Kodak Playfull waterproof camcorder captures 720p underwater videos

Kodak has expanded its pocket camcorder lineup with the announcement of the water-, dust- and shock-resistant cousin of the Playfull camera, the Kodak Playfull Waterproof Camera. Coming with a lower price tag than the Kodak Playsportactioncams, the new arrival can be immersed to a maximum depth of 10 feet (3 m) for up to two hours and records videos in 720p (1280 x 720) resolution.

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The Playfull Waterproof Camera's water resistance is certified to IPX8 (which requires a device to withstand being continuously submerged to at least one meter/3.28 feet) and its special white balance mode is meant to ensure proper colors for underwater footage, according to Kodak. The pocket cam is also dustproof (IP6X compliant) and shock-resistant, meaning it withstands drops from up to 5 feet (1.52 m) onto plywood.

As with the other Playfull cameras, the waterproof version comes with a Share button, which allows for instant sharing of stills and videos via e-mail, Facebook, or YouTube, right after connecting the camera to a computer. There are four preset modes available: black and white, sepia, high saturation (bright, bold colors) and 70's film (muted colors, slightly greenish cast, and graininess for a retro look).

Billed as being no larger than a credit card, the Playfull Waterproof Camera weighs in at 85 grams (3 oz) and measures 2.2 x 3.7 x 0.5 inches (5.58 x 9.39 x 1.27 cm), which makes it smaller than all the Playsport offerings. The new Playfull features video recording in 720p (1280 x 720) or in WVGA (848 x 480), both at 30 fps, stored as MPEG-4, AAC-LC files. It can also snap 1-megapixel still images in JPEG/EXIF v2.3 format.

Footage is stored on SD/SDHC cards (there's only 18MB of built-in storage on board) and can be viewed either on the equipped 2-inch color LCD with Glare Shield for bright sunlight viewing, or on an external device, utilizing the camera's HDMI or AV out ports. There's also a retractable USB cable located at the bottom of the housing.

The Kodak Playfull Waterproof Camera is available for pre-order in either black or white at the Kodak website, and is priced at US$99.95. Expected shipping dates are October 14 for the white, and October 28 for the black.