Tag: "hd pocket video camcorder"

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera Review

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 Video Camera – An Overview

KodakPlaySportZx3HDWaterproofPocketVideoCameraImage>

Kodak Waterproof Pocket Video Camera

If you’re searching for a rugged mini pocket video camera then the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is a great choice. This compact pocket camcorder is waterproof up to 10 feet. This makes it a great video camera for snorkling. You can capture the beauty of the under-water or above-water world in Full HD at 1080p. The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera fits in your pocket – it’s compact and lightweight. It lets you capture high definition video and still images in nearly any environments.

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – An Overview – Recording Features And Expansion

The memory on the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera can be expanded with high speed SDHC memory cards. You can use SDHC memory cards up to 32 GB. This allows you to record up to 10 hours of high definition video at 720p!

Another great feature that the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera has is the built-in image stabilization. This feature allows you to take video with no shaking at all. You’ll shoot videos that look like a professional had made them! Be aware though that images stabilization does result in reduced battery life. The battery life on the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is up to 90 minutes. Overall that’s sufficient for most uses. You can always purchase a Kodak battery as a backup battery.

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera allows you to capture video in Full HD with 1080p. The video at that mode is captured with 30 frames per second (fps). This frame rate is sufficient for most uses. However, if you want to film action or sport events then you might want to consider using the 720p recording at 60 fps. This uses reduced, but still HD, resolution but takes more frames per second resulting in a much cleaner video. If your main use for this pocket camcorder is to share your videos on YouTube, Facebook or other video sharing sites then you should use the 720p mode with 30 fps. This conserves memory and is in line with the standards that these video sharing sites support. Finally, you can use the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera to shoot 5MP still images with a 16:9 format.

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Built-In Screen, Anti-Glare And Zoom

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera has a 4 time digital zoom. Due to the fact that the recording is up to 1080p, this zoom is rather good with an acceptable level of reduced image quality due to the zoom. In most cases you won’t even notice that the video might be slightly more grainy at the full 4x zoom setting. This mini camcorder also provides a HDMI port and comes with a HDMI cable so you can connect the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera directly to your HD TV!

The LCD display on the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is 2 inches in size. The LCD offers an anti-glare mode that allows you to view your videos on the built-in LCD screen even in the brightest sunlight. This anti-glare mode does not affect the video you take but it reduced the glare on your screen artificially. The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera has both microphone and speaker built-in.

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Customer Reviews

You can find a lot of customer reviews for the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera. These reviews are overwhelmingly positive and the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera has a very high rating from customers on Amazon.com. Here’s a few things people have said that purchased the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera on Amazon.com:

“Just opened the camera from the box. Easy to use buttons, just charge the battery and you are good.”

“I just got back from the weekend at the river and this camera is the perfect combination of durability and quality.”

“The video quality is very good. I connected the playsport directly to my HDTV and the quality was really good, it looked like it was shot with a $500 camera.”

“I’m very happy with this camera and can’t believe the quality of HD video recordings.”

“Why do I love this thing? Well with this camera, I find it very easy to shoot, edit and share videos. The software is actually preloaded in the device so when you plug in the USB cable for the first time, it automatically starts to install the software.”

Read more customer reviews of the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Conclusion

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is a feature rich, rugged mini camcorder. It offers great video and image quality at up to Full HD at 1080p. It’s rugged design allows you to shoot videos underwater and the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera allows a little fall without breaking. A slight negative is that you have to use Kodak specific batteries and cannot use standard batteries from your store around the corner.

