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Ask Engadget: Best pocket-sized camcorder out there?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Lulu, who can't seem to select a camcorder worthy of being carried around in her Fifth Pocket™. "I need help! I want a small pocket camcorder but I'm not sure which one to get. I don't want to fall into the hype of the Flip because I worry two hours won't be enough. What should I be looking for when considering a small camcorder and where can I get a good quality one with expandable memory? Thanks!" The pocket camcorder arena has blossomed into something of a small giant here recently, with entries from Sony, Samsung, Kodak and Creative flowing in to compete with the Ultra HD. For those of you who've laid down the cheddar, why not share your experiences here in order to direct Lulu to making the right choice? Surely you won't pass on an opportunity to help a fellow nerd. Surely.
Engadget Podcast 158 - 08.07.2009
The gang's all here, folks! Yes, it's been a rough couple weeks apart, but Josh, Paul, and Nilay have finally managed to reunite, and Engadget Podcast 158 is the happy result. Join the boys as they take Apple to task for its recent App Store shenanigans and the dismissal of Eric Schmidt from the board of directors, pick apart the Windows 7 upgrade matrix, and then shift into cruising gear for a run to The Shack and some quick thoughts on a trio of new cameras. Yeah, it's good to be back. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Ruby Soho Hear the podcast 00:02:20 - FCC queries AT&T, Apple on Google Voice iPhone app rejection 00:03:10 - Google's Eric Schmidt resigns from Apple board over "conflict of interest" 00:12:40 - Phil Schiller says Apple didn't censor a dictionary. 00:35:15 - Official Windows 7 upgrade chart is ridiculous 00:45:20 - The Shack! Radio Shack's current bid for relevance 00:52:43 - Nikon Coolpix S1000pj projector-cam beams into reality along with friends 00:59:28 - Kodak Zi8: Kodak Zi8 impressions: surprising functionality, but it's still a pocket camcorder 01:04:38 - Sony Party-show dock: Sony's Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Kodak Zi8 impressions: surprising functionality, but it's still a pocket camcorder
We've been messing around with Kodak's latest pocket camcorder, the Zi8, and find the shooter to be an interesting hybrid. With a flip-out USB plug, HDMI out and an easily accessible SD card slot, this is clearly a "premium" mix of features for the class, but the $180 pricetag keeps the device firmly grounded in Walmart-friendly reality. Other odd perks like a line-in jack and 1080p have us scratching our heads -- but in a good way. Overall, we'd feel pretty comfortable saying the footage is about the best you can obtain at this pricepoint. Colors are great, the image stabilization isn't a gimmick (sorry, Flip), and if you squint hard enough you can almost believe the 1080p is 1080p. Still, the camera is hampered by its cheap approach to processing and compressing the footage it's taking in -- despite its limitations, we'd say the iPhone 3GS is besting most cheap pocket camcorders on this front, motion just looks much more fluid. But don't take our word for it, check out a couple of video samples after the break.
Kodak's 1080p Zi8 HD pocket camcorder in hand
Yeah, you don't really need 1080p in a compact like this. You know it, we know it. Kodak probably knows it too. Still, it's always pretty wild to pick up a little piece like this and know it can shoot to a native resolution that our parents can't even pronounce. The new Zi8 is certainly bulky for a "pocket" camcorder, but makes up for it by sporting a rechargeable battery, line-in audio jack, HDMI out, 2.5-inch LCD and even keeping the pop-out USB plug around for old times sake. The perks of face recognition for improved exposure and gyroscope-based image stabilization are also pretty snazzy at this $180 pricepoint. We still aren't quite sold on the way this camera (like most of these compacts) processes video -- it seems to do a lot of damage to frame-to-frame motion, something that Apple fought off pretty well with the iPhone 3GS -- but we're going to take one home and test it out a little before we throw down a verdict.
Kodak's Zi8 HD pocket camcorder hits the 1080p mark, adds Facebook uploading
The Zi6 is still fairly fresh in our memory banks, but Kodak's already looking ahead with its newly unveiled Zi8 pocket camcorder. The Flip Ultra HD competitor boasts 1080p recording this time around, in addition to usual features like face tracking, image stabilization, a 2.5-inch LCD display, and SD card slot. YouTube uploading is back, and joining it Facebook support, too. It'll be out in September in blue, red, and black colors for just a hair under $180.
