Kodak Zx1

Pocket Cam Designed Like Tron, Infused With Brawn

The world of consumer electronics is thick with compromise. It's a sad fact that blows harder than the Santa Anas, especially as designers keep trying to load smaller, cheaper devices with piles of high-end features. That's why we went ga-ga for Kodak's Zi6 pocket cam, a solid HD shooter that trumped the all-mighty Flip Mino HD and never made the concession between low cost and high quality.

And it's also why we felt a slight letdown from the Zi6's fancy successor, the Zx1. Don't get us wrong, this cam is a solid piece of hardware with a trimmer, more pocket-friendly footprint, slick weather-resistant shell, and the same 1.6-megapixel sensor and 4.1mm lens that let the Zi6 deliver its glorious HD video. But one key "upgrade" left us completely bumbfounded (bummed out + dumbfounded): namely, the lack of a built-in, pop-out USB.

Of course, there are still several pots of feature gold stashed at the end of the compromise rainbow. Kodak's ditching of the spring-loaded USB wasn't for naught. In its place, you get an HDMI slot. Impressive for a diminutive, $150 handycam, but only practical if you're willing to carry, keep or track down a cable. The revolution launched by the Flip was predicated on one feature: simplicity. No cables, no cords, no wires, no nonsense. If you're willing to trade that convenience for HDMI, then this cam is well worth pocketing.

WIRED Retrofuturistic Tron design lines and keypad. No more stealth-busting startup chime. HDMI OMG FTW (if you don't mind cables). 720p with up to 60fps. Rechargeable Ni-MH AAs and charger included. Nearly 34 percent smaller and 16 percent lighter than Zi6. Available in five colors, including mustard-off-the-hot-dog yellow.

TIRED Slighter body = tinier screen (by a quarter of an inch) = crappier playback. Relatively narrow lens angle. Nocturnal and low-light shooting still yields noisy clips. Horse beater says: Isn't it the whole point of a pocket cam to avoid toting cables?

• Style: Tapeless
• Manufacturer: Kodak
• Price: $150