Read more about the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera

Pocket Video Camera Reviews:



31J2tRAHOgL. SL160
See larger image

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

List Price: $149.00 USD
New From: $84.95 In Stock
Used from: $58.00 In Stock

buyamzon button
Jun 30, 2011 | 87 comments View Post

Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera Review

KodakPlaySportZx5HDWaterproofPocketVideoCamera

PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera

Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – An Overview

The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is a rugged little pocket camcorder that goes where you go. This pocket camcorder is waterproof, dust-proof and shockproof. It is waterproof up to 10 feet so it’s a perfect companion for some beautiful underwater shots near the beach. And while you take this pocket video camera with you on your diving excursions you will be able to capture everything in Full HD at 1080p. The versatility that this pocket camcorder offers is stunning. Its rugged design also forgives a fall onto the floor without any damage to the camera. The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera fits in your pocket but it is built to be used even in extreme environments. It’s your trusted partner to capture high definition video and still images.

Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Recording Features And Expansion

The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera features built-in image stabilization. This little pocket camcorder allows you to take amazing underwater and surface video with little or no shaking. There is also a standard tripod stand connector on this camera. As with all other pocket camcorders with image stabilization, this feature does drain your battery life. Battery life on this pocket video camera is up to 2 hours. More that sufficient to use on your diving excursion or to record a wedding.

You can expand the memory on the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera with high speed SDHC memory cards. For good video results in HD you will have to make sure to use a high speed SDHC card with Class 6 or higher, preferably Class 10. This will ensure that the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera will continuously record without interruptions and errors.

You can capture Full HD videos with 1080p with the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera. This allows you to make breathtaking underwater videos in case you take the camera underwater with you. The 1080p mode captures the video with 30 frames per second (fps). This is sufficient for all non-action shots. Use the 720p with 60 fps for action and sports scenes with quick movements or for real slow motion captures. The best mode to capture video and then share it on YouTube, Facebook or any other video site is to use the 720p mode with 30 fps. The last mode that is supported by this pocket video camera is WVGA which allows for the longest recording time on any memory card. The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera also lets you shoot 5 MP still pictures in addition to the different video modes.

Another new feature that the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera sports is the macro mode. With the macro mode you can shoot and focus on small objects. The focus range starts at around 4 inches so you can get the pocket video camera really close to your object you want to film and get great results!

Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Built-In Screen, Anti-Glare And Zoom

The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera has a built-in microphone and speaker. The LCD to view your video captures is 2 inches diagonally. The screen and the speakers allow you to quickly view the video you’ve taken. A nice feature is the anti-glare mode for the LCD screen. It artificially reduce the glare from your screen without affecting the video you shoot. This allows you to view the video you shot even in the brightest sunlight.

This pocket camcorder also has a 4x digital zoom which is surprisingly good. You will barely notice the picture getting grainy even at the extreme 4x zoom. The built-in HDMI port allows you to play your videos directly on your HD TV. Kodak provides a HDMI cable free of charge when you register the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera and pay for shipping and handling.

The battery on the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is built-in and cannot be removed. You have to charge the battery through the camera and thus you have to make sure to bring the AC adapter with you when you bring the camera!

Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Capture Modes

The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera offers a few very interesting and fun capture modes. You can film in black and white, with high saturation to bring out vivid colors and a 70′s film mode which contains muted colors, a little graininess and slightly green cast for captured video in a retro look. A very nice feature is the ‘Share’ button on the camera. When you’re in review mode you simply press the share button, then choose your sharing destination and when you connect the pocket camcorder to your computer the videos or pictures are automatically uploaded to the selected destinations. The share destinations include Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and many other video and picture sharing sites.

An interesting little side-note is that the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera has the software for your PC preloaded. The first time you connect the pocket camcorder to your PC with the USB 2.0 connector you can download the software for the pocket video camera. MAC users will have to download the software through the web though.

Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera – Conclusion

The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is a more than solid pocket camcorder with many built-in features. The video and image quality is great for a pocket video camera at this price point. The ruggedness of the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera allows you to bring and use it nearly everywhere. The dimensions are 2.3 (W) × 0.7 (D) x 4.4 (H) inches which makes this camera small and handy and it basically fits in any pocket. A negative in our opinion is that the battery is built-in and cannot be charged outside of the camera. Another negative is that the HDMI cable is not included in the box. You have to request it from Kodak and pay for shipping and handling.

