- Shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof up to 10 ft
- Kodak's Share button lets you choose your favorite sharing destination, e-mail address, or Kodak Pulse Display
- Full 1080p HD videos and 5 MP HD stills, with auto focus
- Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in digital image stabilization
- Bundle includes remote control, tripod, 4 GB memory card, case, and HDMI cable
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.)))
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~~~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.
Buy Kodak PlaySport (ZX5) Waterproof Pocket Video Camera Bundle Now
Kodak Playsport Zx5, is the more durable, weatherproof replacement for the first generation playsport, the Zx3, this one offers some new features better than the Zx3, yet leaves some features that i yearn they should have left on the Zx5.I am happy with the waterproof feature, its perfect for any summer holiday with your friends or family. However, dont drop it while your swimming because if it sinks deeper than 10 Ft., the pressure will force water through the seals (always use the included lanyard). Also, dont use it on normal beaches as the water usually isnt clear enough to be able to record anything, recording in swimming pools however, is entirely different. The clarity of a pool makes for some interesting recordings underwater that you dont usually see with regular camcorders like the Flip mino.
The anti-glare feature is a nice touch, especially on the beach, its a software that artificially reduces the glare from your screen, but it does not effect the recording one bit, just the screen.
The menu is pretty cryptic, no words, just alot of symbols which i am fine with, you are gonna read the instructions anyways, and most of the symbols are pretty self explanatory, the only real problem with this is that new people you let borrow the recorder might be a bit confused.
Now, what does Kodak Zx5 offers to substitute the previous model?
The first feature, sharing button system is created to simplify the video or image sharing process to popular social networks. With its new share button applied on the video camera, I just press a button and the video will be uploaded automatically. But to make it work, it has to be plugged into a computer with the software isntalled. Kodak has also added some new popular social network sites like Flickr, KODAK Gallery, and ORKUT.
Second, it has macro mode, which enables me to shoot and focus small objects. This is an interesting feature and in my opinion this is a great main additional feature offered by Kodak. Great for recording small objects such as bugs or items. On recorders without macro, smaller items would just be blurred out of focus if the camera got too close.
third, I can play out my creativity with its four capture effects. Theres black and white, sepia, bright colors and even the 70s film style. With this new feature, you can edit and trim your video with any style effects on the unit itself.
fourth, the battery is not swappable unlike the zx3, so if you like carrying multiple batteries around for convenience, that's not possible. That sucks because with the zx3 the battery isnt all to expensive and you would carry around one or two extra ones in your bag for backup. For the Zx5, the battery has to be charged again until you can use it which will take a couple hours. For one charge, recording in 720p 64 FPS, i managed 137 minuutes which isnt all to bad, but that means when i go out for travel, i will need to bring the charger and charge at night, a bit of an annoyance, however, i am used to apple products being like this, and i have a usb charger in my car so its not a deal breaker for me.
last, all the recorded video files are in .mp4 format instead of the previous .mov format, .mp4 is much more compatible with more programs and easier to edit (as i was so generously reminded by another reviewer). All the files are stored on the HC (high capacity) SD card, i have a 32 GB card in it right now so i can hold up to 10 hours of recording, not bad.
Don't be surprised if HDMI cables and other related accessories arnt there as you will have to pay S&H for kodak to ship one to you.
The other thing I found is, besides with its waterproof condition, Kodak announces this new model will be shockproof and dustproof too. The previous generation playsport only offered waterproofing up to 10 ft, but i guess if its waterproof, naturally, it should be dust proof too right?
Overall, this is a great combination of HD recording filled with editing, social networking, and weatherproofing features.
I bought these to help my little brother record his golf swing, i use the 720 64 FPS setting, which helps address parts of his swing that he is doing incorrectly, its no high speed camera, but its nice that such an affordable camcorder will suffice. I can pause at certain parts, and the swing will clearly stop with only little blur, 32 FPS cameras would skip some portions of the swing as there are not enough shots per second to capture many nuances of a fast golf swing.
