Kodak Playsport (black)

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 63 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 9 stars

  Zi8 in a Zx3's body.

  by itstheismael on April 16, 2010

  Pros: Same exact camera as the Zi8, minus the external mic jack and macro mode.
  Waterproof to 3M
  Very good quality videos, tested 720p/60fps on 42" TV and it looks great.

  Cons: EIS too wimpy for my shaky hands.
  Low light videos are bad(but so are any other pocket camcorder's)

  Summary: This product is nearly perfect considering the price and quality. People need to understand what they are buying and stop giving bad ratings and nitpicking a 150 dollar camcorder. The ...

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  Summary: This product is nearly perfect considering the price and quality. People need to understand what they are buying and stop giving bad ratings and nitpicking a 150 dollar camcorder. The Zi8 was so well received last year, and this is the exact same image sensor, only the camera is cheaper because there is no external mic jack and also no macro mode. But this will take the EXACT same quality video as the Zi8. I was one day away from picking up a Zi8 for a trip to the Grand Canyon next month - and came across a post mentioning the Zx3. So I looked it up and was glad it did. I saved a few bucks and alos got a more rugged camera.
  
  All in all, you have to understand what you are buying - a pocket camcorder that takes very good qaulity video - better than your cell phone camera, and it is easier to carry around than a conventional camcorder. Great buy at 150.00, I got an 8GB memory card from Amazon for only 15 bucks. The only hangup is the EIS - I have shaky hands and sometimes it does come across in the videos. Hopefully a firmware fix will come out soon. This thing goes from being off to recording in about 3 seconds so it's going to catch whatever you are wanting to without you being stuck waiting for it to power on.
  
  The quality is excellent for what it is. It will not disappoint. I own a DSLR camera, and the last thing I want is two bulky pieces of equipment to lug around on vacation. This is great and if you are not a professional, this will catch those memorable moments and they will look great when you reminisce for years to come.

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  12 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Great video, waterproof, does what it says.

  by Improviz on June 11, 2010

  Pros: Got a Playsort in May. 720p 60/fps is the mode to use for great looking video. Even performs well in low light. Comes with all the cables you'll ever need. Super easy to use, good battery life even with the EIS turned on.

  Cons: What do you expect for $149? Digital zoom, but still not bad if you're subtle. Proprietary USB port a bit of a drag. Wind noise can be an issue. Would be nice if it came with a memory card but it doesn. Would have also liked a case.

  Summary: I got the Playsport with a bundle deal of an 8GB class 6 mem card from Amazon for $139. Added extra battery/charger, case, 2 mini Gorilla-type tripods, and the ...

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  Summary: I got the Playsport with a bundle deal of an 8GB class 6 mem card from Amazon for $139. Added extra battery/charger, case, 2 mini Gorilla-type tripods, and the wireless remote. A local TV station has already used some video I shot of a house fire just around the corner from where I live. It was getting dark and I shot it in 720p/60 fps. If you're making a spec trailer or something, or just a hobbyist, great little camcorder. I plan to mount it on sailboats to get action footage of the cockpit during races, and to use it kayaking out on Cape Cod this summer. People think I'm holding an iPhone or something, usually. Not only does Kodak give you all the cables you'll ever need, the thing boots up in about 1 second and is shooting as soon as you hit the button. I did have to RMA 1st one I got, there were a few dead(white) pixels in the middle of the sensor apparently, since I watched the video on several different monitors and the artifact was there on all of them. However, Amazon sent out the replacement about an hour after I went online to process the return. This is NOT an indestructible camera. It's waterproof. To 10 ft. So, would be great to take on your snorkeling trip in Hawaii, etc., or to a shallow beach. I think Kodak really hit a homerun with this. If I wasn't going to use it outdoors/on the water, I'd have gotten the Zi8 for the external mic input and some fancier features. But the Playsport is a winner in my book, and I'm a cranky geek and hard to impress.

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  5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Great Images Solid build quality Defective image sensor

  by fineartvideo on September 1, 2010

  Pros: Great Images. Solid build quality. Usable under water. Multiple video formats - 1920x1080x30, 1280x720x60, 1280x720x30, 720x480x30. Decent sound quality.