Read more about the Kodak PlaySport Zx5 HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera

Pocket Video Camera Reviews:



41CuwjP3ghL. SL160
See larger image

Kodak PlaySport (Zx5) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera - Black (2nd Generation) (Camera)

List Price: $159.00 USD
New From: $98.99 In Stock
Used from: $65.00 In Stock

buyamzon button
Jun 11, 2011 | 164 comments View Post

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera Review

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera – An Overview

KodakZi8PocketVideoCamera

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera is small enough to fit in a pocket, but once you started using it that will be the place where you’ll never keep it. The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera allows you to capture every video moment in stunning 1080p HD video. You can also capture videos in other formats which will increase the frames per second that are recorded and also the amount of video you can record. Overall, the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera is a fabulous pocket camcorder at a stunning price. The feature list is long and you are tempted to compare this little pocket camcorder with much more expensive video cameras on the market.

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera – Image Stabilization

The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera sports integrated image stabilization. A great feature when you’re on the move. However, be aware that the image stabilization in this little pocket video camera drains your batteries faster. Battery life on this pocket video camera with image stabilization on is about 1 hour. You get up to half an hour more if the image stabilization is switched off. Be aware thought that you really only can switch image stabilization off on this pocket camcorder if you have a tripod or are able to stand still.

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera – Memory and Recording Features

To be able to record a lot of video you will need to get a high speed SDHC memory card for the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera. Make sure you get a high speed version (Class 6 or higher) in order to be able to continuously record video in HD. Otherwise, the pocket camcorder might give you errors while recording!

The built-in microphone on the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera is sufficient but not great. If you need more professional sound then you will need to buy an external microphone. The good news is that the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera allows you to connect such an external microphone.

The 1080p recording mode will capture your videos in Full HD. However, it ‘only’ does this with 30 frames per second (fps). In some very rare instances this might produce a video that is not flowing naturally. For most settings this is a perfectly fine rate. However, if you need a capture rate of 60 frames per second then you will have to switch the video mode to the lower resolution of 720p. As a nice note on the side, it is very very easy to switch between video modes on the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera! The Zi8 Pocket Video Camera also records video in 720p resolution at up to 60fps, which Kodak says is “best for sports and action”. You can also record in 720p/30fps (“best for sharing on YouTube or Facebook”) and WVGA (“best for conserving memory card space”).

The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera offers a 4x digital zoom. This is enough zoom capability for most occasions. In addition you can also take 5MP still images with this pocket camcorder which also has a built-in flash in case you are taking images in low-light conditions.

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera – Connectivity And Built-In Screen

There is a number of different connectors and cables provided with the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera. You can connect the video camcorder to your PC with the built-in USB 2.0 connector or directly to your HD TV at home with the provided HDMI cable. As already mentioned you can also plug in an external microphone for better and more directed sound recording.

The camera has a built-in 2.5 inch LCD which allows you to quickly review a video sequence that you have captured. Don’t expect highest quality video or sound though on the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera.

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera – Conclusion

In our opinion this is one of the best pocket video cameras on the market. The features and the price are great. It’s easy to use with not an overwhelming amount of options that need to be selected. The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera is small and handy with dimensions of 2.4 (W) x 0.9 (D) x 4.4 (H) inches. One drawback though is that the battery is built-in and not a set of AA batteries. Make sure you bring the AC adapter when you travel so you can recharge the battery!

Read more about the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

Pocket Video Camera Reviews:



4184zEQgyqL. SL160
See larger image

Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera - Black (Camera)

List Price: $179.00 USD
New From: $459.95 In Stock
Used from: $189.99 In Stock

buyamzon button
Jun 11, 2011 | 163 comments View Post

HD Pocket Video Camera

– What To Consider!

HD Pocket Video Camera

HD Pocket Video Camera


When you compare a HD pocket video camera to a regular camcorder you will see that there’s quite a few differences. Mostly, the little HD at the beginning indicates a feast for the eyes. It means that you will capture your videos in High Definition on such a pocket video camera and that results in a totally different viewing experience when you watch your videos on your TV.

