The coolest HD Camcorder thread. Kodak Zi8 on steroids.

[Handsome J]

So I have been intrigued by the zi8 for a while. Ever since I saw the thread by fellow warrior Don Schenk put up the following thread I was sold on the cam, but based on what I read in that thread, I was put off as Don mentioned it was mono only.

Video Monster

So I had been going thru YT & Vimeo & came across a guy named Juan Cintron. He had the baddest zi8 rig I have ever seen. See his video here:

YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.

Apparently the external mic jack on the zi8 is indeed stereo and not mono. Juan in the video above had a Sony stereo mic hooked up. Later in another article I read, he upgraded to a Rode Videomic which was also stereo. Here is footage he shot with the same rig and the Rode mic:

YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.

More pics and details:
How to fit an entire HD video rig into a 15-inch notebook sleeve | alect's blog
The Mutant Camcorder Rigs That Stormed CES - Camcorders - Gizmodo

So anyway, after checkin the setup out thoroughly, I decided to pull the trigger last night when I stopped into Best-Buy. Both the zi8 & the Dynex Bracket were on "open box buy" with a significant discount. Picked up the cam for $134 & the bracket for $14. Not a bad score. Im now ordering the rest of the parts online and will finish building this bad boy. My version will likely include a wireless lav mic so I can do some kick ass Kern style vids. The wireless mics Im looking at are seen in the videos below:

Sennheiser Wireless G2 System

YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.

YOGAmazing Soccer Workout filmed with the Kodak Zi8 on Vimeo

Audio Technica Pro 88w:

YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.

Other notable references:
Kodak Zi8 with Sennheiser Shotgun Microphone on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Review: Kodak Zi8 HD Pocket Video Camera ? PaulStamatiou.com

I like the panavise car windshield mount in the above link, that should help get some good in car vid like Kern does. I think the info in this post should help most of you newbies and veterans alike looking to get some bitchin high quality video and audio for low budget pricing.

[MJ Sterling]

I own a Kodak zi8 and it's fantastic little camera.

It's even better if you update to the latest firmware and use an external mic. For the price I don't think it can be beat.

[MichaelHiles]

It rocks. I had the 1st gen Kodak Zi6, then I got the purple sony with the pivoting lens, then I got a Flip UltraHD, now I have the Zi8 and I think it rocks the house. Aside from the obvious audio quality, the image stabilization is worth every penny.

[Handsome J]

I have firmware 1.06. Whats the latest?

[kellysharali]

The Zi8 is great! If you go to traffic Geyser, he tells you which external mike to get and this camera does beat all the others out there. And it is worth the price!

[Handsome J]

Nevermind, answered my own question. Latest firmware upgrade on the Kodak site is 1.06. Im current baby. Thanks for the heads up MJ Sterling.

Mike & Kelly, thanks also for the replies.

[Russ Emrick]

Rather than hunt down that info in TG can you simply tell us what the best mics are. Much thanks...Russ

[Dr Dan]

I love my zi8 but still use my cannon hv30 for most of my stuff. I love my hv30. But the zi8 works great for the size and convenience.

for a wired lapel mic you can get the audio tech at amazon for like $20-30 usually. It rocks and the price cant be beat!

[jaybaker]

Any suggestion on where I can get the stuff for the rig used in the first two vids? I have a Zi8 and that thing in regards to video quality rocks! I find myself using it moreso than my old JVC cam. I do however need to find a better mic andall around setup for it...

[Don Schenk]

Originally Posted by Handsome J

Apparently the external mic jack on the zi8 is indeed stereo and not mono. Juan in the video above had a Sony stereo mic hooked up. Later in another article I read, he upgraded to a Rode Videomic which was also stereo.

Thanks J. Good find!


Way cool. Silly me, I didn't bother to try with a stereo imput.

@rockstarinlife - That little lav mic is awesome, but is mono. I use one, and am going to run to Radio Shack to find a "Y" cord or the parts to make one.

Since the camera's jack really is stereo, we should be able to put a mono lav's signal across both channels... if the impedence change doesn't cause a tone/level shift.

:-Don

[Dr Dan]

Originally Posted by Don Schenk

Thanks J. Good find!


Way cool. Silly me, I didn't bother to try with a stereo imput.

@rockstarinlife - That little lav mic is awesome, but is mono. I use one, and am going to run to Radio Shack to find a "Y" cord or the parts to make one.

Since the camera's jack really is stereo, we should be able to put a mono lav's signal across both channels... if the impedence change doesn't cause a tone/level shift.

