Kodak PlaySport - extreme video? I do not think

I have long wanted something like this device - I saw it, got it, took it off. Kodak compact novelty, positioning itself as a video camera for fans of extreme sports, seemed to me quite interesting. Indeed, in fact, it is much easier to throw a device the size of a mobile phone into your pocket when going out into the countryside, for example, than dragging an expensive video camera with you and shaking it - no matter what happens.

Without hesitation, go to eBay. I find a great lot for $ 99.99 + shipping to Russia $ 29.99 (USPS Priority Mail International). For the price you want to take without thinking, because it is cheaper than the official sale on Amazon ($ 149.00) at the time of the order (06/30/10), even taking into account the delivery. About the price in Russia, probably, should not be mentioned at all. The lot has been paid for, and the parcel reaches my city in an extremely short period of time - exactly 10 days later. Without waiting for the notice, I went to the local post office. I submitted a printout of the track and the postal worker, exhausted by the heat, carried me the cherished package.
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In anticipation of the next portion of the new iron, I print the package.










It looks beautiful, it is comfortable in the hand. It's time to start testing the quality of shooting. To do this, list the possible shooting modes for the camera:

WVGA - 848 x 480, 30 frames / s
720p - 1280 x 720, 30 frames / s
720p - 1280 x 720, 60 frames / s
1080p - 1920 x 1080, 30 frames / s
photo - 5.3 MP

For myself, I consider the 720p mode (30 frames / s) to be optimal, and it will be mainly in it that the shooting will occur.

We test in the aquatic environment. At the end of the video, digital zoom operation is demonstrated.



We test in motion, the frame rate is 60 fps. All the flaws of the EIS are clearly visible.



We test in a dark room and in daylight. Shot in tranquil conditions with hands, shaking is minimized. This mode is the only one possible for this camera, because the EIS works disgustingly.



Even before the purchase, I knew that there would be at least one big drawback, this drawback of course is the electronic image stabilizer. It is necessary to recognize the quality of the video, for such a compact device with such a tiny optics, is amazing, but at the same time it spoils the EIS .

How can this camera be recommended to fans of extreme sports? I would not do that. It seems to me that the only possible option for shooting this camera is only in calm conditions. Otherwise, ultimately, shaking the video, from which your brain will start to go crazy after 10 minutes of viewing the footage, can not be avoided.

But enough about the flaws, let's look at the merits of the camera

The camera menu is made quite succinctly and a user of any level can figure out a small amount of settings. The display, of course, does not strike the eye with bright colors, let's say honestly, of an average level, but nevertheless the possibility to apply one of the two filters to the picture displayed on the screen will make it quite comfortable to take pictures even on a sunny day.

The camera supports SD / SDHC memory cards up to 32 GB. I have 2 cards at my disposal: SanDisk SDHC 8 GB Class 2 and KINGMAX SDHC 16GB Class 10 . I can say with confidence that the second class was enough for any shooting modes. But to throw off the footage on the computer, of course, much nicer at high speed.

Video can also be output directly from the camera via the HDMI cable included in the package directly to the TV or monitor.

I would also like to dispel the myth about the camera shooting time from a standard battery, and then there are very subjective remarks about this in reviews, someone writes for 2 hours, someone 4. Why guess? After 4 charge / discharge cycles, I conduct testing. I charge and leave on an improvised tripod to take a picture from the window. The camera lasted exactly 1 hour 44 minutes 21 seconds . I think not bad. Given the penny cost of the battery for this camera on eBay, you can always get a spare kit. The battery is charged by connecting the USB cable to the camera via the included charger or from the computer's USB port. As an option, you can purchase an external charger.

The camera really shoots under water, I tried to dive with it to a depth of three meters. Yes, nothing happened to the camera and it pleases. For me, this mode is a definite plus, but in a slightly different plane, you can not be afraid for the camera and shoot, for example, in heavy rain. Is it not enough in what conditions you can be at the exit to nature? This camera is such a trifle uneasy. The electronic filling is hidden under a thick layer of plastic, so do not be afraid of accidental drops of the camera from a small height. The back surface is made of a material that feels like a soft touch. Coupled with the strap that comes in the kit, it will protect you from most unpleasant accidents. However, be careful when underwater shooting, the strap will not help much here, the camera can easily slip out of hand, and it’s absolutely uncomfortable to paddle with.

I consider it necessary to note a couple of shortcomings, automatic white balance leaves much to be desired. The abrupt transition from a bright object (a light source, for example) to an object in the shadow clearly puts the logic of the camera to a standstill, and the result of shooting may not be what you expected to see. Perhaps this will be corrected as new firmware releases, we'll see. Well, I would not recommend using Kodak PlaySport as a camera, the quality of the images can be described only in one word - acceptable, but no more.

Image quality (clickable, no edit, 1.53 MB):



I think the camera is worth the money, but the conditions for its use are very limited. I make such conclusions after three weeks of using the camera. Good luck!