Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB Pocket Video Camcorder 2nd Generation (Black Gloss) Review - Excels in some ways, but some fundamental flaws make this a sub-optimal solution to portable video!



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Personal Review From Customer (Unbiased)

409 of 432 people found this review helpful. 3 Excels in some respects, but some fundamental flaws that sub-optimal solution for portable video By David Pearlman This is the last entry in the market Creative portable solid state camera pocket video. This is a hot segment of the market at the moment, with hot selling competing models from Flip (which opened the segment), Kodak and Creative, among others. This is higher than Creative final product, with more memory (8GB) and capable of "HD" high (or more) of video resolution.

Indeed, these pocket video cameras is competing not only with others but also other multipurpose devices can also take video, digital cameras and especially cell phones.

Before continuing, it is worth stating absolute about these ultra portable video cameras one: The selling point is portability. They are very small and lightweight, and therefore you can slip one in your purse or jacket pocket and forget it's there. That makes these camcorders, great for pictures momentum.

If portability is not a big selling point for you, then stop reading now and get a standard video camera. Even the lower end camera video standard is capable of video much better than any of these ultra-portables. (And the top HD standard video cameras, just clean the floor in terms of quality and scalability).

Alrighty, keep reading. As portability should be a selling point. So now the competition becomes an ultra-thin digital camera that also can take pictures. There are dozens of cameras and now in the market. For the following discussion, I will take as a comparison, the video can be taken on a Sony DSC-W220, a ~ $ 160 camera digital medium is in line with Sony and has 4x optical zoom, 640x480 30 fps video, and image stabilization.

This particular video camera is being marketed as a "new version" of the Creative Vado video online. Let's make clear what that means, it means very little. This differs from the previous ford "version" only two ways, nothing significant, and the other possibly important to you. The first version of the Ford of second generation came in one color (black) and does not come with software compatible with Macintosh. This "version" is available in two new colors (White / Green, Black / Brown, plus all the black) and now comes with software for Macintosh compatible.

That's it. End of differences. If you already have the previous generation Ford and second, if you wonder if it is worth the upgrade ... it is not.

What are the good, bad and ugly?

The good: Very small, easy to pocket, very light. It comes with a rechargeable battery that can easily be replaced by the user, and can easily power the camera long enough to fill the memory (2 hours in high definition). Very simple and minimalist controls means a modest learning curve. Charges via a standard USB cable. Built-in image stabilization (works fine). HDMI (easy connection and seeing through modern TVs). Large memory 8GB included. Ability to switch between HD (2 hours) and VGA video (8 hours). Built in speaker for reviewing videos (low quality, but better than nothing). Good video possible with good light.

The bad: Low light performance is unsatisfactory. No optical zoom (digital zoom only 2x). Built in microphone is very weak and is not appropriate to collect the unamplified sound at a distance. The USB connector is located on the bottom of the video recorder, and includes a tab that extends beyond the bottom of the box and that makes it very difficult to place the camera on a surface and have not resulted in the video angle. (I can not believe that this problem in this new "version"). No way to add more memory.

The ugly: The included software. The software is installed and accessed when you connect the camera via the USB connector to your PC. This leads to a control center that lets Vado, in principle, to view and edit the videos on the camera. Windows on two computers, one with XP Pro, one with XP Media Center, which have never been able to successfully edit video using the included software. Any attempt to edit the video over time results in the program crashes. It freezes and crashes also occur at times when you just watch the video through this utility. Fortunately, you can copy the videos from the camera (the camera looks like a standard storage device to your PC USB) and edit / view with stable party software (Adobe Photoshop Elements Premier, etc), but the fact the software is so error, even after several updates, reflects very badly on Creative.

So there are advantages and disadvantages. But how does it compare with the Sony digital camera, which is only slightly bigger?

In short, on its own video quality, the Vado lost comfortably: The Sony camcorder has a comparatively good in good light, and substantially better video in low light. The Sony has a much better microphone. Sony uses the user-supplied flash memory can be expanded. The Sony has a 4x optical zoom, compared with 2x digital zoom at the Ford. (Although the Sony's zoom can not be changed once it starts capturing video).

The two places where the Ford clearly better than Sony is the video compression (the Vado can store much more in the same amount of storage) and (slightly) better resolution. One of the advantages of the Vado is arguable that the controls are much simpler (and more limited). If you are technologically impaired, or if the camera will be used by those who do not have time to become familiar with it (children, friends at parties, whatever), then the simple control system on the Vado is a clear plus.

Obviously, there are many other digital cameras available that also have video. I chose the Sony DSC-W220 for comparison 1) because I have one on hand, 2) because it is almost the same size, and 3) because it has a competitive price for this Ford.

As someone who has no technological phobias, which would have to say that Sony would be my go to choice in many circumstances. I think the only reason I would opt for the Ford would be if I needed two hours of video (8 hours in VGA mode, but I can not imagine using that way), and a battery that allows extended recording (Sony's battery is lower). I should add that this is not necessarily a trivial difference. The peace of mind that comes from not having to worry about the camera is going to go dark or running out of space while recording a special not to be underestimated.

In the end, this is a decent product, very well in some circumstances (good lighting, audio is not critical, essential recording times length) and surmounted by a good digital camera at this price in others.

If it's worth adding to your own arsenal of digital toys will be a personal choice.

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Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: # 236 in Camera & Photo
  • Color: Black / Brown
  • Brand: Creative Labs
  • Model: BK-MR VF0580
  • Posted on: 09/20/2009
  • Dimensions: 6.30 "hx 7.90" wx 3.30 "l, 0.70 pounds
  • Hard Drive: 8 GB
  • Screen Size: 2

Features

  • HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder and 8 GB of video storage capacity
  • Fits easily into your pocket or purse in the palm of your hand
  • One touch recording with a 2 inch wide
  • Record up to two hours of footage from HD video or up to eight hours of video at VGA resolution
  • Connect your Vado HD to any HDTV with HDMI Cable

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