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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List Price: Our Price: $128.88 You Save: $101.11 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $69.95 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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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: The absolute best flash memory camcorder for my buck...
Summary: 5 Stars
That's what I got. The best. I tried quite a few, notably the iPod of the circuit the Flip, and a couple Kodaks. I wasn't impressed much with the Kodak, sadly their name isn't what it once was. Theirs was on par with a decent cell phone camera. Couldn't keep up with movement, blurry, couldn't handle low light, the list goes on unfortunately even though they got stellar reviews. The Flip cams weren't bad, though. But this Vado HD has a few nice features that put it over the mark.
The wide angle lens and the removable battery are two of the most important in my book.
It also takes a fantastic picture. I would honestly say the quality is that of a minidv camcorder, probably one you've been using for years. It just does a tremendous video job, which was surprisings, since I'm not the biggest advocate of Creative. I hate the Zen and most of their portable media players. This though, is one fine little machine.
I run mac, so I got the sweats when I first hooked it up to my USB. It read the drive, I could see the videos...but of course, codecs were missing (all I got was sound) and the onboard software was PC only. Quick google search got me the codec, and a trip to Creatives site got me the software for Macs. The codec was Perian and it fixed it so that even FCP would recognize the files (it would before, but it wouldn't play/preview them, so there was no way to edit).
Now I've got the equivalent of my old minidv camcorder in my pocket! I can't wait to check out the newer versions at some point.
Customer Review: Simple. Awesome. Smart. Sharp....
Summary: 5 Stars
...and the list of adjectives goes on.
I was surprised to see such lousy reviews on this great gadget, I cannot understand how something so small yet powerful could have confused so those few.
Pros:
Great bang for the money
Excellent HD Video
Easy to use
Great feel and light weight
Cons:
None that I have discovered as of yet. I would have to say entering the setup menu, you press the two side buttons while powered on.
Since netbooks are something new and perhaps some of those considering buying one, I was able to run it on the Dell Mini 9 w/o any issue. No jerky video like on those latest and greates macs. Dell Mini is running an Atom Processor with 2g of RAM, XP SP3. On my desktoop on Vista 64 again no issue at all.
The Vado HD while extremely light weight it is very sturdy; It holds well, the USB dongle is what I would call cute, feels somewhat flimsy but so far I do not feel like it will tear apart from the body of the camera.
Accessories included! HDMI cable included, this is because it has a built in HDMI port, cool. USB cable extender. Clear skin to protect the cam.
Regarding the shipping, I got it a day earlier than what Amazon stated in their keeping me in the loop e-mail.
Took the camera to the office, everyone loved it and a few of them placed an order on Amazon.
Great job Creative totally living up to your name!
Peace and happy holidays.
Ay
Customer Review: Gr8 HD cam all round
Summary: 5 Stars
The Creative Vado HD is the perfect work companion for me. I own a lot of gear including a full 3ccd HD camcorder, and while that is undeniably great, my Vado is by far the thing I use the most. I am not going to go into a big review of the features, there are plenty of reviews already doing that. What I will say is that for one on one interviews, capturing footage from tradeshows and conferences, and social events at work, it's perfect. Anyone can use it, so it's very easy to give it to someone to use and not worry about them struggling to work out what to do. The size is great it's about the size of my old Blackberry Pearl, and the battery is great, gives me plenty to shoot for a weekend, or a tradeshow.
The built in sw is pretty good, for short edits, but I do use another editing package that I edit the footage with, which gives me more control over sound/transitions etc - it's not surprising that SW cost more than the Vado.
I love that the sw is built into the camera, and loads through USB, it means I can use it between all my machines. I do have one feature request though, currently the sw has a fixed window size, which is fine on most of my machines, but... when I use on my Netbook, the 600px screen height is not quite enough to use the sw correct. Creative, if you can make Vado Central resizable or have a Netbook optimized view, now you're cookin!
I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone.
Customer Review: Impressive quality and features for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
Summary: It's obviously not going to be broadcast quality HD at $200, but the quality and features are a great value to get into HD. If you're uploading to Youtube/Vimeo and want their HD then this is a great choice.
It's straightforward, easy to use, and does a shockingly good job for a camera the size of a cel phone. Even shooting footage at night in a snowstorm on a dim street, no artifacts, no grain. Focus can be dicey if trying to shoot through a window or in really dim light, but not enough that a decent video editor can't compensate for. Indoors, color didn't get too yellow in my tests, either.
The only other catch is getting used to its light weight -- this will take a few days, but as long as you hold it lightly, breathe normally, and move carefully, the shakiness can be compensated for with just getting acquainted to how it behaves. In general, it produces sharp, punchy video with very good quality. I have had this three days, no tripod (which is a wise and cheap investment -- careful with making sure the mount fits properly and be gentle!), and the results have been way more than satisfactory. Even the sound quality is fine.
I'd definitely recommend this for someone wanting to get started with HD video on Youtube, and unsure about investing the $600-odd dollars into a pro-sumer outfit like a Canon HV30.
Customer Review: Not as Stylish but Has Some Better Features
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm probably showing a very shallow side in that I find the Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder far more attractive and stylish than this camera. However, the Vado Camcorder has some nicer features and accessories.
Everybody is mentioning that the Vado has double the memory for recording- 2 hours versus 1 hour for the MinoHD. Big Plus there. Also it has an owner replaceable battery-- another Big Plus. I also like the extension USB cord that comes in the package. Considering the number of items I have that I need to plug into the USB hub, I genuinely appreciate this item which allows me to avoid getting on my knees and searching for a slot more than once. It also comes with a gel skin, which is a good way to protect your investment.
The functionality in comparable to the Flip, but the extras are just too good to miss-- unless you are like me and have this weakness for style. Maybe I can use the Vado on weekdays and only carry the Mino when I want to impress someone.