Introduction

The Playsport is available in black, purple, or blue, but the back of the camcorder is white on all three models.

Design

Front

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Back

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Left

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Right

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Top

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Bottom

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Size & Weight Comparison

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In the Box

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Performance

Color

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For the past couple of years, Kodak camcorders have done a notoriously poor job in our bright light color accuracy testing and the Playsport continued with this trend. The camcorder simply could not white balance properly during our testing, which is a problem we see from many ultracompact camcorders—although the Kodak Playsport was particularly bad. The camcorder measured a color error of 13.6 with a saturation level of 128.7%. The sample images below speak for themselves. More on how we test color.

Looking at the error map and test chart above you can see what we're talking about when we say the Playsport had difficulty white balancing properly. All of the video we shot with the camcorder during our bright light testing came out with a strong orange tint that simply wrecked havoc on the camcorder's color accuracy score.

The only good news about the Playsport's color accuracy score is that it came out slightly better than its predecessor, the Kodak Zx1. Both camcorders had terrible white balancing issues, but, as you can see from the comparison images below, the Playsport handled things just a tad better (although it still did very bad in this test).

The Flip SlideHD and Sony MHS-CM5, which were by no means top-performers in this test, put up far better numbers than the two Kodak models in this color accuracy test. All Kodak needs to do, however, is improve the auto white balance system on its camcorders and it should do a decent job here. Just take a look at how the Playsport did in our low light color test where it didn't have a problem white balancing properly.

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Low Light Color

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The color accuracy measured on the Kodak Playsport in our low light test was quite good, and the camcorder did a whole lot better in here than it did in our bright light color testing. The Playsport managed a color accuracy of 4.44 with a saturation level of 65.72%, both of which stand up decently to the competition. More on how we test low light color.

The main reason for the Playsport's success in this test was due to the camcorder's ability to properly white balance the video image we recorded during our low light testing. It seems the Playsport—as with many ultracompact camcorders—had far less trouble working with the LED lights we use in our low light testing than the halogen bulbs we make use of in our bright light test. Still, despite the Playsport's good performance, we got slightly better results from the competition. The Flip SlideHD, for example, managed a saturation level of 104.3% in this test and it had more accurate colors than the Kodak Playsport (as well as a brighter image).

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Noise

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The Kodak Playsport balanced out its poor color accuracy performance with a strong showing in our noise test. The camcorder averaged 0.565% noise in our bright light testing, which is roughly half as much noise as we measured on last year's Kodak Zx1. Of the camcorders in this set, only the Flip SlideHD measured less noise in this test. More on how we test noise.

Not only do the crops above show the presence of noise in each camcorder's recorded image, but they also do a good job showing sharpness and detail. Of the models shown above, only the Kodak Playsport and the Sony MHS-CM5 are capable of recording a Full HD (1920 x 1080) image. Despite this fact, the video captured by the Playsport doesn't look all that much sharper than what the Kodak Zx1 (records 1280 x 720 image) was capable of producing.

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Low Light Sensitivity

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The Kodak Playsport did an exceptional job in our low light sensitivity test as the camcorder required just 5 lux of light to hit 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is roughly the same amount of light that was needed by last year's Kodak Zx1 in this same test. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

Keep in mind that part of the reason ultracompact camcorders do so well on this test is because the models usually implement slow shutter speeds in low light situations and they have wide fixed apertures. While all of these camcorders did quite well in this test, they did run into other problems in low light such as blurred images, discoloration, and artifacting.

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Low Light Noise

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The Playsport continued its strong low light performance with some very good noise levels in this test. The camcorder registered 0.825% noise in our low light testing, which is only about 0.3% more noise than we measured in our bright light test with the camcorder. More on how we test low light noise.

We're not saying the Playsport's low light image looked perfect, but take a peek at the comparison images above and judge for yourself. Notice how much cleaner the Kodak Playsport's cropped image looks compared to the Kodak Zx1. The Playsport still has some discoloration and blur, but overall its image looks quite good next to the competition.

