I have a Zi8 and I love it… It DOES zoom, if you mount the camera on a tripod you can use the external remote control (an extra purchase of about $13.00 on Amazon.com) or you can use the Start/Stop button to zoom as well. Granted, you have to be a little careful if you use the button on the camera, but once you’ve gotten the hang of it, it works. One of the great things about the Zi8 is the external microphone jack. I built a special cable to obtain audio from a mixing console and the results are fantastic, quality audio with 1080p video… INSANE!

The zoom works, just not the way smooth zoom works. The zoom on this camera is meant to be set prior to shooting the video and not while filming. It zooms in steps. Another words it’s a pre-set zoom… set the zoom and then film. I do think that Kodak should tell people this in there literature though. Otherwise… The quality of the picture is way better than the FlipHD. The image stabilation is good, something the FlipHD does not have. The viewfinder is larger, 1080p vs 720p, 32gb replaceable memory card vs permanent 8gb hard drive which won’t last long.
Sorry but I pick the Kodak Zi8… it’s a no-brainer!

I have a child who will be going to college in the fall and has some trouble taking notes. I am looking for a camera that she can record lect. on so sound counts. I have been looking around and have found mic that attached to her itouch. So the answer maybe two devices. I would like to give her the video-recorder for Christmas so she can spend the rest of the school year learning how to use it to her advantage in classroom setting. I know she will not need one more thing to learn in the fall.

Sorry dude I’ve never worked for Kodak.

This must have been written by a Kodak employee. I bought the Zi8 and am extremely disappointed. The main problem is YOU CAN’T USE THE CAMERA TO ZOOM! I contacted Kodak and they said it isn’t meant to zoom. So they have a tiny button that allows you to zoom, but when you do it jerks the whole way. So the Zi8 can only be used with still shots!

Then the other problem is that the Zi8 zoom button is the same button as the start and stop–so while zooming it stops itself! What a mess.

The external mic jack is the ONLY reason to buy a Zi8. But only if you don’t want to zoom.