Kodak PlaySport (Zx5) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera - Red (2nd Generation)

I bought the red camera used (like-new) from Amazon Warehouse for $84 and received it on Friday (3/2) and charged it up overnight. The next day I took it with us to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as the perfect test for it since we would be walking around in bright sunlight with lots of motion and colors around us. This little camera passed with flying colors. First of all I just want to make one thing straight, this camera is NOT intended to replace your average camcorder that comes with all the bells and whistles that you're afraid of damaging or losing in public. This camera is a fun, simple, and inexpensive way to capture life on the go especially when dealing with spur of the moment situations involving the outdoors and your family. Fits in your pocket very easily (smaller than most cell phones). I tried all the video resolutions and effects as we walked around and found both the 720p settings to be ideal. The 720p/60 setting is better suited for sports or rapidly moving environments such as white water rafting I would assume, because the playback was too "crisp" and exact like a high speed shutter camera. Great for those speedy situations but a little dizzying when watching leisure outings of your family on your HDTV. The regular 720p setting was more smooth and lifelike while still providing great detail of your subjects. Operation of the camera is what sells it for me. If you are used to taking pictures with your cell phone then you already know how to use this camera. It was so easy to capture high definition video on the fly by simply holding up this small and unobtrusive device among the crowds at the petting zoo for example or as we maneuvered through the tight crowds at the carnival. Sound was good and I did not get any of that "wind" noise even though it was gusty at times as we walked around the Rodeo grounds. Playback was also simple as all you have to do is hook it up straight to your HDTV via a mini-hdmi to hdmi cable (bought separately) and press "play". Overall, this camera will suit active families where an expensive camera might be overkill especially if going outdoors. Simple to use and easy to operate with just one hand. Hint: Get the blue or red one as this makes it easy to find and identify wherever you place it.

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 (the older model) was a pretty good camcorder (better than most in this category), so I was thrilled when I found out there was a new model coming out. However, Kodak made some changes that I was really disappointed about: SENSOR SIZE: When it comes to video quality one of the most important things to look at is the size of the sensor. The (new) Zx5 has a 1/3.2 sensor which is smaller than the (old) Zx3 with a 1/2.5 sensor. Basically, bigger is better when it comes to sensor size. Smaller sensors result in more "noise" which will affect the image quality. This is especially a problem in low-light situations. (I think the video quality is good in bright light situations, but it is a bit grainy in low light.) Now I don't expect too much from a $179 camcorder, but the older model which came out at $149 (and is now even cheaper), has a bigger sensor (with the same CMOS type and 5 MP size). What's up with that? Newer models are supposed to get better, not worse! BATTERY: The other significant change is that the Zx5 has an integrated battery. Yes, that means it's non-removable. Which means that you can no longer keep spare batteries for "just in case"... and you know the battery always runs out at the worst possible moment. And, even worse, if the battery malfunctions/dies the camera is useless and you have to send it to Kodak for them to replace the battery ($$). And besides, what's the point of making a camera that is capable of recording up to TEN hours (on a 32GB card) when a single battery charge can't last even close to that? If you can get past those two BIG negatives then you might want to read about the GOOD changes: ----Macro mode has been added. (7 - 17 cm). This is a really great feature. ----Focus range: Zx5 is ~4 inches to infinity, while the older Zx3 is ~39 inches to infinity. ----camera is now shockproof. (Good for those of us who drop things. I am guilty of that.) ----Special "Cool Capture Effects" added. This is really great for all you creative types. ----sharing videos online is a bit easier with this model. ("3-step sharing") ----records in MP4 format. The older model recorded in the MOV format. MP4 format is easier to work with in most video editing software. The other positives about this camera (but these are not new features): ----Waterproof (up to 10 feet)... but being able to record in macro under water is new. ----Image stabilization is pretty good for a pocket camera. ----Face detection ability ----Can record up to 10 hours if you get a 32 GB card ----Small and comfortable to hold on to. Comparing to Flip and Sony: I also considered buying the Flip UltraHD, but its image sensor is even smaller. It is 1/4.5. The Sony Bloggie was a good contender with its sensor being 1/2.5, and it takes better quality still photos, but it's not waterproof and it also has the internal battery issue. You're not going to find a perfect, pocket sized camera with all the features you want, and all for under $200. So, essentially, you have to decide which features are most important to you, and which features you are going to sacrifice. Overall, this is a pretty good camcorder and is filled with tons of good features, but I think it's really too bad that Kodak made those changes with the sensor and the battery. Otherwise, this really would have been an awesome little camcorder. Despite those 2 big negatives, I bought this camera anyway (instead of the Zx3). (I really wanted the macro mode and mp4 format). If most of your filming will be in low-light situations I wouldn't recommend this camera. It's good if most of your filming will be outdoors or in bright light. If you do decide to get this camcorder, or any camcorder that uses SD/SDHC cards for that matter, be sure you get a fast card (a Class 6 or higher). A slow card can cause problems when recording. Also, the HDMI cable is not included with the Zx5. They will send you one if you pay shipping & handling ($6.50). The other problem that people may not know of is that if you happen to own the Zx3 and already have an HDMI cable and think you can use it on this camera then think again. You're out of luck. The Zx5 uses a smaller cable. It uses the micro HDMI cable (type D). I did a lot of research before buying this camera and still had a hard time choosing. Hopefully this review will be helpful to you. (((I had to compress the uploaded video because of Amazon's file size limitation. The original is better quality.))) *********************************** ~~~Update 3-24-11: I don't feel this camera is as bad as what some of the negative reviews imply. Sure, I shot some video that was horrible and really grainy, but I was in really low-light and I was moving too fast. I got much better results after slowing down. And filming in really bright light gave great results. What I really love about this camera is that I can get really close to my subject. I was only about 10 to 15 inches away from the birds in the uploaded video. (You can't get closer than 39" with the Zx3). Also, my HDMI cable arrived today from Kodak so I was finally able to watch my videos on my 55" TV and I have to admit the picture quality was quite good. (so good that I'm changing my review to 4 stars). I actually seemed to get the best results from the 720p recordings. The biggest challenge is low-light. The lower the light levels, the more obvious the graininess is.