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Low Light Color

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The color accuracy measured on the Kodak Playsport in our low light test was quite good, and the camcorder did a whole lot better in here than it did in our bright light color testing. The Playsport managed a color accuracy of 4.44 with a saturation level of 65.72%, both of which stand up decently to the competition. More on how we test low light color.

The main reason for the Playsport's success in this test was due to the camcorder's ability to properly white balance the video image we recorded during our low light testing. It seems the Playsport—as with many ultracompact camcorders—had far less trouble working with the LED lights we use in our low light testing than the halogen bulbs we make use of in our bright light test. Still, despite the Playsport's good performance, we got slightly better results from the competition. The Flip SlideHD, for example, managed a saturation level of 104.3% in this test and it had more accurate colors than the Kodak Playsport (as well as a brighter image).

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Motion

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The Kodak Playsport can record using a 30p frame rate or 60p frame rate, but to record at 60p you can only capture video at a 1280 x 720 resolution. Kodak recommends using the 720/60p mode for recording sequences with lots of action because it will result in smoother motion, but we found the camcorder's 1080/30p mode to record motion quite smoothly as well. More on how we test motion.

Video Sharpness

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The Playsport managed to do rather well in our video sharpness test (thanks to its Full HD 1920 x 1080 record mode). The camcorder measured a horizontal sharpness of 700 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 700 lw/ph—both of which are strong improvements over the Kodak Zx1, which topped out with a 1280 x 720 record mode. Of the models we used as comparisons to the Playsport, only the Sony MHS-CM5 also captures a Full HD 1080p image. More on how we test video sharpness.

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Testing Samples

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Usability

Ease of Use

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Being an ultracompact camcorder without any manual controls, the Kodak Playsport is definitely easier to use than your average traditional camcorder. Compared to the simplicity of Flip camcorders, however, there are a few things that make the Playsport a bit difficult to use. First of all, the camcorder has a confusing menu system that features numerous options that don't have any text-based labels. Each menu option is labeled by graphical icon only, which, for some icons is self explanatory, but for others can be very confusing (for example, the LCD glare setting looks like a backlight compensation option).

There's also a second menu on the Playsport that is used only for changing the record mode on the camcorder. This menu is accessed by pressing the d-pad left or right, which we found ourselves doing accidentally quite often (the d-pad buttons are easy to bump). While this menu is easy to understand, just the fact that the menu exists means the Playsport is more confusing than the Flip SlideHD (which has only one record mode and no still image mode).

The instruction manual that comes with the Playsport isn't awful, but it doesn't provide details about many of the camcorder's settings. We'd like it if the manual would offer more information about things like the underwater setting (what exactly does this menu option do?) and more details about recording bitrates and specs.

Auto Mode

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Since the Kodak Playsport really has no manual controls to speak of, it could be said that the camcorder is always functioning in a 'dedicated auto mode.' The main difference with the Playsport's auto controls and most traditional camcorders, however, is the fact that the lens is completely fixed on the Kodak. With a fixed lens, the camcorder has no autofocus mechanism and you need to be at least one meter (around 3.3 feet) away from your subject in order for the image to be in focus.

Auto exposure and auto white balance are functional on the Playsport, unlike autofocus. We found the auto exposure to work relatively well—it produced smooth transitions between light and dark scenes as well as avoiding a choppy, jump-like switch as we shot at varying light levels. The Playsport is equipped with a basic face detection feature that works with the auto exposure system to correctly expose subject's faces within the frame.

The auto white balance, on the other hand, was a major problem on the Playsport. The camcorder generally white balanced properly under outdoor light, but during our testing and under mixed indoor light the Playsport often showed significant white balance problems (like the orange hue you can see in our bright light testing). In Kodak's defense, this is a problem we've seen on many ultracompact camcorders, but it is also something that has been particularly problematic on previous models from Kodak.

