Samsung HMX-W300 Waterproof Camcorder Review

COMP 3

Kodak doesn't make cameras or camcorders anymore, which probably won't bother too many people. But it should bother fans of waterproof camcorders. The PlaySport Zx5 is one of the few camcorders that rivals the Samsung HMX-W300 in design and usability. In fact, the Kodak is probably easier to use than the Samsung, and we found its rugged design to be more durable overall.

Unfortunately, the Zx5 is an old model now, and you can only still purchase the ones that are still left on the shelves since Kodak declared bankruptcy earlier this year. With Kodak pulling out of the camcorder market, it is doubtful we'll ever see a successor to the Zx5, which is sad because we'd love for Samsung to have some good competition in this field.

But if you can find a Kodak Zx5 for sale, which is very plausible, we think it is a waterproof model worth your money. Its performances in our video tests weren't quite as good as the Samsung W300, but it made up for those losses with a better and simpler user interface. Remember, the Zx5 is a cheap, waterproof camcorder—just like the Samsung W300—so you should only spring for it if that's what you're looking for. It's not the kind of thing you'd want to shoot a documentary or indie film with.