September 23, 2011 at 17:35Kodak Zx5 - updated hardware in an updated case
I’ll continue the series of reviews of pocket camcorders from Kodak. This time we will talk about the updated Kodak Playsport, namely Kodak Playsport Zx5. The review will be diluted with impressions of the old Kodak Zi8.
Improvements in the new Playsport version in relation to the previous ones:
- Autofocus
- Improved focal length of 37 mm versus 40 and 42 mm for Zx3 and Zi8, respectively (at 720p resolution)
- More sensitive matrix, albeit smaller in size
- Zx5 firmware menu is completely redesigned and differs from Zx3 or Zi8
- In Zx5, after Zx3 they returned macro shooting
- The bitrate is higher than that of Zi8.
- The average price at the beginning of sales is 6,000 rubles instead of 7,000 rubles for Zi8.
The number of shooting modes has not changed, there are still 5 of them:
WVGA- 848 x 480, 30 frames per second (iPad compatible)
720p - 1280 x 720, 30 frames per
second 720p - 1280 x 720, 60 frames per
second 1080p - 1920 x 1080, 30 frames per second
photo - 5.3 MP
External look and equipment A
new miracle of technology looks like this: Compared to Kodak Zi8: By the way, the Zi8 comes with a waterproof leatherette strap, and the Zx5 comes with a fabric strap. T.ch. in terms of aesthetics, I swapped straps. It can be seen that the camera has become more compact than its predecessor. The same can be said about charging (by the way, the current characteristics remained unchanged, 1A 5V): And about the box:
The package bundle is no different from the configuration of previous models. These are all the same: HDMI and AV wires, charging, charging wire, strap, instructions and the camcorder itself.
Video quality
In Zi8, there is a bug related to a drop in bitrate during shooting, which subsequently made the video a bit blurry. Kodak marketers did not fix this annoying bug, but simply released the next Kodak Playsport Zx3 model, where this misunderstanding was eliminated. Fortunately, this bug allowed me to shoot 10 hours of 720p video without a break on a 16Gb flash drive. An example of a Zi8 video as an auto DVR can be estimated from the video:
When shooting, a special nozzle was used that increased the focal length.
In Zx5 on 16Gb fits about 4-5 hours of video. It is worth noting that when the place on the flash drive comes to an end, the recording time indicator turns red. On Zi8, one could only guess when the place would end. The image captured by the new camera looks sharper, but in places and more grainy. When shooting foam, the bitrate waves are not enough, coding flaws begin to appear in the image.
The physical size of the matrix has become smaller. 1 / 3.2 – type 5 MP CMOS on Zx5 versus 1 / 2.5 – type 5 MP CMOS on Zi8 and Zx3. This did not affect the sensitivity. Quite the contrary. The video taken at night certainly became brighter. I am enclosing a night video comparison of three cameras in 720p 60fps mode: Zi8, Zx3 and Zx5.
As you can see, the microphone sensitivity at standard settings is also higher.
The camera is not suitable for dynamic scenes, as it still uses the CMOS matrix. As a result, the top of the picture will run away from the bottom.
Autofocus and digital image stabilization The
thing is definitely necessary, but there are also disadvantages. In Zi8, the macro mode was activated by a toggle switch on the case, which during the video recording created a wild rattle in the audio track. In Zx5, the focus menu has two modes: macro and autofocus. When using Zx5 as an auto DVR, autofocus often switches to macro, which can be seen in the video:
Because of this, the third focus settings mode is sometimes not enough: normal.
Digital image stabilization is always enabled by default and is now called DIS, not EIS. For me, this is a big minus, because when creating accelerated videos, the picture starts to jump. When shooting handheld it is quite suitable for the layman.
Zx5 removed the ability to select video recording modes using the left-right buttons. Now, in order to switch from 720p to 1080p, you have to go into the menu and select the desired format.
Photo
Photos are clearly not a hobby for Kodak digital video cameras. Example photo taken by Zi8: Zx5: Underwater
You won’t become Jacques-Yves Cousteau, but you can show relatives the fish taken with a shaking hand. It is only necessary to remember that after chloride or salt water, the chamber must be washed in fresh water and dried with open plugs. And do not lower the camera deeper than 3 meters. Sometimes after water, the sound from the microphone begins to squeak disgustingly, as can be seen in the following video:
In the settings there is a special mode of underwater recording. Unfortunately, he did not please me. Instead of improving, this mode greatly obscures the video and creates the effect of a misted viewfinder. I used it only once and did not turn it on anymore.