Auto Controls

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Focus - With its fixed focus lens the Kodak Playsport has no manual or autofocus mechanism. Kodak lists the camcorder's focus range as being 1 meter (3.3 feet) to infinity, or 1.33 meters to infinity when shooting underwater. We found this focal range to be rather accurate in our testing, so make sure you're at least more than three feet away from your subject when your recording them—otherwise they'll come out all blurry.

Exposure - The auto exposure system on the Kodak Playsport is entirely automated, just like it is on most ultracompact camcorders. Don't be confused by the brightness and glare settings in the camcorder's menu, either—they just adjust the light levels for the LCD and have nothing to do with manually adjusting your video.

Aperture - The lens on the Playsport is fixed at f/2.8 and the aperture cannot be adjusted to any other f-stop value.

Shutter Speed - Shutter speed control on the Playsport is entirely automated.

White Balance - The Kodak Playsport uses an automatic white balance system and has no manual option.

Gain - You guessed it... the Playsport has no option for manually setting the gain levels.

Color & Image Controls - There are no color or image controls on the Kodak Playsport.

Handling

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Being waterproof up to three meters it should go without saying that the Kodak Playsport is a durable camcorder. The model also feels solid and tough in its compact little body, and we like the way both of the port covers close tightly by locking into place (although they can be tricky to open and close). The front of the Playsport definitely is prone to scratching, but any marks usually aren't too noticeable due to the rubber-like design of the front panel. You can usually wipe away any scratches as long as they aren't too deep.

The Playsport may not look too stylish, but it is definitely rugged—just like the Kodak Zx1 before it. Where Kodak really improved things compared to the Zx1, however, is in button design. The dedicated buttons on the back of the Playsport all feel good when you push them and they have large, easy-to-read icons that make sense when you look at them. Unfortunately, the same could simply not be said for the Kodak Zx1.

We would have liked to see a better overall design on the d-pad with the Playsport. While the start/stop record button does feel good to press, it would have made sense to label it or give it a red color (just to make it more obvious as to what exactly it is for). The d-pad arrows are the weakest buttons on the entire camcorder and we often found ourselves accidentally pressing the wrong direction on the d-pad (e.g. pressing up instead of right).

The Playsport has some good ribbed grips on each side of the camcorder that give your fingers something gritty to hold onto—particularly if you're recording underwater. The front of the camcorder is surprisingly smooth, however, and we wish Kodak had put some sort of ridged grip on that side of the camcorder as well. The Playsport can stand on its own, but you must balance it by the tripod mount on its bottom. Any huge shake or bump will likely cause the Playsport to fall over when you're doing this, but it is still better than what we've seen on many ultracompacts, some of which can't stand on their own at all.

Portability

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Being an ultracompact camcorder, the Kodak Playsport is primarily designed with portability in mind. The camcorder is a bit taller and wider than the Kodak Zx1, but it does come in weighing a few grams less. In fact, the Playsport is one of the lightest ultracompact camcorders we've seen—other than the Flip MinoHD, which only weighs 116 grams. The Playsport's rugged design makes it the perfect ultracompact camcorder to toss in a bag or carry around in a crowded pocket. The fact that the camcorder is waterproof up to three meters also means you don't have to worry about spilling a small amount of liquid on the Playsport when you transport it. Be warned, however, the rubbery portion on front of the Playsport is very prone to scratches, so you may want to keep the camcorder in its own bag if you like your gadgets to look unblemished.

Battery Life

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The Kodak Playsport is powered by a removable battery pack that can be recharged via USB or by using the wall-plug USB adapter that ships with the camcorder. In our testing, the camcorder recorded 88 minutes of continual video before the fully-charged battery pack became depleted. This is over 30 minutes less than the Kodak Zx1 was capable of recording for, and it is on the low-end when compared to most ultracompact camcorders. More on how we test battery life.

