We're in the home stretch to Christmas, and if you're still looking for a gift suggestion for that special technophile in your life, I have a suggestion for you: an ultra-portable pocket video recorder from Kodak. I'll give you the full run-down on features below, but the short version is that these cameras are rugged, simple to use, and produce absolutely gorgeous video. I purchased a Playsport ZX3 before my Grand Canyon trip back in the spring, and have been thoroughly pleased with it ever since.
In terms of quality and value, the Playsport offers incredible bang-for-the-buck.
As you can tell, I am a big fan of the Playsport cameras, and I was eager to give the newest model a workout. Kodak was happy to loan me one of the new ZX5 "Burton" edition Playsports, as well as a ZE1 Playfull, the Playsport's baby brother. The cameras are amazing little devices that offer 1080p video recording, on-board editing, still photo capture, and water-proofing down to 10ft. The software included with the cameras includes integrated support for YouTube, Facebook, and other popular photo and video sites, making it easy to upload and share your experiences. There are some small difference between the two cameras, so let's go ahead and take a closer look at them, starting with the Playsport.
The "Burton" edition of the Playsport is essentially the basic Playsport with a number of useful accessories (HDMI cable, 4GB memory card, remote control, tripod, and case). As mentioned above, the camera offers both still and video support, and is water-proof to 10ft. The video modes supported are full 1080p@30fps, 720p@60fps, 720p@30fps, and WVGA@30fps; the still images are 5.3MP (3072x1728).
The controls on the camera are simple and intuitive, with buttons to easily switch between still and video, review images or videos, modify camera settings, delete unwanted images or videos, and tag photos or videos for later upload to online sharing sites. There is basic functionality in the camera to trim videos or capture a single video frame as a still image, both of which are handy features. The camera can also apply a number of "special effects," such as high black & white, or sepia toning. Underwater color correction can be applied, the focus mode can be set to macro (closeup) mode, the audio recording gain can be adjusted, and the LCD brightness and glare-shielding can be controlled. Videos and stills can be played back on the 2.0 inch LCD screen or to an external display via the HDMI cable.
The camera includes a small amount of memory, but the real destination of your data is going to be a removable SDHC card. Or if you prefer to not remove the memory card, there is a micro-USB connector to make it easy to connect to a computer.
Speaking as a long-time owner of a Playsport, the thing that I've been most impressed with is the video quality of the camera, and how well the device works. I've played around with a number of other cheap cameras, and have always felt as if my money was wasted. Not so with the Kodak Playsport -- it is solid, easy to use, and works great. To be honest, the quality of the still images these cameras capture is not great, but the video is gorgeous -- especially the 720p@60fps. Consider these examples:
The Playsport cameras are definitely targeted to fans of outdoor sports, be it snowboarding, cycling, surfing, skydiving, or whatever you're into. In my case, I've used the Playsport as a great alternative to a GoPro or Contour camera for cycling. The Playsport is not as compact as either of those other cameras, but it does an excellent job and has the advantage of working well in more traditional situations such as family birthday parties or school graduations.
As an example of the video you can expect from a Playsport, here are a couple of videos I shot with one simply attached to my bike handlebars with some bubble wrap and a bungie cord. The first is a time-lapse version of a charity ride, and the second is a real-time version of my regular commute to work. As you might expect, a bike ride over bumpy roads makes for a lot of jitter and shake, but the Playsport handles it well. Note that the Kodak cameras do NOT include any sort of time-lapse functionality; I simply filmed the ride in real-time and then accelerated it through post-processing.
Overall, the Kodak Playsport is a rugged, elegant camera that produces fantastic video. And considering it currently sells for under $100 at Amazon, the Playsport is a bargain and a great idea for a last-minute present.
Now, what about the Kodak ZE1 Playfull? Well, for starters, it's definitely more compact that the Playsport:
The diminutive Playfull shares all the functional features of its big brother, such as still image or video capture, on-camera trimming of videos, tagging for upload, etc. The most significant difference from the Playsport is that the Playfull supports only 720p@30fps or WVGA recording, not 1080p or 720p@60fps. I suspect that the battery life on the Playfull is also less than that of the larger Playsport, but I haven't tested that theory, and the specs on the Kodak website don't specifically mention battery life.
One interesting feature of the Playfull is the built-in USB cable. The cable is less than an inch long, so it's a little awkward to use; still, it's handy to have the cable in there when you need it, rather than forgotten in a drawer at home.
The Playfull doesn't feel quite as solid as the Playsport, but the video it produces are comparable to those of the Playsport. The compact size also comes with a compact price, since the Playfull is available at Amazon for under $60.
In summary, you can't go wrong with either the Playsport or Playfull. About the only downside to the two is the fact that the still image quality is poor in low-light conditions, and that there is no time-lapse functionality built-in; however, as far as video capture goes, these Kodak cameras are fantastic, and that's primarily what users are looking for. As well, the price on these cameras makes them an irresistible deal. Overall, I whole-heartedly recommend these cameras to GeekDad readers.
Oh -- if you're interested in additional info about the Playsport, be sure to check out Dave's earlier review on GeekDad.
Note: Kodak supplied Playsport and Playfull cameras to GeekDad for the purposes of this review.