Specs:
* Shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof up to 10 ft
* Kodak's Share button lets you choose your favorite sharing destination, e-mail address, or Kodak Pulse Display
* Full 1080p HD videos and 5 MP HD stills, with auto focus
* Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in digital image stabilization
* On-camera editing
* HD720 at 32 or 64 FPS
* HD1080 at 32 FPS
Read Best Reviews of Kodak PlaySport (ZX5) Waterproof Pocket Video Camera Bundle Here
i own the zx3. so when kodak said they where bringing out another waterproof camera with macro i couldnt wait to see what it was like.it is alot like all the other kodak camcorders. it records in the following:
WVGA, 720p 30 and 60 FPS, 1080p
it also has a 5 megapixel camera option on it.
it has 4 extra colour effects which are good if the mood strikes.
normal, High Saturation, 70's film, Black and white and Sepia
it also has the glare shield which the zx3 has. the difference with the zx5 is it has a sensor which change's the screen automaticaly. i have tried it and it works very well.
i found the low light to be better than the zx3. the 60fps low light was really good.
it has an internal battery which some people dont like. i thought it would be a problem to but after having the zx5 for nearly a week i havent even noticed the internal battery.
you can record 2 hours and 35 mins in 720p at 30fps. which is better than the zx3.
you can edit the video on the camera its self and then press the share button to upload it on to facebook, youtube and other sites. you also have the arcsoft software that comes with the camera.
the zx5 has water correction which i would ashume works the same as the H20 setting on the zx3. the underwater video is a lot better than the zx3. it is very clear and the autofocus works very well underwater.
here is some underwater tests using both cameras:
[..]
some people have said about the zx5 having bad audio. i have had a lot of pocket HD camcorders and some of them had bad sound others have had really good sound. to me the sound is ok. i would admit that the zx3 has slightly better sound but to me the zx5's sound is ok.
here is a sound test which was done. i dont think the sound is that bad.
[..]
kodak have said that the zx3 will be discountinued soon. which means that the zx5 will take its place. i think that the zx5 has a lot to offer. the zx3 has some huge shoes to fill but it also has had its issues to.
the only issues i have found so far are that there is a background noise when using the camera underwater. also sometimes when you move the camera infront of the sun you get a bronze flash on the screen. some times the autofocus tries to focus behind you when there is nothing there. its not as bad as the sony bloggie cm5 but it is there.
i do like the zx5 and i have really enjoyed using it. i dont find the sound an issue and having used the zx5 for nearly a week i havent had any problems with the internal battey.
at the end of the day you have to make up your mind what you want and what camcorder fits those needs.
here are some pros and cons for the zx3 and zx5:
ZX3 Pros:
Cheaper. better sound. removable battery.
Cons:
soon to be discontinued. zoom has problem. low light is grainy. some have green pixels in low light. low light not so good. records 1 hour and 20mins per charge
ZX5 Pros:
has macro. has auto focus. better underwater video capture. battery records 2 and a half hours per charge. zoom is better. video quality is better. has special colour effects. low light is better. its dust proof, water proof and shock proof.
Cons:
slight background noise when underwater. bronze flash sometimes on sunny days. autofocus can sometimes jump. which means it goes out of focus for a couple of seconds.
so there you go. i really like my zx5 and i think i will be using it alot more than the old zx3. i hope this has helped.
for more videos and reviews check out Chrisc74 on youtube.
Want Kodak PlaySport (ZX5) Waterproof Pocket Video Camera Bundle Discount?
For $109 this is the very best PocketCam on the market, no competition whatsoever still here in late 2011.I bought mine locally in June for a heftier price, but I have had nothing but a great experience with my Kodak PlaySport ZX5.
I was lucky enough to had access to the earlier model, the ZX3, I borrowed it from a friend last summer for a camping trip. It worked great and I was very impressed with it.
The OBVIOUS improvements with the ZX5 are small but worth the extra $10 or so over a new ZX3. If I already had a ZX3 I would have a harder time deciding if I would upgrade, but in the end I know me and I know I would step up to the ZX5.
The improvements I noticed was the awesome quality of the LCD display itself compared the ZX3 and other brands I have used. The anti-glare feature is a huge plus, in the blaring sun I had no issues seeing every detail in the display. At night this model had a slight advantage over the ZX3 and a few other pocketcams I've used. I recorded about 2 hours of footage of wildlife at night in the rain and the video turned out amazing. Only light was the moon and our distant camping lantern. In the city, specifically downtown Minneapolis at night, I have gotten some great footage and the quality is more than acceptable.
Another improvement is the macro feature. I needed to take close-ups of plant foliage and bugs and the ZX3 was OK but when I first used the ZX5 for the same purpose the difference was amazing. I got much improved details in video and picture quality, this upgrade alone is worth the change for me as I do a lot of close-up videos and pics of smaller items in large environments. The quality of the pictures is more than acceptable but nothing great, most smartphones probably have better cameras but it's definitely good enough. I remember having an HP camera back in the day that did 3MP and I thought those were good, so a 5MP in today's standards on a piece of equipment like this is fine for me.
