Kodak has released a new digital pocket camcorder that will record true HD video content in 1080p resolution. It is an obvious competitor of the Flip UltraHD. Kodak might easily over take Flip in this regard because  the Zi8 gives the user 1080p for the same price as the Flip UltraHD that only gives 720p.

For those who are unfamiliar with digital pocket camcorders – these are like camera mobiles with the mobile part taken out of them. So what you get essentially is a small sized pocket device that has a screen and a camera. These are eminently portable and are also capable of HD quality stills and videos. Kodak is about it make the HD part of it a whole lot better.

The selling point this class of camcorders is really simple. These are essentially shrunken versions of larger camcorders that come cheaper and allow you to have a video device in your pocket that has all the handy featured of a camera mobile with much better quality.

The new Zi8 has a lot of new features that most people are going to love. There is the 5 megapixel camera that can shoot true HD stills with widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. It has a lot of enhanced features that are meant to give you great video and still shots.

The Zi8 has an electronic image stabilization feature to take care of shaky hands. Shaky hands are the bane of photography and videography. But you really can’t help shaking with laughter when you are videotaping a prank you just played. Or when you are at a concert and in the middle of wild jumping and hand-flailing. Your hands are bound to shake under such circumstances. And still these are the moments you want to capture and relive. The Zi8 lets you do just that.

This new camcorder also has a jack for attaching external microphones to. This will come in really handy for those who want to get better audio reception and quality. In fact, you can simply purchase a lapel-mic, attach it your new Zi8 and start video podcasting in HD.

But the one feature (beside the HD) that has gotten everyone’s attention is the enhanced shooting under low light conditions. Low light is always the biggest hurdle for camcorders in this class. Since exposure and such things cannot be set manually, low light conditions have always yielded bad images and videos. The Zi8 promises to change all that with better color and details under low light conditions than the previous models. This is another point where it will trump Flip.

The other features are pretty cool too. You now have the option to expand the memory with an SD card or an SDHC card (proprietary tweaked cards from Kodak for better video). On its own, this camcorder can hold up to 10 hours of HD content. However, when the storage capacity is boosted by the cards, it can store up to 30 hours. The maximum capacity that you can have this way is 32GB in addition to the onboard memory. These numbers are based on the estimation that 20 minutes of HD content takes up 1GB at 30fps.

This point and shoot camcorder has autofocus, just like all the other camcorders in its class. So you can just whip it out and star shooting in HD, which is what appeals to most people who use these devices. The Zi8 has a rich 2.5 inch LCD display to show you what you are shooting and has a swing out flexible USB arm for quick access and sharing. That makes it a compact system where you do not have to slap your forehead and groan upon realizing that you have (yet again) forgotten the USB cable. You will not believe how often that happens. You can also charge via the USB cable.

It has facial recognition features, meaning it will automatically latch on to the faces in a frame. Theoretically, you get better photos this way when you are shooting human subjects. Practically, you might not be able to tell the difference all the time. However, it is good to know that it has such a feature.

The package comes with an HDMI cable so that you can easily connect an external display and share things on a large screen. Now you are probably thinking that you will have to stand beside the screen to operate the device but you can actually join in with the rest and enjoy the videos and photos one an HDTV. The Zi8 has an optional remote control device that will let you operate the Zi8 from a distance. You can start shooting whenever you are ready and do things remotely. But it comes in the handiest when showing off  the things you have recorded on an HDTV. It has to be purchased separately.

It will also let you upload your videos and photos directly to Facebook and YouTube. There is apparently a built in software within the device that lets you upload the files with the press of a button. Now, the press release is slightly confusing in this part. It says you can do it from the same desktop software that you use to edit the videos. So what’s the use of having a button for it?

Coming to the design part, this thing looks pretty darn good. As you can see from the photos, it has a sleek design with curved edges. Get ready for immediate smudging though because the glossy finish is bound to attract a lot of finger prints. This actually a bad thing for a device that is suppose to be handheld but we have all lived with it long enough. Most of our phones have such surfaces.

This new piece of video goodness is scheduled to arrive in September this year and will come in many colors. I quote the press release: -

The KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera will be available in aqua, raspberry and black** from September, 2009, and retail for US$179.95 MSRP.

So there you have it. This new product from Kodak is bound to be liked because the earlier Zi6 model was quite popular.

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