Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black) OLD MODEL
by Creative Labs
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Very handy and well worth the money
Summary: 5 Stars
The VadoHD may not be absolutely perfect but it is an excellent handy HD minicorder and well worth the money. The features that distinguish it from the equivalent Flip and in my mind make it the better device are the built in USB toggle and the HDMI direct connect to a TV. It is also essentially one button operation like the Flip so is very easy to use. The USB toggle is great as you don't need to carry around a cord or adapter either to download or charge the recorder. I think the criticism that it prevents you from standing the recorder up on its base is silly as you should use a little tripod for that anyway. I also like the fact that the software necessary to view the clips is built into the camera so you can attach the camera to a friends computer and immediately show the videos. The colors are nice and bright, the exposure is balanced and the resolution is certainly noticably better than non HD video you see from digital cameras.
As I've given it 5 stars I'll now focus on some annoyances just to balance my review. First, when you reactivate the device by clicking the record button (ie it goes to sleep because you are not recording) it comes on but sometimes you need to click the record button twice (once to wake up and then again to record). That is logical I suppose but in bright light it can be hard to see whether the device is simply on or whether it is in fact recording. I've gotten used to this so I am extra careful to check but I did miss some recordings when I first started because the recorder was simply active, not recording. That doesn't seem to be an issue if you start it using the main on/off button, only when you wake it up from suspend mode by using the record button itself.
The device has frozen on me a couple of times (generally I think when I mash buttons while it is trying to do something else). This requires taking the battery out to reboot. No biggie except that to get the battery cover off you need to remove the hand strap which is a pain and tough to do in the field. A more convenient way to reboot would be useful.
The digital zoom, like all digital zooms, is pretty useless. The clarity of the 1x recordings looks great on a HD TV but the fuzzy 2x digital zoomed shots stand out like a sore thumb. They are essentially regular definition rather than HD.
There is a lot to like about this recorder and I'd get another if I lost it. I hope they come out with some water proof versions down the line. It is a great device to just leave in your pocket, briefcase, purse, car etc.
Customer Review: Amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the first times I have ever left a review on Amazon, but I figured it was worth it.
Buy this camera. Seriously. You will absolutely not regret it. I picked one up here on Amazon for about $51 with free Prime shipping, expecting to get about what I payed for. I figured I couldn't really go wrong for that price, as long as it worked.
Well I was incredibly surprised at the quality of this camera! I now carry it in my pocket every day because of its small size and ability to shoot such nice video. Seriously.
I am a college student, going to school for Film Production and while I would probably never use this camera for a big, film production, it would only be due to the fixed-focus lens. This is not even a bad point for the Vado specifically, because this is the same for all of the cameras in this family called "Pocket Camcorders". I am though considering shooting my next short film on this camera just to show that it can be done.
What I find the most amazing about the Vado is its incredible Low-Light capabilities. Everything I've ever heard about pocket camcorders tells me that they can shoot good video if you give them a lot of light, but that their small image sensors cannot handle dark situations.
THIS IS NOT TRUE WITH THE VADO. I don't know why it is, and honestly, I haven't ever done any low-light shooting with any of the other brands' pocket cameras, but I do know that the footage I shoot in low light, night time situations is some of the best footage from the camera. As long as there is a little bit of light coming from a street light or even a bright moon or something the camera will pick up your image. Also, the main thing that makes the Vado's night footage so good is the fact that it doesn't get grainy and weird in the dark like my regular Mini-DV camcorder's night shots do. The blacks stay nice and dark and the colors still come out.
This is a wonderful camera, worth wayyyy more than what amazon is charging for it.
I would absolutely recommend you snatch this up before it is gone. I think the price is so low because of the newer Vado HD 3rd Generation coming out. The thing about that though, is that from what I've seen and read, the 3rd generation isn't really even a better camera, and the touch-sensitive controls are annoying.
So buy a Creative Vado HD 2nd Gen!
Customer Review: Very good "pocket" camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
I just purchased this product, and have only had a little time to play around with it, so I can not speak for the longevity of it, but I can tell you about my first impressions, and also how this camera performed based on my expectations.
I do feel that a lot of the negative comments on this camera come from either a lack of knowledge of these types of devices, or simply unreasonable expectations. It should be noted, that this camera has a fixed wide angle lens, it is NOT going to have as much clarity and detail as a full size, full-on HD camcorder. What it will do is take reasonably good HD videos in an ultra-compact form. You can't have full size HD camcorder quality on a device this small, and on the flip side, you will never be able to haul all your normal camcorder equipment in your pocket, like you will with this.
So, on to some specifics.
