The Kodak PlaySport Zx3
Design
The Playsport Zx3 has rounded edges, rubberized grips and textured plastics to give it a solid feel. The ports, battery, and SD card are all covered by locking doors for waterproof purpose. The tradeoff is that you have to open a door to get at any of the ports. Overall, it’s both comfortable to hold and easy to use.
Video / Image Quality
The video quality of the Playsport Zx3 is pretty much the same as the 1080p image quality of the Zi8. At good light condition, it produces sharp pictures with smooth colors, and minimum digital artifacts. At low light condition however, the Playsport struggle to produce good quality image, which is expected for a pocket camcorder. Having said that, the footage is about the best you can get at this price point.
Kodak Playsport 1080p Test
Kodak Zx3 Low Light Test
Image Stabilization
Pocket camcorders typically produces jittery and warped video. To deal with this issue, Kodak added the electronic image stabilization (EIS) feature to the Playsport Zx3. While it does not totally solve the issue, the EIS feature does help a little.
Playsport EIS Test
Audio Quality
The Playsport Zx3 does not comes with an external mic jack, so you can only depends on its on-board mono mic for sound recording. The video below is a great audio test by David Snook. In a quiet environment, it has no problem recording the voice of someone talking from 16 feet away.
Battery Life
The battery of the Playsport Zx3 lasted for one and a half hour of continuous shooting at 1080p resolution.
Underwater
The PlaySport Zx3 is waterproof in up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) of water, but Kodak is quick to remind users it doesn’t float. So keep the wrist strap secured when diving with it and resist the temptation to toss it overboard. An interesting aspect of the materials of the camera is that it feels almost entirely dry just seconds after we pull it out of the water, and certainly isn’t slippery or even difficult to operate. Also, you can turn to underwater mode to corrects the colors so they’ll be clearer underwater!
What Others Say About Playsport
“I shot this using the Kodak PlaySport while snorkeling off of Ixtapa, Mexico. The water wasn’t the clearest, but I did get pretty good results. It looked really great in the pool. It also looks great above water! I use it at my son’s baseball games and I have been amazed at the quality. Hands down the best thing about this camera is the size. It’s so easy to slip in a pocket and just carry around. Great little vacation camera. My only complaint is that the control wheel is a little small. I would often accidentally stop recording while trying to zoom in or out. You get used to it though and it is a minor annoyance. I highly recommend this camera. “
> View all 357 customer reviews
Conclusion
The Kodak Playsport Zx3 produces great picture quality (for pocket camcorder). Its waterproof and EIS feature is something that you don’t find on many pocket camcorders. At a low MSRP of $150, the Playsport Zx3 is highly recommended for those who like to capture a day at the beach, in the pool or out among the elements. The Playsport Zx3 is currently available at Amazon for $124.90
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