The smaller lenses sensor is actually better than the original on the ZX3, a much wider angle view and the quality upgrade although not very noticeable is noticeable. This sensor is definitely an improvement over the first. Don't be fooled by some reviews that claim it's worse, they fail to understand that bigger is not always better, especially in the pocketcam world.
Many also do not like the "fixed" battery. I love it. Sure it would be nice to be able to switch out batteries when needed, but being this camera and it's battery can film at 720p at 60 frames for hours, I did almost 4 hours on and off, mostly on, before mine went low to where I needed to plug in it. A little planning doesn't hurt. But if your main issue with this camera is you can't film enough with the battery life given, you need to by a professional camcorder already.
Again, the two biggest negatives I have seem from legit buyers is the smaller sensor and the fixed battery. These to me are NON-ISSUES and had ZERO factor in me deciding my purchase.
Another negative I see is that it freezes during filming, this was due to old firmware and the latest update fixes this issue. I never had the issue, but a friend with a ZX5 did and she did the update and it never froze again. Anyone buying a new ZX5 after August doesn't really even need to worry about the update. If you look closely at the 1 and 2 star reviews, most of them complain about this issue and if you notice the last complaint was many months ago. The issue is fixed so it's a MOOT issue. The ZX5 does not deserve so many 1 and 2 star ratings. A good percentage of these folks are giving bad reviews because they needed a professional camcorder and were too cheap to go buy one.
Going over the upgrades again, the focus range is much improved, the macro feature is GOLD, records in .MP4 which is THEE standard currently and a huge improvement over the .mov files on the ZX3, indestructible, feels very comfortable and natural in hand, for $100 what more do you want?
If you're debating between other pocketcams just end that debate and go with the ZX5.
If you're debating between a pocketcam and a regular or professional camcorder, all you really need to know is what you plan on using the cam for. For 90% of the populations need, the Kodak ZX5 meets and exceeds those needs.
I will be buying two of these from Amazon for Xmas gifts.
NOTE: Don't skimp on a the SDHC card, get the class 10. I buy Fuji but it's the only brand I've ever used so I can't comment on the other cheaper brands. Even the Sony cards have had issues, but to each their own.
NEW AS OF 12/9/2011-
I just bought another Zx5 for my brother and I will be buying another for a friend for Xmas. This comment is now from a VERIFIED AMAZON PURCHASER. lol My Zx5 I've had since early summer 2011 and I paid a much higher price than what's offered here now. It's a no-brainer deal.
Price of Zx5 is now $99. I'd throw it 6 stars if I could.
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I don't know why people would give anything higher than two stars. This camera is OK at best.I'll start with the bad:
1) Low light shows the weakness in the ccd. Tons of noise in the dark areas, just total chaos. Especially if you move around (Like at a club or party). Even in the daylight technicolor noise can be seen in mid-tones and shadows.
2) Packaging. It comes with so little. Just a USB cable, and send away for a HDMI cable? Are you kidding!? Obvious personal-information/advertising ploy and totally unnecessary. Not even a case is included.
3) The Battery is not easily replaceable. I haven't looked into how to really open it up (possibly voiding the warranty) to replace it if it DOES die but I wouldn't want to do it away from a clean workbench. I BOUGHT THE AMAZON SUGGESTED BATTERY. DON'T DO IT!!! Currently I'm trying to figure out how to return it to the 3rd party, but since the battery isn't a plug and play deal do not buy it! You're just wasting time.
4) Menu navigation is sluggish/laggy but works OK since you won't go to it often and is simple and straightforward.
The good:
1) If you stick this thing on a tripod, during a sunny day, and set it to either 1080p or 720p -not 720p60the image is acceptable for a sub $200 camera. Photos are also acceptable, but I've seen sub $150 photo cameras that take better pictures.
2) Super fast start-up. Takes pretty much just a one count and its ready to shoot. Very nice.
3) Tripod hole on the bottom. Also very nice.
4) Not overloaded with a mess of buttons so it's easy to do the major tasks without too much fuss.
5) The anti-shake works very very well.
Ultimately this Camera is OK, not amazing as the specs -and some suspect reviewsindicate. Tripod daylight use is the best you can get I think in a sub $200 camera. Image quality is good unless you move too much then expect some artifacting. I like to work with 16:9 720p mostly unless I'm filming something in the daytime on a tripod then I'll set it to 16:9 1080p. Reason is there seems to be less artifacting in 720p and its easier to work with on an underpowered Netbook if you are away from your home computer. 720p60 fields is just a Benny Hill show, maybe some will like it, but I think it would also interfere with throughput and create chaos in some situations. So that's all I have to say for the review, I hope it was helpful.
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