The YouTube generation is used to the sight of grainy video showing a pal falling off a skateboard or distant images of a band in concert, but as with everything else touched by the digital revolution, the demand is now for better quality images on relatively low cost and (importantly) socially cool gizmos.

For this reason Kodak came up first with the Zx1 and then the Zi6 pocket camcorders, which look like slightly oversize mobile phones. Not one to sit on its laurels, Kodak has now upgraded to the Zi8 which addresses several of the inadequacies of its predecessor while still keeping many of the same goals intact.

Available in yummy raspberry, aqua (i.e. blue) and black and weighing just 110g without batteries, the Zi8 feels instantly comfortable in the hand and a cursory look around the exterior reveals many of the new changes.

The LCD on the back has been slightly widened from 2.4 to 2.5 inches and the USB 2.0 attachment no longer flips out rigidly from the side but has a flexible rubber lead for easier connection. More significantly, there's now HDMI-out as well as AV so you can have instant replay of HD clips, and there's even an external microphone jack to provide enhanced stereo sound.

The major difference when it comes to recording options is that Kodak now leads the portable camcorder market with the first full HD recordings in 1080p at 30fps, which is now added to 720p at either 60fps or 30fps (the latter ideal for uploading to social sites like YouTube and Facebook), plus WVGA and a new 5-megapixel still capacity.

The stills are not as crisp as you'd get on a dedicated digital camera and it can't be operated while you're shooting video, but it's perfectly adequate for happy snaps, using the fixed focus landscape or macro modes.

Another major alteration from the Zi6 is the substitution of a Li-Ion rechargeable battery rather than AAs, which is both ‘greener' and gives you longer life. The controls are kept simple with four assigned buttons for the menu, delete, video options and playback (although next time can we have them less slim and less awkward to press?).

A central joystick handles video and menu choices as well as start/stop and zoom. The zoom is best set up before you film as it's a juddery 4x digital zoom rather than a more expensive optical zoom. You do, however, have a welcome electronic image stabilisation system which definitely reduces camera blur when panning, as well as face recognition to help focus on specific individuals.

There's a maximum 32GB of storage via SDHC memory card and the results at both 720p 30fps and 1080p 30fps were extremely impressive. We spent some time shooting outside at a Go Ape adventure site and the Zi8 turned out sharp and authentic colours and contrasts amongst the trees, although it did struggle to cope with heavily backlit bodies.

The glossy exterior is also a serious fingerprint magnet so it's worth shelling out a bit extra for the optional carry case. But overall, whether you want to upgrade your previous Kodak camcorder or maybe make your first foray into the market, this is the one you should buy.

Verdict
Kodak's considerable overhaul of its pocket camcorder range has produced a market leader with 1080p HD recording, image stabilisation, face detection and a swift and comfortable method of uploading to social websites or playing out directly to HD TV.

Company: Kodak

Contact: 01442 261122

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