Quick still-photo capture is also a strong suit of the Zi8. In still-photo mode, the shutter fired immediately after pressing the button, so you won't miss much. Face detection is another nice feature: The Zi8 detects and optimizes in-camera settings whenever a face is in the frame. Image quality, however, was about on a par with that of a decent cell-phone camera.

On top of the Zi8 is another distinguishing feature: a macro/landscape toggle, which certainly does have an effect on the resulting videos and still shots. But the macro mode doesn't handle extreme close-ups very well; text on a business card started appearing crisp only when the card was about 6 inches from the lens. The best still-photo results I saw were in macro mode with the subject about a foot away from the camera.

As for its digital image stabilization, that feature is hardly noticeable when you're shooting stills: Any subtle movement of the camera or subject resulted in a blurred shot. The Zi8 did seem to produce slightly less blur in video footage shot with a subtly-shaking hand, but don't expect it to create crisp shots if you're bouncing around in a Jeep or running down the sidewalk. If image stabilization is important to you, you'll likely be disappointed.

Also disappointing is the 4X digital zoom on the Zi8; it's very jumpy between zoom points when you shoot video, and it even introduces weird artifacts in the resulting footage. This camcorder is best used without zooming; in fact, zooming may ruin an otherwise great clip.

The Zi8 is a standout in terms of connectivity: On its left edge are the microphone line-in, a DC-in port for charging the battery, and covered ports for both A/V out and HDMI (an HDMI cable is included, too). On its right side are the SDHC card slot (you'll need to supply your own SDHC card), the power button, and the built-in USB connector for offloading clips to your PC. A standard tripod mount sits on the bottom of the camcorder, and the Zi8's slide-off faceplate covers its rechargeable lithium ion battery. The 2.5-inch LCD holds up well in direct sunlight.