I have had this camera since 2011 and it works beautifully. I have done all sorts of videos and pictures using the PlaySport, and cannot recommend it enough. It works incredibly well underwater, from snorkeling in Hawaii to swimming beneath waterfalls in Northern California. This is an incredible deal for the price. In Hawaii, the friend I was with purchased a bag to put their camera in for $50, while I got this for $70. His pictures and videos were horrible, compared to the beautiful quality of the PlaySport. This records in 780p at 60 fps for when you are moving around and need more fps, and records in 1080p at 30 fps for slower shots with less action. The only downsides of this camera is the playback screen and the buttons. The playback screen is semi-hard to navigate and sometimes videos playback fast (maybe it is just my camera due to a glitch). The buttons need to be pressed hard to get them to work, but being a waterproof camera, this is understandable. This camera is inexpensive but not cheap, as it has lasted me so long with much use.

コダック 【並行輸入】Kodak Playsport Zx5 Video...

残念なことに初期不良でした。日本のコダック社の保証はもう終了しているそうで保証して頂けませんでした。それでも販売元の会社が保証してくれましたので助かりました。その喜びを込めて星4つです。

This product is poor. I had it replaced after 6 months and the same fault has reoccurred. Seems many have had the same issue too. The door mechanisms (required to access the charging / download port and the memory card) easily jam. Now it's out of guarantee period it's a flat charge of £45 to have it replaced. Then I'll will get another 6 months until the same fault occurs? No thanks. Aside from that the pics are ok, the video worked well. The camera is waterproof but the sound is poor when underwater and a tinny noise accompanies any underwater video.

Loved it. one of the best things I bought for my children. So easy to use and totally child proof.Even survived a house fire (unlike everything else electronic). Only issue is the few seconds time lag when trying to record but otherwise great little camera.

Great little video camera as described shoots excellent video for blogging