When looking at the different high definition TV formats you will see that there are a few formats and that you should know what they mean. Any HD pocket video camera is capable of recording video in the 720p HD format. This means that you are able to capture videos with a resolution of 1,280×720 pixels. That is the lower HD resolution that is available.

Some pocket video cameras record in the 1080p format. This captures videos with a resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels. Often you will see this referred to as ‘Full HD’. In general you can say that the higher the resolution, the sharper the image.

If you have a computer monitor or HDTV that can show videos at 1080p then make sure you get a HD pocket video camera with a Full HD recording mode. Even YouTube allows you to upload your videos in 1080p now. Until recently YouTube and most other video sharing platforms only supported the 720p format. With the switch to have Full HD enabled you should really consider to go for a pocket camcorder with 1080p recording.

However, there’s one catch to this. Any of the HD pocket video cameras on the market that are capable of recording in the 1080p mode will do so with 30 frames per second. This means that 30 images are taken each second to make the moving video. This is enough for most situations but when it comes to action or sports shots it might result in a video that doesn’t seem fluid. In that case nearly all of the HD pocket camcorders have a recording mode at 720p with 60 frames per second. This allows you to record fast moving video and it will come out smooth and fluid.

Another downside that comes with the higher resolution is that you will need a lot more storage space to save the video. That might not be an issue for storing on your computer but its mainly an issue with the storage of the video on your HD pocket video camera. Many of the HD pocket camcorders on the market allow you to expand the memory so you can store more video. You want at least 2 hours of HD video that you can store on the HD pocket video camera.

Another thing to consider is the battery life of a HD pocket video camera. You want to make sure that you can record at least 30 to 60 minutes of recording. As these little pocket camcorders are built very compact you will not find many mini video cameras that can handle longer recording times than 60 minutes. One thing to look for is whether the batteries are standard batteries that you can simply switch or whether they are built-in or special battery packs that you can’t just get in the store around the corner. Also look out as some of the HD pocket video cameras do not have a separate charger but are charged through their USB connector. In that case you will have to have a possibility to charge through a USB connection if you take the pocket camcorder with you on a trip.

When it comes to sound you would like to see that your HD pocket video camera is capable of recording in stereo. You might have to compromise here and get your stereo recording only through an external microphone so you want to look for a pocket camcorder that has at least a microphone plug so you can use an external microphone. You shouldn’t worry too much about the audio playback quality on the mini video camera as you usually will not use it to watch a lot of your videos on it. It’s a lot more likely that you will watch your HD videos on your TV or computer monitor which can play stereo sound.

Most of today’s HD pocket video cameras do not offer optical zooms. If you look at a pocket camcorder with zoom capabilities then you will usually only find one with a digital zoom. There is quite a quality difference between an optical and a digital zoom. The optical zoom uses optical lenses to zoom the scene or object you are filming closer and you don’t have any loss of picture quality. A digital zoom takes the captures picture and then zooms into that image by basically zooming into a specific area of the picture. However, it doesn’t retake the picture or take it with a higher resolution. The result is a loss of sharpness of the captured image or video. If your video needs require a zoom capability then you want to find a HD pocket video camera with an optical zoom. Having said that, with a camera with Full HD resolution you should get good digital zoom quality as the original image or video has a high resolution and thus is very sharp.

Lastly you want to make sure you take the video screen of the HD pocket video camera into consideration. It should be big enough so you can clearly watch the video you took right after you captured it. Some of the newer pocket camcorders offer rather large screens that are touch-enabled and function also as the input mechanism to change settings, etc. Overall you want to make sure that the size of the screen is at least 2 inches diagonally. A larger and higher quality LCD display will allow you to check your captured video even in bright sunlight!

Having listed all of the important things for you to watch out when it comes to HD pocket camcorders, please have a look at our pocket video camera reviews that you can find on this site.

Pocket Video Camera Articles and Reviews:

May 17, 2011 | 0 comments View Post