:-Don

I just do it in post using quicktime pro.

[James12C]

Hey - really useful and timely thread as I've broken my Flip (one of the early ones...)

But what is the software like? I've got another kodal digital camera which is great, but the s'ware interface is pathetic...

J

[Global365]

Has anyone seen any side by side comparison on the Zi8 and HD Flip cam video quality? Curious to see if there is any image quality difference?

Thanks

[Handsome J]

Originally Posted by Russ Emrick

Rather than hunt down that info in TG can you simply tell us what the best mics are. Much thanks...Russ

Russ,

I have been studying youtube something fierce. I decided on the Audio Technica Pro 24. Its significantly less than the Rode Videomic, runs stereo through the 3.5mm jack on the zi8 & has an awesome range on it. I was convinced by this video:

YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.

I just pulled the trigger on it myself and got a smokin deal:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...#ht_500wt_1182

Originally Posted by goliathseo

Any suggestion on where I can get the stuff for the rig used in the first two vids? I have a Zi8 and that thing in regards to video quality rocks! I find myself using it moreso than my old JVC cam. I do however need to find a better mic andall around setup for it...

All available at BestBuy. Ebay carries the same things too. You are looking for a Dynex camera Bracket, a Protocol cell phone camera lens attachment, & a Rode VideoMic

Originally Posted by Don Schenk

Thanks J. Good find!

Way cool. Silly me, I didn't bother to try with a stereo imput.

@rockstarinlife - That little lav mic is awesome, but is mono. I use one, and am going to run to Radio Shack to find a "Y" cord or the parts to make one.

Since the camera's jack really is stereo, we should be able to put a mono lav's signal across both channels... if the impedence change doesn't cause a tone/level shift.

:-Don

Thanks Don. You were my original inspiration on the zi8. My hats off to you my friend.

Originally Posted by James12C

Hey - really useful and timely thread as I've broken my Flip (one of the early ones...)

But what is the software like? I've got another kodal digital camera which is great, but the s'ware interface is pathetic...

J

I have not played with the software yet, Im going to be using Adobe After Effects.

Originally Posted by Global365

Has anyone seen any side by side comparison on the Zi8 and HD Flip cam video quality? Curious to see if there is any image quality difference?

Thanks

Check out Youtube. A guy named Fishycomics has done a few comparisons. His and other reviews have always shown the zi8 as the overwhelming winner most times. Based on what I saw on youtube, the low light sensitivity sold me on the zi8 (much better than the flip).

[SimonHarrison]

Question for you ZI8 guys.

Can you plug it into the PC and see yourself on the monitor as you film ?

Can it be used as a webcam ?

If not , how do you see yourself while you're filming, how do
you even know if your centre in the image etc?

[Scott Lundergan]

I can vouch for the Sennheiser G2 set-up in one of the videos from the original post. I have two of those and we use them in the field with solid performance. I HIGHLY recommend them.

The key is to make sure the internal squelch is set- between 60-70% which is the internal audio adjustments on the transmitter and the audio is coming in at -12db (peaking at -6 if it has to) in the digital recording.

Otherwise, as seen above, one can be on the edge of distortion.

Scott

[SimonHarrison]

Really fancied going for the ZI8, but keep reading that on
a PC , the audio track isn't recognised by stuff like Sony
Vegas.

Any PC users of the Zi8 and if so what s/w are you using
to edit with.

[Greg Jacobs]

Originally Posted by SimonHarrison

Really fancied going for the ZI8, but keep reading that on
a PC , the audio track isn't recognised by stuff like Sony
Vegas.

Any PC users of the Zi8 and if so what s/w are you using
to edit with.

Works fine in Vegas 9.0d on Win7 64 Bit for me.

Only complaint about the zi8 is you really need a tripod. it is badly weighted so when handheld, almost impossible not to shake.

[Ross Goldberg]

I've had a Zi8 for 2 months and was so busy with work that I let it sit there after finding this.

However, I've found a fix. I use a software called HandBrake that re-transcodes the video into H.264 and makes it usable with Sony Vegas.

[Handsome J]

Originally Posted by SimonHarrison

Question for you ZI8 guys.

Can you plug it into the PC and see yourself on the monitor as you film ?

Can it be used as a webcam ?

If not , how do you see yourself while you're filming, how do
you even know if your centre in the image etc?

Cant use a monitor. I know, I thought that sucked too, then I realized what I was expecting from a $120 camera. LOL

To know you are centered in the shot you have to take some setup shots first.