  Cons: No optical zoom. Dead pixels in three out of four units.

  Summary: I had a Flip Ultra HD which shoots at one setting, 1280x720x30 frames per second. I wanted the 60 frames per second rate (for smoother motion) and the underwater feature ...

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  Summary: I had a Flip Ultra HD which shoots at one setting, 1280x720x30 frames per second. I wanted the 60 frames per second rate (for smoother motion) and the underwater feature of the Kodak Playsport. The Kodak Playsport image is much crisper than the Flip, has better contrast and better color accuracy in low light. The low light sensitivity is very good compared to the Flip. The Playsport feels solid and rugged in the hand, but it is a bit more complicated to use than the simple, one setting Flip. The Kodak has a 5 megapixel still image setting, something the Flip can't do at all. Stills shot in bright light are incredible, with crisp, clear distortion free image quality right out to the four corners. There is no visible chromatic aberration (color fringing around objects). Even my Nikon SLR's kit lens had some of this, but the Kodak doesn't.
  
  Shooting at the 1080 resolution produces a very sharp image, but at 30 frames per second, it has a staccato look to it when objects move. The image stabilizer works, but very minimally. Shooting video at the 720-60 frame mode yields less sharpness, but the motion is very smooth. On the DVD you make from this camcorder, you won't see the sharpness advantage of the 1080 mode, because DVD's are only 480 anyway. But you will see the smoother motion of the 60 frame rate, so I recommend shooting at 1280x720x60 mode. For some reason, this also provides a more wide angle view which is desirable for scenic outdoor shots and tight indoor spaces.
  
  The weak link is the lack of an optical zoom lens. if you zoom digitally, you lose sharpness. You might as well capture the full wide image and zoom in during post production on your PC or Mac. The view screen is very hard to see outdoors in sunlight, an even indoors it looks chalky and dim. It's just the viewfinder that looks that way. The recorded images are fantastic. They exceed the quality of the new Sony SD camcorders by quite a bit, and those cost double what the Kodak costs.
  
  The real disappointment comes in the lack of quality control for the imaging chips. The first Playsport I bought had a dead pixel, which shows up as a fixed white spot on the image. Not wanting to return it until I had another unit, I bought a second Playsport before returning the first one. I went through three more units that all head dead pixels, one unit having as many as five of them. Kodak finally sent a replacement, but it was a refurbished unit that had scratches and scuffs on the view screen and on the back of the camera. There was a smudge print on the inside of the lens where obviously a technician touched it while working on it. It can not be cleaned without completely dis-assembling the camcorder. My fear is the waterproof seal would be compromised by disassembling the unit.
  
  In short, the design, build quality and image quality far exceed what you'd expect for 150 dollars. It's even better than many standard big name 300 dollar camcorders. Unfortunately, the quality control of the imaging device and the Kodak customer service fall short. I appreciate their fast service, but they never solved the problem. Sending me a refurbished unit in place of my brand new one day old camcorder is something I find unacceptable unless they also refund the difference in value of a new unit verses a used one. Rick Bennette
  
  Updated on Sep 1, 2010

  I would have given this 5 stars if not for the defective imaging sensors.

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  4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 5 stars

  Good camera, but with bad hot pixel problems

  by Clem2098 on July 14, 2010

  Pros: The image quality is very good. The product feels very solid in your hand and the navigation is easy. Has a very good field of view also. The camera would be great..if...See Cons

  Cons: The only con I have about this cam is that I have now had two of them and they have both had hot pixels. Easy way to see if your Kodak has it...Shoot a black background or just in a dark room...you see hot white spots in the picture, you got them.

  Summary: Don't know if the store I got them at maybe had a bad shipment, but it is pretty sorry quality for two to have the same problem. Usually a ...

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  Summary: Don't know if the store I got them at maybe had a bad shipment, but it is pretty sorry quality for two to have the same problem. Usually a camera might develop one after a year or so, but each one had at least 4 right out of the box. Back to the store they go. So if you don't mind hot pixels, then I would highly recommend you get the camera.

