UPDATEThis is a preview, I have since written a final review which you can read here

To compete against the popular Flip Ultra camcorder, Kodak has designed their own easy-to-use camcorder that is capable of capturing High Definition video at a resolution of 720p. Launching here in Canada this October for $180, the Kodak Zi6 pocket camcorder offers simple controls, records to SD memory cards (up to 32 GB), uses rechargeable AA batteries, and includes a built-in feature to upload clips to YouTube. I’ve just started testing the camera and here are my early impressions.

The Zi6 has a comfortable, lightweight design with a black, rubberized casing offering a secure grip no matter how you choose to hold it. The controls consist of just a mini-toggle stick which you click to start recording and to both zoom as well as navigate menu selections. There are two control buttons, one for switching the camera over to play mode and another for stopping playback or deleting a selected clip.

Initially I can tell you that having your zoom controls double as the recording start/stop does make it easy to accidentally stop recording as you try to zoom in. Zooming with the toggle stick doesn’t offer much precision, it’s difficult to zoom in slowly and the magnification is fairly moderate at just 2X digital.

The purpose of the Zi6 is to keep the camera simple in use and that means few recording options. There’s a switch on the side of the camera to select either a macro (flower symbol) or landscape (mountains) mode and the option to choose between recording HD in either 60 or 30 frames per second (16:9 aspect ratio), VGA, or still photos and that’s it. Clips are recorded as .MOV files using the H.264 standard and JPEG for digital photos.

The screen is a vibrant 2.4” LCD widescreen that so far performs quite well in direct sunlight and while it won’t give you a sense of the High Definition quality of what you’re recording, it’s enough to help you compose your shots.

Like the Flip Ultra, the Zi6 includes a flip-out USB connector that quickly swings out like a switchblade when you press a button on the camera’s face. You can access the camera’s contents through Windows Explorer or use the ArcSoft suite for Windows XP/Vista included both on the camera itself (to launch when connected to your computer) and on an included CD-ROM for installation separately.

Included within the box are two sets of cables, one for connecting the camcorder to an HDTV using component connections (green, blue, red), and another for connecting to a standard television using composite (yellow, red, white), two pre-charged AA batteries with wall-charger, camera strap, and pouch. Memory cards are not included.

My first set of videos made with the Zi6 are vibrant but the clarity and detail is quickly lost when simple issues such as camera shake seem to keep them from being recorded properly. In the coming weeks I’ll see what tricks are needed to improve upon that and we’ll see how well the clips can be edited and shared online for my final review.