We have a look at Kodak's new SP Series Action Cams at the launch event held at Warner Brother Studios in Leavesden, near Watford. Action cameras such as the Olympus Tough series, GoPro Hero HD and Mobius camera have become popular for catching video and stills under conditions that anyone in their right-mind wouldn't want to risk normal camera equipment due to the risk of damage due to water or impact.
Going after the same market as the GoPro series of action cams, Kodak's ruggedised SP1 camera records H.264 encoded 1080p video at thirty frames per second, or 720p at up to sixty frames per second. The lens sports a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture and a wide 160 degree field of view. The camera body is waterproof to a depth of ten metres and will withstand a shock equivalent to being dropped from a height of two metres. The CMOS sensor within is also capable of taking fourteen megapixel still images. Power is provided by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery and WiFi connectivity is included. In Europe, the SP1 will be bundled with the full compliment of mounting solutions available, including mounts for helmets and handlebars as well as suction and adhesive mounts. Should any of the mounts fail, due to impact, or another reason, the bright yellow colour should make the camera easy to spot when searching for it. Playback is via a tiny 1.5inch display or via HDMI.
Kodak's SPZ1 action cam appears to be modelled more on the Olympus Tough or Pentax waterproof cameras. It sports similar spec to the SP1 as far as image and video recording is concerned, but has an internal 3x optical zoom lens. This camera is waterproof to a depth of five meters, shockproof from a drop of 1.5 meters and is also dust and freeze proof. Burst shooting is possible at five frames per second and there is also a 360degree panorama mode.
Kodak also had their WP1 camera at the event to show us. This camera is a little more basic than the SPZ1, sporting a 31mm equivalent fixed lens.
Although still a work in progress, their SP360 looks like quite a novel action cam solution. The large fisheye lens on top of the unit records footage from all around, which can than be processed in bundled software to provide a 360degree panoramic view which can be displayed all at once, or split however you want. Examples of how the footage can be split include a simple front/rear split, or for group video conferencing, or security applications, the footage can be split into as many segments as you like, with each segment acting like a separate camera. Another application for the camera is as a car dash cam as this camera can record in front, and behind the vehicle all at once.