More than a snapshot camera

The picture quality is strikingly well with the only video recordings. I do not mean the resolution as HD video, but rather the colors and exposure. Many video cameras and digital cameras a rather bright exposure is in favor of the shadow area with the result that bright picture areas often fade and the colors are often very dull. Not so with the Kodak ZX5. The main colors are extremely rich and the exposure kept pleasantly dark. The light sensitivity is in my opinion very good. It is possible to shoot in almost complete darkness. This is still some color and not merely a faded black and white images are recorded.

In the photographs, the quality is, however, modest. Here can be observed that the image is recorded too bright, with precisely described mean that the image is pale and listless. However, this can be corrected later with any simple photo program by contrast raised vigorously and perhaps the color saturation is increased slightly. Pretty comfortable, this is a so-called batch processing in the photo program (eg Irfanview as Freeware). Therefore, this disadvantage is not very tragic. However, the image resolution with supposedly 5 million pixels is likely to bring a slightly greater sharpness, which one however only noted when looking at the computer monitor when you've done a corresponding enlarged. It should be added yet, that still pictures are recorded with a longest exposure time of 1/30, which the blur excludes broadly. Missing light is widely acceptable compensated by an electronic amplification. However, the light sensitivity is in the photographs but significantly lower than with the video recording.

Using the digital zoom is useless when taking photos. For video recording, however, this is quite useful and acceptable. The image quality will be at full four times zoom in about the quality of a standard video. When looking at a mid-size LCD TV screen, this is hardly noticeable, on the computer screen at a closer viewing distance are more likely. Lets you attach a passable subsequent improvement over a video program with the "de-noising" cause.

Of special quality is the image stabilization. This is generally described as good. For cameras of this type, size and above all price category I rated this as even extremely well. I have tested other cameras of this type (Kodak ZI8, JVC Picsio, Toshiba S20) in which you actually could not really speak of a image stabilization, but on the contrary was almost advisable to remedy that. Even with the SamsungU20 and Sanyo C10 image stabilization was rather poor. Not so with the Kodak, when the image stabilizer is really to be regarded as very suitable. This is especially true if you even two hands used for films for holding the camera, which is generally recommended.

The sound quality I refer also to be quite good. This applies particularly to the speech intelligibility for medium-sized intervals, as well as the recording of wind noises that too does not lead to popping noises. If you dive from under water again, it can of course be in the short term, that some water is in the housing opening for the microphone and the sound is somewhat muffled. Short blowing helps here.

The battery life is in my view sufficient. Nevertheless, I regret that it is not possible to change the battery and insert a replacement. For me the battery was enough for a vacation during which I distributed film typically short scenes from a 5 to 15 seconds over the day with a total duration of perhaps 30 to 40 minutes chronicled, with the camera in between off again and not too extended from the playback option use has been made.

One of the few criticisms of my hand there is also the fact that it is not unfortunately possible to - to fix autofocus to, a sharp image, for example objects that are not located in the center, the blurred background - incidentally quite good. It is also somewhat cumbersome in the actual macro range switch (7-17 centimeters).

Just funny, though not absolutely necessary, the fact that you can use the camera underwater. The records are under water by the way very well.

Conclusion: the camera is more than just a snapshot device if you can do without long optical focal lengths, which are mostly only lead to significant shake. For the sake of simplicity of use and in particular the size and weight of the camera it is worth it.