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LCD

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There's no viewfinder on the Kodak Playsport, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. What is fairly unexpected, however, is the fact that the camcorder has a couple of brightness adjustment controls for its 2-inch LCD. In the menu you can both set the LCD brightness (or put brightness on auto) and you can turn on something called the LCD Glare Shield. The Glare Shield is meant to improve LCD viewability in high-glare situations (like outdoors on a bright, sunny day), but we really didn't find it all that effective.

While the 2-inch LCD isn't bad, we would have greatly appreciated a larger screen on the back of the Playsport. A portion of the LCD's viewing frame is cropped when you record video as the screen isn't really shaped with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This means a black bar appears on the top and bottom of the screen. Thankfully, Kodak chose to put text and info in these black bars rather than taking up more screen space by putting the text in the 16:9 frame.

Stabilization

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The Kodak Playsport is equipped with a digital image stabilization system (labeled as EIS—Electronic Image Stabilization—on the camcorder). Despite the fact that the camcorder has this setting, we found the EIS did absolutely nothing to correct the shake in our testing. In fact, the EIS made the image even shakier. Since the Playsport has no optical zoom and it is a very steady camcorder to begin with, our recommendation is to simply avoid using the EIS altogether—it shouldn't really make any difference. More on how we test stabilization.

Most ultracompact camcorders do not have a stabilization system that can be turned on and off (none of the Flip camcorders have this feature). The Sony MHS-CM5 is the only camcorder in this set that offers stabilization and it only does so in its 720p record mode.

Manual Focus

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Manual Exposure

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Miscellaneous Controls

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The underwater recording function has its own menu option on the Playsport, so it technically could be considered a manual control. When you turn the underwater function on in the menu the video image turns bright orange, which may be a result of the camcorder's poor white balance system. We're actually not quite sure why the underwater record mode must be turned on, and we don't know if the setting actually does or changes anything about the way the Playsport records video (other than adding that orange hue). Unfortunately, Kodak's provided instruction manual doesn't really go into any detail about what the underwater mode does either—other than saying the mode should be turned on when shooting underwater and turned off when you are finished.

Auto Controls

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Focus - With its fixed focus lens the Kodak Playsport has no manual or autofocus mechanism. Kodak lists the camcorder's focus range as being 1 meter (3.3 feet) to infinity, or 1.33 meters to infinity when shooting underwater. We found this focal range to be rather accurate in our testing, so make sure you're at least more than three feet away from your subject when your recording them—otherwise they'll come out all blurry.

Exposure - The auto exposure system on the Kodak Playsport is entirely automated, just like it is on most ultracompact camcorders. Don't be confused by the brightness and glare settings in the camcorder's menu, either—they just adjust the light levels for the LCD and have nothing to do with manually adjusting your video.

Aperture - The lens on the Playsport is fixed at f/2.8 and the aperture cannot be adjusted to any other f-stop value.

Shutter Speed - Shutter speed control on the Playsport is entirely automated.

White Balance - The Kodak Playsport uses an automatic white balance system and has no manual option.

Gain - You guessed it... the Playsport has no option for manually setting the gain levels.

Color & Image Controls - There are no color or image controls on the Kodak Playsport.

Audio Controls

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It would be hyperbole to suggest that the Kodak Playsport is loaded with audio controls, but the camcorder does have one audio option that is rarely found on ultracompact models—manual audio level control. Kodak first implemented this feature on last year's Zi8, which also has an external microphone jack, but it was not found on the Playsport's predecessor, the Kodak Zx1. The manual audio control's on the Playsport aren't anything incredibly impressive, but the setting does have 10 increments of audio level adjustment available. While adjusting the audio levels, there's also an audio level display that appears on the screen.

Of course, these audio level controls are somewhat trivial when you consider the Playsport's built-in mic records subpar, monaural audio. If you truly want good audio with your video you probably should be using a higher-end camcorder anyway (or something with an external mic input).