Originally Posted by Scott Lundergan

I can vouch for the Sennheiser G2 set-up in one of the videos from the original post. I have two of those and we use them in the field with solid performance. I HIGHLY recommend them.

The key is to make sure the internal squelch is set- between 60-70% which is the internal audio adjustments on the transmitter and the audio is coming in at -12db (peaking at -6 if it has to) in the digital recording.

Otherwise, as seen above, one can be on the edge of distortion.

Scott

Thanks for confirming that for me, I was really jazzed on that setup, but wanted to make sure the juice was worth the squeeze at that price. Thanks Scott.

Originally Posted by Greg Jacobs

Works fine in Vegas 9.0d on Win7 64 Bit for me.

Only complaint about the zi8 is you really need a tripod. it is badly weighted so when handheld, almost impossible not to shake.

I agree a tripod is a good investment, and the weighting is setup for camera shake, I have seen others make a makeshift steady cam for this on YouTube, but I'm not going that far. Good info Greg.

[magentawave]

I just bought a kodak z18 and now I'm looking for a wireless lapel microphone. I see tons of super cheap ones on ebay but none are name brand so I have no way of checking reviews on Amazon to see if they are any good. Can anyone recommend a wireless lapel microphone for exterior use that sounds decent and doesn't cost a lot?

Thanks
Steve

[Patrick25]

Hi everyone,
I am deciding on a camcorder that I will get.
This thread helped me greatly!
As I understand the "Zi8 Kodak HD Camcorder" can not be used as a webcam right? This was one of my big requirements from a camcorder. I have not jet fund a camcorder that has
- a sterio mike input
- great expandeble recording time via additional cards
- can be used as a webcam on the pc or a laptop, too.

I will get the Zi8 Kodak HD Camcorder for sure! But since here are so great qualety people in this thread I would like to ask if there is a camcorder that would fulfill all my needs and can be used as a webcam. In regards of video quality it should match the Zi8 Kodak HD Camcorder.

Thanks for any help in atvance. I also can be reached via email at p.schuppe@web.de and Skype : PatrickSchuppe
I will make video recordings outside with my Laptop and will use it for ustream lifestreaming. I want an external cam that can be plugged into the pc or a laptop as a cam because to record things that way is way easier and the quality is better then just a webcam from a Laptop.

Opon a successful setup I would also be willing to pay for god recommendations on a setup I can buy here in Germany. So please answer here and or get in contact with me via email, skype or even Facebook at: Patrick Schuppe | Facebook thats facebook.com/patrickschuppe

success, joy and happiness,
Patrick Schuppe

[Handsome J]

Originally Posted by Patrick25

Hi everyone,
I am deciding on a camcorder that I will get.
This thread helped me greatly!
As I understand the "Zi8 Kodak HD Camcorder" can not be used as a webcam right? This was one of my big requirements from a camcorder. I have not jet fund a camcorder that has
- a sterio mike input
- great expandeble recording time via additional cards
- can be used as a webcam on the pc or a laptop, too.

I will get the Zi8 Kodak HD Camcorder for sure! But since here are so great qualety people in this thread I would like to ask if there is a camcorder that would fulfill all my needs and can be used as a webcam. In regards of video quality it should match the Zi8 Kodak HD Camcorder.

Thanks for any help in atvance. I also can be reached via email at p.schuppe@web.de and Skype : PatrickSchuppe
I will make video recordings outside with my Laptop and will use it for ustream lifestreaming. I want an external cam that can be plugged into the pc or a laptop as a cam because to record things that way is way easier and the quality is better then just a webcam from a Laptop.

Opon a successful setup I would also be willing to pay for god recommendations on a setup I can buy here in Germany. So please answer here and or get in contact with me via email, skype or even Facebook at: Patrick Schuppe | Facebook thats facebook.com/patrickschuppe

success, joy and happiness,
Patrick Schuppe

Since I posted this thread, there has been several cool new cameras out, If I had to do it all over again I would likely do this cam now:

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

The new drift cam comes with a remote to turn on & off while the Zi8 remote is sold separately. This also has external mic input, shoots in a higher frames per second, and allows for slick slow mo shots. Also the form factor is nice and I believe usable as a webcam.

The zi8 is still a capable setup. This is a test video I recently did using the Zi8 on a tripod with an 8' 1/8" mic jack extension cable to a sony ds70p mic tucked under my shirt to stop the wind noise on the beach. The video is completely unedited and exactly as it came from the cam. Obviously I am pleased with having a cheap, portable hi def video setup with some decent audio capabilities.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Good luck man.