Video Quality and Movie Features

One of the major features on these digital cameras is their high-definition movie modes. Both sport 1280 x 720-pixel resolution at a full 30 frames per second. There is a clear winner in this area of the head-to-head: the Kodak has stereo audio and can record up to 29 minutes of HD video, whereas the Fuji has mono audio and stops after 15 minutes. Another perk for the Kodak is that its image stabilization system is optical and fully functional in the movie mode. The Fuji, however, has a CCD-shift system that only works while snapping still shots; it has a less effective electronic version of stabilization for its movies.

In terms of actual video quality, the two cameras are about the same. Both use MPEG4 video files that look nearly flawless in the high-def resolution, but have glitches and artifacts in the standard 640x 480 and 320 x 240-pixel resolutions. The frame rate on both is 30 fps, although motion looked smoother on the Kodak’s videos.

The metering is touchy on both cameras, but seemed to flounder to extremes the most on the Kodak Z1015. I videoed a person dancing in front of a sunny window – a tough situation for any camera. The Kodak responded by going from dark to bright to dark and so on. The Fuji simply had elongated purple streaks that continuously extended vertically from the sunny window.

The headlining optical zoom lens can be used in both movie modes. Results looked better from the Kodak Z1015, which focused better and was quieter – although not silent – when zooming. Having the optical image stabilization helps too, I’m sure.

In the playback mode, the movies can be trimmed on both cameras with a similar system that allows you to pick the first and last frames of the desired clip. Both have trimming, but the Kodak has a few features that the Fuji does not: you can create still images from individual frames and also create an “action print” of the movie.

Getting movies off the cameras is a whole different ballgame. Using the USB cable, I transferred videos from the cameras to my computer. Or tried, at least. The Kodak videos and pictures transferred easily, but my computer wouldn’t recognize the Fujifilm’s videos. It would transfer pictures, but not videos. I had to download the FinePix Viewer software (which is totally useless except for allowing my computer to recognize files), then delete the pictures, reconnect to the computer, and then download the newly recognized video files. Still, other problems with the FinePix video files linger; Picasa still won’t recognize them.

The Fujifilm FinePix S2000 HD flaunts its high-def video capability right in its name, but to actually watch your high-def movies you have to purchase a separate connection kit. The Fuji has a 10-pin HD output on its side; the Kodak Z1015 has its HD output socket on the bottom of the camera. Like the Fuji, the Kodak HD connection dock and cable is a separate purchase.

Head-to-head, the Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS comes out on top. It can record longer videos at great resolution and boasts stereo audio and optical image stabilization along with its functional optical zoom and easier video transfer.