Editing

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The Kodak Playsport ships with a new version of ArcSoft MediaImpression software that is loaded right on the camcorder itself. The software would not load onto our Macintosh computers, but it is compatible with Windows and needs to be installed the first time you connect the Playsport to a computer. The new version of MediaImpression is nearly identical to what came on previous Kodak camcorders, but there are a few new upload features and editing options. For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.

Features

Compression

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The Kodak Playsport uses H.264 compression to record video and the camcorder offers four different recording quality options. The highest quality setting captures Full HD video at a 1920 x 1080 resolution using a 30p frame rate. Two more HD options are available for recording 720p footage, and there's a WVGA mode that captures standard definition video.

Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media

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The Kodak Playsport's built-in memory capacity is extremely small—just 128MB with only around 20MB available for storing video or photos—so the camcorder's main storage media is removable SD/SDHC memory cards. The memory card slot is located on the left side of the camcorder, next to the battery compartment, and it is protected very well by the thick, flip-down cover.

Kodak doesn't provide any information about approximate record times for the camcorder, but you can expect the 20MB of internal memory to allow for roughly 10 seconds of video at the highest quality setting. You are best off using an 8GB or higher SD/SDHC card, as those should give you multiple hours of record time at any quality setting. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Slow Motion Modes

Still Features

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The Kodak Playsport has one still image mode that enables the camcorder to capture 5-megapixel still images with a 3072 x 1728 resolution. Despite Kodak touting the 5-megapixel capability of the camcorder, we found the Playsport to take unimpressive photos in our testing (particularly in the case of image sharpness). This poor still image performance probably stems from a combination of the camcorder's subpar lens and processing system, and is less of a deficiency with the 5-megapixel CMOS sensor.

The Kodak Playsport has no other still features other than the ability to actually capture still photos at a single size. You can't take photos while you are recording video, as you must switch the camcorder over to photo mode in order to take still images (in the same menu that allows you to choose between the various video recording options). Still, the fact that the Playsport can capture still images may be a selling point for some—and it is one of the significant advantages that many ultracompact models have over the Flip series of camcorders (all of which do not capture still images).

The Kodak Playsport did roughly the same in our still color test as the camcorder did in our bright light video color test, which is to say not all that good. The camcorder produced a color error of 8.23 and a saturation level of 83.61% and it showed signs of the same white balance errors that added an orange hue to its recorded video.

Just as we saw in our video testing, the Kodak Playsport made up for its low color accuracy score with a strong set of numbers in our still noise test. The camcorder averaged 0.52% noise, which is a lot better than most camcorders do in this test and it is close to 0.35% less noise than the Kodak Zx1 measured last year.

Despite offering a 5-megapixel still image capability, the Kodak Playsport simply bombed in our still sharpness test. The camcorder registered a horizontal sharpness of 479 lw/ph with 31.2% undersharpening and a corresponding vertical sharpness of 472 lw/ph with 27.5% undersharpening. These numbers are comparable to the kind of sharpness you'd get from a decent-to-average cellphone camera, and we're guessing the Playsport's difficulty here is due—at least in part—to the small, low-quality lens that is included on the camcorder. Most ultracompact models with fixed lens systems tend to do very poorly in our still sharpness test, however, so the Kodak Playsport isn't alone with its dismal performance. If you want an ultracompact that can take decent still photos, then check out the Sony Bloggie HD MHS-CM5 or the Sanyo VPC-CG10—both of which don't use fixed lens systems and can capture reasonably sharp still photos.

Lens & Imaging System

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As is the case with many ultracompact camcorders, the Kodak Playsport has a fixed focus lens. This means the lens has no moving parts, no autofocus system, and no optical zoom. The lens stays 'fixed' at an aperture of f/2.8 and it features a focus range of 1 meter to infinity (or 1.33m - infinity underwater). The focus range on the Playsport isn't great, but it is better than what you get on most Flip camcorders (the SlideHD needs to be at least 1.5 meters away from your subject for it to be in focus).

