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Mediocre video quality and a couple design issues keep the Kodak PlayTouch from being a top-notch minicamcorder.

The Kodak Playtouch Video Camera packs a touch screen along with plenty of settings, effects, and extras, but video image quality isn't top-notch.

The camera captured motion well, but the Playtouch delivered less-than-bright colors. Ultimately, the Playtouch is a handy device for those who love sharing videos just as much as they enjoy taking them, but Flip's cameras offer better video quality.

The Kodak Playtouch makes the right moves, but doesn’t delight with the final results. The Full HD video capture lacks the impact we really want and there are various compromises along the way. The focusing switch offers macro potential, but we’d prefer the simplicity of autofocus.

At the more expensive end of the pocket-camcorder range, the Kodak PlayTouch offers the novelty of fingertip controls and is very simple to use, but brings very little else to the table.

The Kodak also impressed us with the way it handled light, being quick to adjust itself when going from dark to bright. It also focused on faces – technology brought over from the compact camera range and used to good effect.

The Kodak PlayTouch would be a great pocket camcorder if not for two major issues: the video quality and the limits imposed on the display. I'll give Kodak a pass for the thin-plastic build as it is probably a tradeoff for the PlayTouch's light weight.