1. This camera records files in the h.264 codec. In my mind, this is one of the best codecs for this type of application - it allows you to put a lot of data in a very compressed file. These files will work seamlessly in a Windows environment, but you will need to be savy to get them to work on a mac.
2. Included software is very limited. If you want to edit more than 3 files into a movie at once, it will ask you to upgrade to a paid version of the app. I feel that you should just use a better stand alone editor, and not worry about included software. I have used Power Director flawlessly with this camera.
3. Because this camera is so small, and because none of the cameras in this niche have image stabilization, you will want to watch your movement. A small tripod will help - but so will a steady hand. Just don't expect the same stable performance that you are used to from your larger cameras.
4. This is a very simple device - you point and shoot simple, fairly high quality videos. Most people will think you are using a phone - and that is where this device gets its stars. You get the ability to shoot high quality video with a device as large as your smartphone, and you get it all for around [...] bucks ...
You can't go wrong there. Just make sure to manage your expectations - this isn't a $1,000 HD camcorder with large optics.
Customer Review: Comparison of Vado, Flip & Kodak's Zi6
Summary: 5 Stars
I have purchased all three of these little high def camcorders. I started with the Flip Mino which had good picture quality, but ran into serious problems. I could not get any of the 3 units I purchased to charge through the USB port. Nor could I get any one of them to download the images. I spent a lot of time with their support only to find that none of their solutions worked. So I finally gave up and sent all three camcorders back.
The Kodak Zi6 Pocket camera is bigger and more "clunky" I didn't like the image quality at all. The camera cannot focus in very closely, so they provided a CU switch. But that allows you ONLY to shoot from about 2 inches away! Made it almost worthless. The memory in the camera is so small you have to buy a much larger card, which raises the price tag. At least you can take it out for downloading to your computer. Over all, I liked this camera the least.
I found out about the Vado last, and have once again purchased 3 units. This little baby is awesome. It almost looks like a cell phone, so you can take candid videos of people and they almost never suspect that you have a high def camcorder.
The image quality is excellent, and the angle it shoots is very wide (compared to the other two camcorders). But don't use the digital zoom; it only reduces the quality of the image. Instead, just get closer to your subject. The lighting is a challenge with this camera (like all 3 of these cameras) and you have to be careful not to shoot any subject that is heavily backlit. But you can shoot indoors at night with available room lights, and even under fairly dark conditions if you use your light creatively.
The Vado has replaceable batteries, which the Flip did not, so when the battery runs out, you can just pop another in and keep on shooting. Whereas with the Flip there was no way to continue (or to get out the footage) without a several hours plugged into your laptop.
I have shot several hours of video with the Vado in a wide variety of situations and my love for this baby continues to grow. I only wish that I had found it first and saved myself some hassles. But at least I know what the competition has to offer and so I know I'm not missing anything.
Customer Review: New king of the pocket cam hill
Summary: 5 Stars
I own the basic Vado and it's a fairly decent little camera. Great for capturing video and quickly uploading it to You Tube or Photobucket or whatever video hosting/sharing site you happen to use. But there are many times when I want to capture high definition video - and I don't want to dig out my high def camcorder. It's just too bulky and I have to jump through too many hoops to get it up and running. And then there are the hassles involved with getting the videos from the camcorder to the computer for editing and archival purposes. Just too many steps to take when I have two small kids occupying much of my attention at home.
So....I was really excited when I heard that Creative was releasing an HD version of the Vado. I had the foresight to preorder the Vado HD and had it within days of release.
My short and sweet review? It's everything I hoped it would be....and more. The video quality is stunning. (Don't just take my word for it - there's a clip floating around on vimeo.com that offers a side by side comparison of footage taken with the Vado HD and the Flip Mino HD. Folks, it's not even close. The Vado HD beats the pants off the Mino HD!)
Video quality is important, of course. Probably the most important factor when it comes to choosing a pocket video camera. But also consider the extras - the Vado HD comes with an HDMI cable so you can take some footage and instantly connect the camera to your beautiful HD television. The Vado HD holds up to two hours of HD video. The Mino HD only holds an hour. And the Vado HD has a swappable lithium ion battery. That means you can purchase a spare battery and always have juice when you need it most. It also means that the Vado HD will outlive the battery. If the battery stops holding a charge, just ditch the old battery and pop in a new one. Product longevity is a big deal to me - especially in today's difficult economy. I want my gadgets to last. I assume you do too!
In summary, I am THRILLED with my purchase of Vado HD. It may not have the name recognition of the Flip (yet!) but it offers higher quality video and more features. No brainer of a comparison in my book!