Customer Reviews

Kodak PlaySport (Zx3) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera (Black)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have not owned this long - yes, as usual a product shipped in the US a while before Canadians were allowed to buy it - but it is a mighty impressive package so far. It is a little short of perfect, but is definitely worth the price tag.

The positives:
- Although not heavy, it has a solid feel and the rubberized surface makes for a sure grip in the wet
- It is smaller than you expect. Genuinely pocket-sized
- The software is easy to use and simple to set up. They have put some thought into the balance between simplicity and functionality
- It happily runs in HD, although is better at 720p than full HD 1080p
- Most importantly, it is a full underwater camera, with a blue filter mode to balance the colours underwater

The negatives:
- Although it takes still pictures, and in good quality, you have to navigate throught he menu to do it. Simple point and snap would have been better
- 1080p quality is not so good. But at 720p and 60fps it is great. If full HD matters to you, then you need a better and much more expensive camcorder
- Low-light quality is poor, it struggles with balance
- The battery is not removable, so no fast swapping with a spare battery
- The front of the device is white, irrespective of the model colour. I'd prefer a single colour both sides

The negatives highlight an important point - this is a pocket-sized, easy-to-use, waterproof camcorder. It isn't intended to be everything to everyone, just a highly practical cam for the active outdoors.

As a robust first camcorder it is great. For many people it will be a second camcorder which can take the shocks, and the water, of outdoor family fun.

The pricing is very well pitched - while it does have some negatives in HD and low-light, it is a great pocket camcorder for the money, and will be your first-choice device on a daily basis.

Four stars - but much nearer to five than three!

I just wanted to point out to readers of these reviews that the battery IS replaceable.

The best thing about this camera is that you don't have to worry about it. I've tested it for three years now. It is supper tuff and waterproof. I've brought it on fishing trips, to the ski hills atleast 2 douzen times, in the ocean and in my golf bag so far. I don't use a protective cover so my screen is a little scratched up after 3 years. You'll need an extra battery if you bring it on a 1 week sight seeing trip. The video recording is good and the sound is good for the price.

The camera was great until I decided to use it in water. It lasted maybe 5 minutes. It wasn't even 1m deep. I was going to use it while snorkeling but it didn't last that long. Waterproof? I think not. Fail.

Small package delivers an impressive HD video at 720p, reasonably good stills; fun and easy to use.

Mine has the same dark spot in the lower right coner. I was just about to make a video of it on a white surface and all of a sudden it dissapeared! I don't know what the heck is going on with these units. Just turned it back on and the dark spots are back argh, made a video of it and I caught it dissapearing! Please visit it at: [...] It's a little hard to tell on u-tube but its there. I'm going to send the video to kodak and see what responce I get... meanwhile I'll have to pack this up and send it back. I have 3 canon dslrs and this is my first experience with Kodak, it may or may not be my last, when this unit is working correctly it's awesome...

This product would be a good one if the battery worked fine. It just happened that just after 3 months of purchasing this item the battery began to refuse recharging, and by the 5th month the battery wouldn't charge anymore. It is completely pointless to buy a camera if the battery will not be good in just 5 months. The camera was barely used, it was not exposed to hard conditions. The warranty expires after 30 days, and there is no option for doing a battery replacement. This camera is another example of programed obsolescence in this case, by Kodak. Awful product.

Length:: 0:45 Mins

Just got the camera today and shot this video around 4pm. It was sunny outside.
I have not used it under water yet, i have a vacation coming up in a week im going to the Mediterranean so i should be able to take some videos and upload later.
The camera is fairly sturdy. I wasnt expecting a whole lot for a 140$ tax included. The video quality outside though is very good for the price. Im gona be careful when i use it under water because i feel like it wont last a very long time. if im able to use it properly this coming up vacation i will be more than happy with the underwater function!

This is my 3rd camera, I also have a rebel xsi, and a canon Elph and i obviously love them both, This camera will be a great add-on! Dont purchase this as a main camera.

Rating 9/10 mostly due to the value for the $

As a go-anywhere / vacation pocket camcorder, the Zx3 excels for casual 720p/30fps shooting (I tried 1080p and it's not great) -- at the beach, by the pool, and anywhere that water/dust/sand might be a concern. The main caveat is that the tiny mic aperture can be obstructed by water after a dip, which muffles recorded sound greatly and introduces unwanted variability in audio quality that is difficult if not impossible to fix in post. If you don't care much about the recorded sound, it's no biggie, but if you plan to use the audio as-is instead of layering music/foley/voiceover on top, be warned: you'll be disappointed. Walt Disney once observed that least 50% of the emotional content in a scene comes from the audio. As other reviewers have also noted, battery life isn't great, so be prepared to pack a spare battery or two if you plan to do any extended shooting with a high-capacity (>4GB) SD card.

I haven't even had a chance to try these suckers out because there's a very noticeable defect that i'm surprised no one else here has indicated. I bought one from Dell, exchanged it for another, same problem, then returned that one, and bought this one from Amazon, only to be disappointed and had to return it. They all have this one single problem: there is a black spot 3/4 of the way towards the bottom, just slightly right to the centre. I can't believe no one mentioned it in their reviews (it must be my bad luck for having received 3 of them with the exact same problem). I thought it was the lcd maybe, so when i filmed for 10 seconds with each camera, then played them on my laptop, that black spot was there, clear as day, on the images just filmed. It appears that either where they build these camera's is not 0% dust free, or somethings' wrong with the electronics.

And just to be sure, i asked 3 different people at all 3 occurences I had these cameras to confirm i'm not losing my vision or marbles. They all confirmed, you can see the black spot. What did Kodak do, build these things in someone's closet? Absolutely horrendous. I was so looking forward to owning something like this, as I'm an adventurist, and this has been the most disappointing setback for the summer.