Operating time and battery
The battery life declared by the manufacturer is two hours of shooting. To get real numbers, just divide the time in half. In Zx5, the operating time is twice as long as that of Zi8. But at Zx5 it is non-removable, but more capacious - 1250mAh versus 1000mAh at Zi8. In addition, the minimum brightness of the new items is much less than the old model. In the car, I use the adapter from the cigarette lighter to 5V 1A with a USB connector to recharge both cameras. If you use a current of 500mA, then in the process of long shooting the camera can still turn off.
The Zx5’s battery is non-removable, but it doesn’t bother me at all. The only negative of a non-removable battery is the inability to completely de-energize the camera when water enters it.
Screen
Battery life has increased due to the size of the screen 2 inches instead of 2.5 for Zi8. The camera has a light sensor, as well as a high contrast mode for better display in the sun.
Conclusions The
new model is undoubtedly better than the previous ones. The manufacturer even took care of such trifles as a recording indicator. In Zi8, the indicator is very bright and lights up continuously, in Zx5 it is dim and lights up once a second.
Another nice feature - on long videos now work memory cards of the 4th class. In Zi8, when creating a new part of the file (there they are divided into 2GB each), the camera freezes. Zx5 splits files of 3.9GB each and saves them in MP4 format, not MOV.
Like the Zx3 model, the Zx5 has several body color options:
Pros:
- Autofocus
- The best sensitivity of the matrix
- Stable bit rate
- The ability to shoot under water
- Shockproof (can withstand a drop from a height of 1.5 meters on plywood)
- Compact
- Inexpensive (in Moscow can be found for 5000 rubles, and on ebay for $ 110)
- Longer battery life
- Special display mode for the sun
- Works great with Class 4 memory cards
Cons:
- The inability to turn off stabilization
- Sometimes autofocus fails
- There is no SDXC support
- There is not enough bitrate for dynamic video and artifacts appear
- Non-removable battery
- All known minuses of the CMOS matrix
- Only one accelerated mode when watching video ( 2x)
Improvements in the new Playsport version in relation to the previous ones:
- Autofocus
- Improved focal length of 37 mm versus 40 and 42 mm for Zx3 and Zi8, respectively (at 720p resolution)
- More sensitive matrix, albeit smaller in size
- Zx5 firmware menu is completely redesigned and differs from Zx3 or Zi8
- In Zx5, after Zx3 they returned macro shooting
- The bitrate is higher than that of Zi8.
- The average price at the beginning of sales is 6,000 rubles instead of 7,000 rubles for Zi8.
The number of shooting modes has not changed, there are still 5 of them:
WVGA- 848 x 480, 30 frames per second (iPad compatible)
720p - 1280 x 720, 30 frames per
second 720p - 1280 x 720, 60 frames per
second 1080p - 1920 x 1080, 30 frames per second
photo - 5.3 MP
External look and equipment A
new miracle of technology looks like this: Compared to Kodak Zi8: By the way, the Zi8 comes with a waterproof leatherette strap, and the Zx5 comes with a fabric strap. T.ch. in terms of aesthetics, I swapped straps. It can be seen that the camera has become more compact than its predecessor. The same can be said about charging (by the way, the current characteristics remained unchanged, 1A 5V): And about the box:
The package bundle is no different from the configuration of previous models. These are all the same: HDMI and AV wires, charging, charging wire, strap, instructions and the camcorder itself.
Video quality
In Zi8, there is a bug related to a drop in bitrate during shooting, which subsequently made the video a bit blurry. Kodak marketers did not fix this annoying bug, but simply released the next Kodak Playsport Zx3 model, where this misunderstanding was eliminated. Fortunately, this bug allowed me to shoot 10 hours of 720p video without a break on a 16Gb flash drive. An example of a Zi8 video as an auto DVR can be estimated from the video:
When shooting, a special nozzle was used that increased the focal length.
