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1. 

   Maria Diaz
   April 3rd, 2010 - 20:14

   New Kodak Playsport out of the box did not charge.

   I connect the cable and in about a minute the light goes off as if it has fully charged but it has not. It did this while plugged in to USB or to the wall outlet. I could not isolate if it was a bad camera or battery because it does not come with an external battery charger, only the USB charger cable (which charges the battery inside the camera.

   Kodak’s “support” was horrendous. I only got emails copying the exact same instructions from the camera’s manual (which of course did not help).

   Amazon’s Support is second to none. I got a new camera in the mail the next day (and had 30 days to return the damaged one).

   The New camera charges correctly.

   PLUS POINTS:

   - Very nice form factor – fits very nicely in the hand and the controls are comfortable to operate. Also fits very well in jean’s front pocket.
   
   - Good build – Feels sturdy.
   
   - The video editing software is very simple, easy to use and does what is needed.

   MINUS POINTS:

   - Have to go through the menu to take still shots. (The Xacti’s take pictures while you are recording video if you like).
   
   - No external battery charger. Would be great to charge a second battery while using the camera.
   
   - Video quality was not as good as I expected.
   
   - No flash for still shots. (This was surprising).
   
   - Low light video quality is not as good as advertised.
   
   - No Macro.
   
   - Kodak’s support is awful. It was like trying to have a conversation with email Bots.

   I also own the Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 (also water proof), and the Xacti has much better video and jpg picture quality. This Kodak looked so much easier to carry and use that I wanted to get it. Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue)

   Bottom line: If I did not own the Xacti to compare this one with, I probably would not have missed so many features and maybe would have liked this camera more. I had high hopes for this camera and it let me down.

   Durability: ***** (5)
   
   Ease of use: **** (4)
   
   Jpeg quality: ** (2)
   
   Video quality: **** (4)
   
   Low light video qual: *** (3)
   
   Kodak Customer Support: * (1)

   If the video quality had been as good as its form factor, it would be a great camera.

   Rating: 3 / 5
2. 

   J. Lee
   April 3rd, 2010 - 22:38

   My Playsport died at the worst possible time – right before the most exhilarating snorkeling experience (which I intended to use it for) in Bora Bora. I am astounded by the poor durability of this unit and am glad I brought my Canon camera w/ UW case as a backup and standby. Apparently, the Playsport doesn’t seem to do well in humid conditions, which is a bit of a surprise. After getting in the water (no more than 4-5 feet), I noticed the Playsport wasn’t turning on. I immediately got out and noticed condensation building up on the inside of the screen and after trying to turn it on eventually got a blank white screen which immediately shut off. I tried letting it dry out but that didn’t seem to help. After several days now of the malfunction, it appears there is some corrosion around the power plug port area. So not only does it seem these units can’t prevent internal condensation but it also seems the seals aren’t very good either. I made sure all the compartments were closed before going in.
   
   The kicker is that I had used this probably 10 or so times before (in saltwater) without any problems. I contacted Kodak support and they don’t seem willing to cover return shipping. They will cover the repair and shipping fees from their side but I feel they should cover *all* costs, especially in a case like this. So I will be returning this to Amazon.com for a full refund. The camera quality is great and it’s a cool gadget but I cannot recommend it with the problems I’ve had with it. Maybe it was just a fluke, or maybe my unit had a slight defect somewhere, but with this experience I will be avoiding Kodak products in the future. I plan on sticking with Canon and their underwater housings if I ever do UW stuff again.
   Rating: 1 / 5
3. 

   John Tu
   April 4th, 2010 - 00:25

   Well I thought this camcorder would be just like Zi8 with improved features. But after trying it with some indoor and outdoor test shots it becomes apparent that the white balance is way off. White walls look blue-ish and there’s no way to adjust it. If I turn H2O mode on it becomes too red. Just take a look at this comparison video and you’ll know what I’m talking about: youtube(dot)com/watch?v=ihxsDM3EwLs&feature=channel
   
   It would be better if the software that came with it has color temperature adjustment feature, but sadly it’s not included. Hope a firmware upgrade comes out soon to fix the issue.

   Low light videos are a lot grainier than I had expected. I’m starting to wonder if my Playsport really is the one used for these awesome videos: youtube(dot)com/user/666evlgrl

   Other than these two disappointments, the camera seems pretty solid and impressive.
   Rating: 3 / 5
4. 

   Shawn Morrissey
   April 4th, 2010 - 03:15

   I love, love, love this camera. It goes everywhere with me now. I have no fears stuffing it into the pocket in my ski jacket. My students in ski school got a kick out of seeing themselves on the big screen… I would recommend this to anyone with hige thumbs up…
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. 

   R. Sanderson
   April 4th, 2010 - 05:54

   It’s a neat camera. I love it more than the Flip cameras. My only problem I wish the video files from the camera can be used with other video softwares. Unless you have a mac, you have no worries. Though Kodak was nice enough to include a software for PC users.
   Rating: 4 / 5

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