a few hours of film time.
@thegreatgoodbye wow... thanks for the super fast reply. I think I might spring for one of these instead of the Flip Ultra HD. The ability to record in 1080 dpi offsets the bad audio quality for me.
Good advice on the rechargeable batteries, though. Thanks!
@thegreatgoodbye One more thing... is the microphone really that bad? I know you can adjust levels using the User Interface on the camera. Seems like that's the biggest complaint for this camera.
@jw1487 It's mono, not stereo so the quality is sub-par when compared directly to the Flip series cameras. The upside is that the Zi8 has an audio jack so you can actually plug-in your own high quality stereo mic. I've seen some decent multi-directional mics for $50 or less. So if you're wanting to shoot interviews, or whatever that's a great feature. But if you're "out and about" wanting to shoot on the fly, the mono mic is "just okay"... nothing great. Definitely the Zi8's weakest feature.
@SaiE8 You can generally get around 20 minutes of footage for every 1GB you have when recording in 720p @ 30fps. I use an 8GB SDHC card and can fit about 2.5 hours when shot in 720p/30fps mode. Probably closer to 2 hours when shot in true HD 1080p mode. Battery life is decent, I'd say around 90 minutes or more on a single charge.
thank you sooo much for posting this vid. It really showed what this camera is capable of in almost any condition. I am most interested in the camera's audio capabilities as I want something to record the sound of exhaust systems (muscle cars) at car shows and "cruises" where we take our cars for a spin. This camera passed the video test for me but curious to see how she captures sound. thanks.
As far as "on board" sound, it's sub-par. The camera is only equipped with a mono sound input option. The up-side, however, is that the Zi8 includes a stereo audio mic input jack-- so you can actually take just about any style of external mic and use it to record specific sounds, such as your exhaust systems. You can search various YT vids to see this audio in action. It's really the only pocket cam that includes an audio input jack!
@ germanshepherd13 - I use a Sony stereo mic that does a good job recording lows and highs. Just do a search on eBay for "Sony ECM-DS70P". Don't spend too much because nothing cheap is a substitute for high quality. This camera is great though. The 720p/60fps mode is the best. The 1080p is great for tripod assisted scenery capture. If everyone wants true 1080p capture for the same price....maybe in a few years; not now.
what is the name of this track ,
Idontlikebanjo 1 year ago
good vid thanks im a gettin one , btw the missus dont look too happy lol
Idontlikebanjo 1 year ago
poor dog
dimaflour 1 year ago
how is the battery life on this camera? That's kind of the only thing I'm worried about. Kodak says you can film for 1 hour. yikes!
You can get 10 hrs of video on this thing, but if you can only film for an hour, that sucks. Does is take AA batteries so at least you could just swap them out? Thanks!
jw1487 1 year ago
@jw1487 Battery life is decent for a handheld cam like this. I get about 90 minutes (or more) on a single charge. No AA batteries unfortunately. You are required to use Kodak's rechargeable battery. You can always purchase a spare battery and swap, so that would give you a few hours of film time.
thegreatgoodbye 1 year ago
@thegreatgoodbye wow... thanks for the super fast reply. I think I might spring for one of these instead of the Flip Ultra HD. The ability to record in 1080 dpi offsets the bad audio quality for me.
Good advice on the rechargeable batteries, though. Thanks!
jw1487 1 year ago
@thegreatgoodbye One more thing... is the microphone really that bad? I know you can adjust levels using the User Interface on the camera. Seems like that's the biggest complaint for this camera.
jw1487 1 year ago
@jw1487 It's mono, not stereo so the quality is sub-par when compared directly to the Flip series cameras. The upside is that the Zi8 has an audio jack so you can actually plug-in your own high quality stereo mic. I've seen some decent multi-directional mics for $50 or less. So if you're wanting to shoot interviews, or whatever that's a great feature. But if you're "out and about" wanting to shoot on the fly, the mono mic is "just okay"... nothing great. Definitely the Zi8's weakest feature.
thegreatgoodbye 1 year ago
Is the stabilisation on or off, or isit just your hand thats extremely steady
SaiE8 1 year ago
@SaiE8 Both actually. The image stabilization feature is turned on but I was also using the gorilla-pod, which helps keep the camera more steady.
thegreatgoodbye 1 year ago
@thegreatgoodbye
cheers, im planning on getting the zi8 but i was worried about the stabilisation, i guess its worth investing in a gorrilapod or a tripod.
Do you know how much footage you get from your memory card, and how big isit, and hows the battery life.
SaiE8 1 year ago
@SaiE8 You can generally get around 20 minutes of footage for every 1GB you have when recording in 720p @ 30fps. I use an 8GB SDHC card and can fit about 2.5 hours when shot in 720p/30fps mode. Probably closer to 2 hours when shot in true HD 1080p mode. Battery life is decent, I'd say around 90 minutes or more on a single charge.
thegreatgoodbye 1 year ago
@thegreatgoodbye
Thanks soo much for the info, its hard to get a reply from someone with the cam.
SaiE8 1 year ago
I almost bought this gem for $79 shipped. I kick myself in the ass for not buying it. Oh well.
Anyway, this camera kicks butt! I'm tired of hearing about the Flip this and the Flip that.
Anyway, thanks for posting this video.
defnyung 2 years ago
Looks like the camera didn't have enough time to properly white balance on your Medium Lighting shot, but otherwise great sample video. Thanks!
kevo777 2 years ago
thank you sooo much for posting this vid. It really showed what this camera is capable of in almost any condition. I am most interested in the camera's audio capabilities as I want something to record the sound of exhaust systems (muscle cars) at car shows and "cruises" where we take our cars for a spin. This camera passed the video test for me but curious to see how she captures sound. thanks.
germanshepherd13 2 years ago
As far as "on board" sound, it's sub-par. The camera is only equipped with a mono sound input option. The up-side, however, is that the Zi8 includes a stereo audio mic input jack-- so you can actually take just about any style of external mic and use it to record specific sounds, such as your exhaust systems. You can search various YT vids to see this audio in action. It's really the only pocket cam that includes an audio input jack!
thegreatgoodbye 2 years ago
@ germanshepherd13 - I use a Sony stereo mic that does a good job recording lows and highs. Just do a search on eBay for "Sony ECM-DS70P". Don't spend too much because nothing cheap is a substitute for high quality. This camera is great though. The 720p/60fps mode is the best. The 1080p is great for tripod assisted scenery capture. If everyone wants true 1080p capture for the same price....maybe in a few years; not now.
matrixate 2 years ago
Good stuff!
DragnetRadio 2 years ago
Thanks for posting. Been researching this and the UltraHD for a while now.
shredzoo7 2 years ago