In Zx5 on 16Gb fits about 4-5 hours of video. It is worth noting that when the place on the flash drive comes to an end, the recording time indicator turns red. On Zi8, one could only guess when the place would end. The image captured by the new camera looks sharper, but in places and more grainy. When shooting foam, the bitrate waves are not enough, coding flaws begin to appear in the image.
The physical size of the matrix has become smaller. 1 / 3.2 – type 5 MP CMOS on Zx5 versus 1 / 2.5 – type 5 MP CMOS on Zi8 and Zx3. This did not affect the sensitivity. Quite the contrary. The video taken at night certainly became brighter. I am enclosing a night video comparison of three cameras in 720p 60fps mode: Zi8, Zx3 and Zx5.
As you can see, the microphone sensitivity at standard settings is also higher.
The camera is not suitable for dynamic scenes, as it still uses the CMOS matrix. As a result, the top of the picture will run away from the bottom.
Autofocus and digital image stabilization The
thing is definitely necessary, but there are also disadvantages. In Zi8, the macro mode was activated by a toggle switch on the case, which during the video recording created a wild rattle in the audio track. In Zx5, the focus menu has two modes: macro and autofocus. When using Zx5 as an auto DVR, autofocus often switches to macro, which can be seen in the video:
Because of this, the third focus settings mode is sometimes not enough: normal.
Digital image stabilization is always enabled by default and is now called DIS, not EIS. For me, this is a big minus, because when creating accelerated videos, the picture starts to jump. When shooting handheld it is quite suitable for the layman.
Zx5 removed the ability to select video recording modes using the left-right buttons. Now, in order to switch from 720p to 1080p, you have to go into the menu and select the desired format.
Photo
Photos are clearly not a hobby for Kodak digital video cameras. Example photo taken by Zi8: Zx5: Underwater
You won’t become Jacques-Yves Cousteau, but you can show relatives the fish taken with a shaking hand. It is only necessary to remember that after chloride or salt water, the chamber must be washed in fresh water and dried with open plugs. And do not lower the camera deeper than 3 meters. Sometimes after water, the sound from the microphone begins to squeak disgustingly, as can be seen in the following video:
In the settings there is a special mode of underwater recording. Unfortunately, he did not please me. Instead of improving, this mode greatly obscures the video and creates the effect of a misted viewfinder. I used it only once and did not turn it on anymore.
Operating time and battery
The battery life declared by the manufacturer is two hours of shooting. To get real numbers, just divide the time in half. In Zx5, the operating time is twice as long as that of Zi8. But at Zx5 it is non-removable, but more capacious - 1250mAh versus 1000mAh at Zi8. In addition, the minimum brightness of the new items is much less than the old model. In the car, I use the adapter from the cigarette lighter to 5V 1A with a USB connector to recharge both cameras. If you use a current of 500mA, then in the process of long shooting the camera can still turn off.
The Zx5’s battery is non-removable, but it doesn’t bother me at all. The only negative of a non-removable battery is the inability to completely de-energize the camera when water enters it.
Screen
Battery life has increased due to the size of the screen 2 inches instead of 2.5 for Zi8. The camera has a light sensor, as well as a high contrast mode for better display in the sun.
Conclusions The
new model is undoubtedly better than the previous ones. The manufacturer even took care of such trifles as a recording indicator. In Zi8, the indicator is very bright and lights up continuously, in Zx5 it is dim and lights up once a second.
Another nice feature - on long videos now work memory cards of the 4th class. In Zi8, when creating a new part of the file (there they are divided into 2GB each), the camera freezes. Zx5 splits files of 3.9GB each and saves them in MP4 format, not MOV.
Like the Zx3 model, the Zx5 has several body color options:
Pros:
- Autofocus
- The best sensitivity of the matrix
- Stable bit rate
- The ability to shoot under water
- Shockproof (can withstand a drop from a height of 1.5 meters on plywood)
- Compact
- Inexpensive (in Moscow can be found for 5000 rubles, and on ebay for $ 110)
- Longer battery life
- Special display mode for the sun
- Works great with Class 4 memory cards
Cons:
- The inability to turn off stabilization
- Sometimes autofocus fails
- There is no SDXC support
- There is not enough bitrate for dynamic video and artifacts appear
- Non-removable battery
- All known minuses of the CMOS matrix
- Only one accelerated mode when watching video ( 2x)