LCD

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There's no viewfinder on the Kodak Playsport, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. What is fairly unexpected, however, is the fact that the camcorder has a couple of brightness adjustment controls for its 2-inch LCD. In the menu you can both set the LCD brightness (or put brightness on auto) and you can turn on something called the LCD Glare Shield. The Glare Shield is meant to improve LCD viewability in high-glare situations (like outdoors on a bright, sunny day), but we really didn't find it all that effective.

While the 2-inch LCD isn't bad, we would have greatly appreciated a larger screen on the back of the Playsport. A portion of the LCD's viewing frame is cropped when you record video as the screen isn't really shaped with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This means a black bar appears on the top and bottom of the screen. Thankfully, Kodak chose to put text and info in these black bars rather than taking up more screen space by putting the text in the 16:9 frame.

Connectivity

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Since the Playsport is waterproof up to three meters, it should come as no surprise that the ports are extremely well protected on the camcorder. The video connection inputs are located on the right side of the Playsport behind a thick, locking port cover. Opening and closing this port cover can be an occasional challenge due to its locking system, but we'd rather have that minor nuisance than have the possibility of these valuable ports getting exposed when the camcorder is submerged. In this right-side collection of terminals you'll find the USB connector, HDMI, and AV-out port. The ports aren't very well labeled, but there aren't too many of them so it should be easy to figure out what cables connect where (the camcorder ships with cables for all three ports).

The Playsport uses a micro USB terminal, which is a bit harder to find compatible cables for than the regular mini USB ports employed by most camcorders (the Playsport does ship with a micro USB cable). As a bonus, however, the camcorder ships with a USB to wall-plug adapter (similar to what ships with the iPhone or other media players). This means you don't have to connect the Playsport to a computer to charge it, although you still can do that if you choose. The AV-out port is also not the standard 3.5mm jack that you find on most products. Instead, the port works with 2.5mm AV cables, which are rare, but can be found at most electronics stores (Kodak also provides one).

Another port cover is located on the left side of the Playsport and it features a similar design to the cover we mentioned above (although this left-side cover is longer). This cover protects the battery compartment and SD/SDHC memory card slot.

Media

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The Kodak Playsport's built-in memory capacity is extremely small—just 128MB with only around 20MB available for storing video or photos—so the camcorder's main storage media is removable SD/SDHC memory cards. The memory card slot is located on the left side of the camcorder, next to the battery compartment, and it is protected very well by the thick, flip-down cover.

Kodak doesn't provide any information about approximate record times for the camcorder, but you can expect the 20MB of internal memory to allow for roughly 10 seconds of video at the highest quality setting. You are best off using an 8GB or higher SD/SDHC card, as those should give you multiple hours of record time at any quality setting. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

3D Lens

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3D Playback

Still Features

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The Kodak Playsport has one still image mode that enables the camcorder to capture 5-megapixel still images with a 3072 x 1728 resolution. Despite Kodak touting the 5-megapixel capability of the camcorder, we found the Playsport to take unimpressive photos in our testing (particularly in the case of image sharpness). This poor still image performance probably stems from a combination of the camcorder's subpar lens and processing system, and is less of a deficiency with the 5-megapixel CMOS sensor.

The Kodak Playsport has no other still features other than the ability to actually capture still photos at a single size. You can't take photos while you are recording video, as you must switch the camcorder over to photo mode in order to take still images (in the same menu that allows you to choose between the various video recording options). Still, the fact that the Playsport can capture still images may be a selling point for some—and it is one of the significant advantages that many ultracompact models have over the Flip series of camcorders (all of which do not capture still images).

The Kodak Playsport did roughly the same in our still color test as the camcorder did in our bright light video color test, which is to say not all that good. The camcorder produced a color error of 8.23 and a saturation level of 83.61% and it showed signs of the same white balance errors that added an orange hue to its recorded video.

