Product ReviewsKodak Zx5 Camcorder

Unique product serves its purpose well

As the specs clearly show, this thing has its limitations, but it's smaller than an old clamshell phone, lightweight, water resistant and has acceptable image quality. That makes it possible to do all kinds of things you can't with a smartphone or a dedicated digital camera. For one thing no one is going to identify it as a video camera and you can take candid shots both video and still.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: windsurf8722

Great WORRY FREE memory capturing device

Overall an excellent piece of on the go video device. Snapping a quick memory or recording on the go action with piece of mind that even if it gets splashed OR dropped is irreplaceable. The only two cons (after searching for any and all that I could) are these: 1: the directional button for selections can be slightly harder to push/navigate than one would hope but granted these are buttons that are water PROOF its a minor price to pay (just give it a good nudge and be happy it can take a dunk and survive I say). 2: Kodak distinctly describes this camera as waterPROOF up to 3 meters, in its description as well as right on the camera itself, after multiple tests of around 1 meter I was confident that this description held very true, however after swimming to the bottom of my 8 ft pool the camera did freeze in mid recording and I was scared I had pushed it to its limit. After letting the camera sit and dry and pressing the reset button near the card slot all is well again. Quite a scare but I have not found one button or feature that is not working since. Again all in all I think this camera holds very true to its description, nothing more and nothing less. The battery life could be better but what rechargeable product can one NOT say that about? Aside from the testing the limits of the waterproof ability and having a small scare, I am very pleased with this on the go worry free memory capturing piece of equipment and would highly recommend to most anyone with kids, for vacations, and just everyday use.Read full review...

Great camera! Considering the Zx3? Pay the extra few bucks for the Zx5!!

I ordered this camera to use while riding my bicycle. It comes with a nice wrist strap, which I connect to a lanyard and keep around my neck. This is my first time using a sport/action camera, but I am quite pleased.

I charged the battery and got two days worth of life out of it. I got about 7-8hrs of asage out of this on the 720 HD setting and letting the camera shut itself off on its own.

I've used this camera in low light (dusk and night time) as well as overcasty morning/afternoon. The video exceded my expencations in both situations. In low light/night the camera will "search" for the right exposure, sometimes not able to get it quite right for extremely dark spots. But, it handled bright spots quite well!

Being on a bike, the shake was a real issue that his camera handles well. Other than my lack of panning skills, the shake wasn't horrible. It also picked up sound well without that horrible scratchy wind sound. A downside is that the zoom is a little "quick". I wish that it was just a tad slowly (especially in video mode).

Physically, the camera looks like an older cell phone, so people are less likely to pay you any mind while filming. Also, that means it's quite comfortable to hold and natural to grab in the right position while riding. The large button is easy to feel for without taking your eyes off the rode and the shutter sound (photo mode) and beep (video mode) are loud enough that you can distiquish what mode you are in. (I made the mistake of not being in the right mode I wanted a few times.)

Overall, I'm glad that I went with this camera. It zooms in and out a little too quickly, but the shake is well managed, the sound is great, and works for all times of the day without too much difficulties.Read full review...

Good price and performance

I purchased this refurbished PlaySport Zx5 second generation model to replace a recently dead ZxD. I like these pocket cameras because they are quicker to deploy than a smart phone (quickdraw camera...), buttons can be operated wearing gloves (fishing, work, etc.), and unlike a smartphone, it is safe to use in the rain, underwater, and in the dirt. I needed true waterproofing plus the other features this compact digital provides. Jumping from the older ZxD to this one was a noticeable improvement. It also fits perfectly with the 5x clip on lenses I acquired for use with my phones and pads to provide a quick 5x zoom, without the extra pixelation that all software based zoom functions cause.

So far so good. Now to capture some good fishing videos and nature shots, on the go.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: refurbished | Sold by: ocelectronicsllc

Great handy cam!

I purchased this camera because, while we have a super nice digital camera that also does video, it's cumbersome.

This is easy to take to my daughter's swim lessons (great that it's water resistant) and take lessons of fun moments! It is incredibly easy to use and figure out, and has just the right amount of options.

I still haven't read the user manual, but have figured out how to use it just fine.

Picture and sound quality are really good for this style of camera, but don't match the really expensive video cameras.Read full review...

The best way to create big productions with a small, convenient camcorder.

I purchased this cam so I could easily capture live bands with good quality and no complicated set-up requirements. Also, I've found that it can be used to capture friends and family without any big "camera stigma" issues. The overall quality is excellent and the ease of use is amazing. I can produce segments that are very good presentations of a variety of events and then immediately upload them to You Tube or Facebook if desired. Otherwise, I can upload them to my laptop and then save them to a hard drive for future reference. There are really so many options that I still don't even know them all. Other great features are how this device fits in your pocket and also has no problem lasting for hours with the long lasting battery life. Simply a low-cost, smart way to produce great videos.Read full review...

Simple, Rugged, Elegant, Superior Performer , Inexpensive,

This is a great little camera that fits in your pocket, super rugged and waterproof to 10 ft of water.

Pictures are of excellent quality and clarity and so are the HD video at 1080p I also particularly like the Slow motion 60 frames per second on HD, a fantastic option for live sports recording on the fly or capture your girlfriend running to you in Slo-Mo ! ;) . The Anti-jitter circuit is very handy on HD. I also get up to 5.75 Hrs of 1080p recording with a 32GB memory card. (make sure you get the High speed cards.)

This video camera, is so simple to use and rivals the much more expensive ones.

There are no excuses for not having your HD video camera with you anymore ! Capture the day in style and in High Def Cinema style.

Reminds me of a TARDIS a little ...... It's much bigger inside than it looks outside !Read full review...

Kodak zx5 is able, willing, ready to go, and friendly.

I am sad to say that the Kodak company has gone down the tubes. But, this is a great little piece of work here. Easy to use, easy to charge, easy to playback. Don't worry if it gets wet or dirty. I have several of these- one for the car,(just in case) one for the house, and one for my kayak. They don't cost much, especially since Kodak went under, but even at full price, this is a great performing camera/video machine. You put a little bit of memory in them and they are ready to go- anywhere!. I have had NO troubles out of my cameras. They seem very rugged and capable. Ergonomically it is fine. Fits in my hand very nicely. I have a red and 2 black models.They give you several options for recharging. Great camera. Too bad for Kodak. Get One! I also have a Pentax wg-1. It is a different animal. Of the two, I think I like the Kodak best. It is simpler.Read full review...

GREAT product for the pirce ! Video is Good!

This was a replacement for a new Kodak PlaySport which was lost. This is a great camara for the price. Best if used outdoors in light. The still camara is not great (only 5 mp) but the camcorder is GREAT! I have used it in salt water as well as fresh water and no problems and great video. Very rugged as well and no problems with drops or rough conditions.Read full review...

Great little pocket camcorder

I had a PlaySport Zx5, which I liked, although it died after a month. Kodak replaced it, and that one lasted about 14 months, and then died after a lot of use.
I liked it so much, though, that I was going to buy another one. Then I read reviews of the newer Zx5. It appeared to be far superior to the Zx3, AND it was only a little more expensive...on eBay, where I found prices about $60 to $70 less than prices in stores and on line, for a brand new one.
I am very impressed with the Zx5. The screen is much brighter than the older model, it has many more options on the settings menu, and has editing software built right into the camera. I haven't used this one under water yet, but did get very good video in my pool with the older model, and this one comes with a setting for underwater correction.
The seller I bought it from is an authorized dealer, and I easily registered it on line with Kodak.
Great little pocket camcorder for $112.Read full review...