Kodak Playsport Zx3 First Impressions Camcorder Review

Product Tour Summary
• The Zx3 is waterproof up to 3 meters (10 feet). • The camcorder is available in black, blue, or purple models (other colors are available outside the US).
	Introduction	(Page 2 of 11)	Compression & Media

Lens & Imaging System

The fixed f/2.8 lens on the Playsport

The Kodak Playsport Zx3 has a a fixed f/2.8 lens, which means the lens has no moving parts. There's no autofocus system, no optical zoom, and no adjustable aperture for the lens. The camcorder has a big CMOS chip at 1/2.5-inches, but that's normal for an ultracompact camcorder like the Playsport.

Front

The front of the Zx3 is mostly flat, although the camcorder's edges are rounded and smooth. Most of the camcorder's body is coated in a rubbery surface that is easily grippable. The small fixed lens is in the upper right and a little hole for attaching a wrist strap is at the bottom of the camcorder.

Right

The right side has the camcorder's power button as well as a small door that opens to reveal three ports: HDMI, USB, and AV-out.

Back

The back of the camcorder has all the Playsport's controls and plays host to the 2-inch LCD. The screen is stationary on the Playsport, but it does have a glare shield to help with visibility in bright light settings. This side of the Playsport Zx3 is always white, while the front of the camcorder is available in black, blue, or purple.

Left

The left side doesn't appear to have much going on, but the bottom portion of the camcorder has a panel that opens up to reveal the battery and memory card compartment. You should be able to see the release switch that opens the compartment door in the photo above.

Top

There really isn't anything special about the top of the camcorder. It's just smooth, black plastic.

Bottom

The bottom of the Kodak Zx3 has a tripod mount and what appears to be a built-in speaker.