Just as we saw in our video testing, the Kodak Playsport made up for its low color accuracy score with a strong set of numbers in our still noise test. The camcorder averaged 0.52% noise, which is a lot better than most camcorders do in this test and it is close to 0.35% less noise than the Kodak Zx1 measured last year.

Despite offering a 5-megapixel still image capability, the Kodak Playsport simply bombed in our still sharpness test. The camcorder registered a horizontal sharpness of 479 lw/ph with 31.2% undersharpening and a corresponding vertical sharpness of 472 lw/ph with 27.5% undersharpening. These numbers are comparable to the kind of sharpness you'd get from a decent-to-average cellphone camera, and we're guessing the Playsport's difficulty here is due—at least in part—to the small, low-quality lens that is included on the camcorder. Most ultracompact models with fixed lens systems tend to do very poorly in our still sharpness test, however, so the Kodak Playsport isn't alone with its dismal performance. If you want an ultracompact that can take decent still photos, then check out the Sony Bloggie HD MHS-CM5 or the Sanyo VPC-CG10—both of which don't use fixed lens systems and can capture reasonably sharp still photos.

Other Features

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Waterproof

Kodak listed the Playsport's focus range underwater as or 1.33 meters to infinity, which means you have to be reasonably far away from your underwater subject in order for it to be in focus. This may not be an issue in a clear swimming pool, but if you're recording wildlife in an ocean or lake it is probable that your own visibility may be less than 1.33 meters, which means you may have difficulty recording a focused image. This is something to think about before you take the Playsport along with you on your deep sea diving adventure.

NTSC/PAL Output

You can switch between NTSC and PAL output on the camcorder, which is good if you travel overseas and are planning on connecting the Playsport to a PAL television. Switching the camcorder to PAL signal doesn't alter the way it records video, all it does is change the output signal for playback.

Sony MHS-CM5 Comparison

The Flip series of camcorders have long been considered the best in the business when it comes to cheap, easy-to-use, ultracompact models. The waterproof Kodak Playsport, however, may give the newest Flip—the SlideHD—a run for its money. Speaking of money, one of the best things about the Playsport compared to the Flip SlideHD is the fact that it retails for $120 less. So, not only do you get a more durable design with the Kodak Playsport, but you can also save yourself a whole bunch of cash.

As performance goes, the Kodak Playsport and Flip SlideHD put up equivalent numbers in many of our tests. The Kodak really came through in our video sharpness test, however, thanks to the camcorder's Full HD 1920 x 1080 recording capability (all Flip HD cams top out at 720p). Yes, both camcorders had trouble white balancing properly in our bright light test, so you're not really getting anything close to top-notch performance from either model—but the Kodak Playsport is the clear overall winner when it comes to video quality.

The Flip SlideHD does hold an advantage over the Playsport in terms of simplicity and editing software. So far, we haven't seen any other manufacturer include software that is as easy to use as what comes with the Flip camcorders (its software is also compatible with Macs, which is rare). Being such a simple camcorder does have its downside, however. The Flip SlideHD has no still image mode, only one record mode, and doesn't have any manual controls. The Playsport, on the other hand, has face detection, four video record modes (including a standard definition option), and, oh yeah... it's waterproof up to three meters.

We say go with the Kodak Playsport in this situation, mainly because it is so much cheaper and far more durable than the Flip SlideHD. If you're set on purchasing a Flip camcorder because you want something that's incredibly simple to use, we suggest buying the Flip UltraHD—it's far cheaper than the SlideHD and it captures video that looks just as good (the only difference is in video playback).

Kodak Zx1 Comparison

The Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5 put up some strong numbers in our video testing and it is one of the few ultracompact camcorders—along with the Kodak Playsport and JVC Picsio GC-FM1—to offer Full HD 1920 x 1080 recording. Other impressive features on the MHS-CM5 include its 5x optical zoom lens and rotatable LCD panel.

