Kodak PlayTouch camera/video recorder: For baby’s first yawn, you can do better
I recorded my son’s birth with a Kodak.
No, not in 1997 or 1957. Just last week. It’s even in high definition (but not 3-D, perhaps thankfully).
I figured a new camera/video recorder would be just the thing for capturing those newborn moments, and I wanted to know if Kodak’s new PlayTouch had enough “added value” to make it a useful substitute for, say, Apple’s recently released iPod Touch, which has HD video capability.
The PlayTouch also piqued our interest because Kodak and other camera makers have been losing ground to smart phones that are increasingly multifunctional and can take pictures as well as shoot videos. On a separate front, venerable Kodak has been in a battle to retain its dominance in the small but growing “pocket video” segment after a bumpy transition from film to digital photography.
The PlayTouch has many of the features of its precursor the Zi8 and its waterproof cousin the PlaySport, but adds a 3-inch LCD touch screen that makes it look even more like a smart phone. Priced at $229.95, PlayTouch comes in five colors and has a replaceable rechargeable battery.
The touch screen is key to Kodak’s hip rebranding. Basically there isn’t another camera or video recorder in your local Target store — there wasn’t in mine — that has advanced touch functionality for its menu systems. I liked the display and its clearly defined, large icons.
Though Kodak trumpets its social-media smarts, the PlayTouch is largely a device for shooting stills and HD video. There’s no wireless connectivity (it must be plugged into a PC or laptop to upload pictures or video). Ergo there is no two-way video calling or posting pics at the ballgame (or hospital). There’s also no music capability (although you can listen to your home movie while editing it). So no iTunes.
Andrei Andrievsky, worldwide product manager at Kodak, said most users don’t mind that they can’t upload or send images wirelessly. Users instead can tag which photos or movies they want to share and then, once plugged in, send images automatically to Facebook or an e-mail in box.
But I’m not convinced. I really didn’t like that I couldn’t post my Kodak pictures instantly at the hospital. I had to snap the keepsake photo for our friends and family on my iPhone. I wonder which option my mom and mom-in-law (incidentally both now on Facebook) would prefer.
Andrievsky maintained that there is “a clear difference” in video and picture quality. “Every cubic inch of this device is optimized for video capture,” he said.
This is why, Andrievsky said, Kodak opted for a 5-megapixel camera rather than one of higher resolution. There’s no “megapixel war” (not yet, anyway) in the pocket-video market, as with small cameras, in which up to 12 megapixels are common.
He said Kodak is happy with the picture quality in relation to cost and other factors.
But I found it a bit underwhelming. Stills of my newborn taken in low light were a little blurry — my somewhat excitedly shaking hands aside — and looked a little like they’d been shot on an iPhone (the PlayTouch uses the same CMOS backlight sensor technology). No flash to counteract the darkness.
My video shots weren’t that much better. Whether taken indoors or outside, the video lacked clear definition and was blurry when replayed on my 32-inch HD TV and MacBook. Close-up shots were better, so there probably are some auto-focus issues. I did find the glare-reduction technology good for beach playback on a cloudless day, and its user interface was intuitive and easily customizable on both a PC and a MacBook.
There were some other cool features. You can shoot in black and white, or in sepia, or in a fun “1970s movie” color (a nod to Kodak’s past). You can also easily edit your movie scenes on the device itself, and hooking up its HDMI cable to an HD TV is a snap.
Kodak historically has marketed its products toward women, and the PlayTouch is no different, Andrievsky said. Specifically, women who want to record memories of their children growing up.
As a new dad, I’m pretty sure I’m part of Kodak’s target market. But as a longtime iPhone user, I’d probably pass on the PlayTouch when the stork next pays a visit.
craig.howie@latimes.com