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  4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  Not as good as I expected

  by brett28b on March 22, 2010

  Pros: Price, Full 1080, Waterproof

  Cons: Poor video quality if not on tripod. 5 MP still images very soft

  Summary: Compared to other products in this segement this is probably the best device. However if you plan to use this in "active" environments that will require you to move around ...

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  Summary: Compared to other products in this segement this is probably the best device. However if you plan to use this in "active" environments that will require you to move around a lot while shooting this may not be the device for you. Any movement of the camcorder causes the image to pixelate until the camera returns to a semi stationary position.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Best mini HD video camera by far! And CHEAP!

  by ConradEOD on March 16, 2010

  Pros: Wide viewing angle on lens, good quality picture, better sound quality than prior models, more portable and rugged! I came from the Zi8 and got my Playsport this week. Small and portable, and it feels very comfortable in the hands.

  Cons: The things this is missing that the Zi8 had are (1) USB plug (which I don't think is a big deal since I have SD card readers in my computers) (2) macro mode (which I never really used on the Zi8 and (3) external mic (I never used this either).

  Summary: Overall it's the best on the market. Better pics than the Flip models and higher capactiy (up to 32GB SD card). I have a 16GB SDHC card in mine ...

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  Summary: Overall it's the best on the market. Better pics than the Flip models and higher capactiy (up to 32GB SD card). I have a 16GB SDHC card in mine and have hours of great video. The Playsport has a wider viewing angle than the Zi8 so fits more in the picture! Also, the mic seems to be more sensitive and picks up voices/sounds better. The screen is smaller, but that's fine with me; just makes it more portable! This is the best $150 I've spent! If you go diving, make sure to attach something that floats to the camera so it doesn't sink below the 10ft depth limit.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 2 stars

  Absolutely, horrible!!!

  by mjcarterrtrn on January 8, 2012

  Pros: The are small and fit in your purse and able to take anywhere without a lot of fuss.

  Cons: the camera stops for no reason in the middle of filming after only using the camera a few times. Re-setting the camera was recommended by Kodak. Now, I have 2 cameras that will not come back on.

  Summary: I bought 2 cameras for Christmas gifts, 2 weeks later, each within a day of each other, the cameras locked up for no reason. I do not suggest anyone to ...

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  Summary: I bought 2 cameras for Christmas gifts, 2 weeks later, each within a day of each other, the cameras locked up for no reason. I do not suggest anyone to buy this camera. It seemed like a really good camera and had good reviews. My experience is not a good one at all. Both cameras are being returned for a refund and will not be buying a Kodak again.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 3 stars

  Dead pixels,extremely poor quality in low lighting!!

  by redlewy007 on November 22, 2011

  Pros: Small and waterproof

  Cons: Bad video quality indoors, which is where i shot most of my videos(father of twin babies)

  Summary: Good for outdoors, period!

  Summary: Good for outdoors, period!

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Big disappointment - it died after using it 3 times!

  by Seeker1949 on November 10, 2011

  Pros: The camera has everything I needed it was compact, easy to operate, had HD features and it does have a SD card 30MB slot.

  Cons: Button placement I think.
  I used the camera 3 times out of the package. On the fourth it failed to power up. I called the Kodak help line. Essentially I repeated the same troubleshooting steps I had already taken. I had the camera less than 30 days s

  Summary: I will supplement my opinion after I get the camera back and use it.

  Summary: I will supplement my opinion after I get the camera back and use it.

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  Camera leaks and fails for no reason

  by appell on April 29, 2011

  Pros: Great videos

  Cons: Warranty provides only refurbished cameras
  Leaks
  Fails suddenly

  Summary: I am on my fourth camera in a 9 month period. The first leaked and was replaced with a refurbished camera. The second leaked and was replaced. The third failed ...

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  Summary: I am on my fourth camera in a 9 month period. The first leaked and was replaced with a refurbished camera. The second leaked and was replaced. The third failed for no reason and was never in water. I am now on my fourth camera. Kodak will never replace your camera with a new one, only refurbished.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

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