The Sony MHS-CM5 was the only camcorder in this set that could really match the level of sharpness and detail obtained by the Playsport in out bright light testing. The MHS-CM5, however, didn't do quite as well as the Kodak in low light, so overall we give the Playsport the edge. As far as features go, the two camcorders have a similar amount. Both have multiple recording options, still image modes (although the Sony has more size options), and a few extra controls to play around with.

While we do like the flip-out LCD on the MHS-CM5, we found the Kodak Playsport to be the more rugged and durable camcorder overall. Of course, a lot of this has to do with the fact that the Playsport is waterproof, which we think is a huge bonus for an ultracompact camcorder. Just think, you don't have to worry about the Playsport getting wet when you're caught in an unexpected downpour, which makes it the ideal camcorder to take hiking or to the beach. On top of all this, the Playsport is $50 cheaper than the Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5, which essentially seals the deal as to which model is the better value.

COMP 3

The Kodak Zx1 is essentially the predecessor to the Playsport, and we're happy to say the improvements made by Kodak have been very impressive. The Zx1 was a decent camcorder and we liked its rugged, water-resistant design, but the Playsport takes that to a whole new level. Instead of being water-resistant, the Playsport is waterproof up to three meters and its body feels more solid and durable.

The Playsport also excelled in video performance, particularly in the areas where the Zx1 fell short. By implementing a 1920 x 1080 record mode, Kodak enabled the Playsport to capture a much sharper image than its predecessor (the Zx1 topped out with 720p recording). The Playsport also captured a cleaner image with less noise and artifacting than the Zx1. We were also happy to see the Playsport didn't have the focus range problems that we saw on other models from Kodak (the Zi8 had a bigger problem with this than the Zx1).

The biggest improvement to the Playsport may be its button design. The Zx1 featured small, awkward buttons that were labeled with icons so difficult to decipher that we almost thought Kodak was playing a mean trick on us. Not on the Playsport, however, as it features four easy-to-press dedicated buttons on its back side—and each button is labeled with a fairly large, intuitive icon.

This isn't to say the Playsport has a perfect design—its menu is very confusing and its d-pad has some deficiencies—but Kodak did one heck of a job in improving things over last year's Zx1. Since both camcorders are the same price, there's simply no justifiable reason to purchase the Zx1 over the Playsport (unless you can find the Zx1 at an incredible bargain).

Conclusion

The Kodak Playsport is one of the most intriguing ultracompact camcorder's we've ever reviewed, mainly because its waterproof body gives it a unique edge over the status quo. But there's more to the Playsport than just the fact that it can record video underwater up to three meters. It did surprisingly well in our low light testing, put up some fantastic numbers in our video sharpness test (thanks to the 1080p record mode), and its button design is the best we've ever seen from a Kodak camcorder.

Unfortunately, the Playsport was still brought down by its unsatisfactory auto white balance system that gave everything we shot in our bright light testing an orange tint. This is a problem we've seen on many ultracompact models, although Kodak appears to be one of the worst offenders. Other problems include confusing menu icons/labels, a limited instruction manual, and a d-pad that is not up to snuff. These aren't major issues, however, and the Playsport was definitely one of the best—if not the best—ultracompact camcorder we've ever reviewed.

We can't say enough how much we like the fact that the Playsport is waterproof, which we feel is a particularly beneficial feature for an ultracompact camcorder. Just think about it—you no longer have to worry about getting the camcorder wet when you take it to the beach or on a boat trip. The Playsport should definitely be the camcorder of choice for anyone who has a history of problems with keeping their gadgets free of moisture.

The $149 price tag of the Playsport is a very good value, especially when you consider the new Flip SlideHD retails for around $279. With the Playsport you're not only getting a good video performance at a decent price, but you're also getting a rugged camcorder that should be able to withstand significant exposure to the elements.

Photo Gallery

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