I'm sure all of us have been curious on just how good a pocket camcorder could be. The answer is: not that good. I'll start off by saying I don't own this, but I have used it to film a school project, which equates to use in a variety of conditions. The camera is nice and compact, and has great battery life (it uses 4 AAAs). It has 4 functions (video, photo, microphone, and review). The wheel for changing this is right above the battery cage (this'll be important in the ergonomics section). Now, let us start with the review. Let's break it down.VIDEO (2/5)It can shoot in 320x240 resolution and 640x480 resolution. Very small by today's standards (SD now goes up to 720x480 while HD starts off at 1280x720). I'd give the video quality a 3.5 out of 5 (at top performance). It works great in sunlight and bright light conditions, but it is horrible indoors or darkness. Even with sunlight coming in through the windows, the camera simply could not "see" the people in the room! Use it at daytime, outside only. Another thing to note is that there is no image stabilizer. If your hand is shaking, then it's there to stay.
PHOTO (3/5)It can take photo stills (at resolutions of 640x480, 1280x690, 1600x1200, 2048x1536, 2592x1944) and is capable of taking flash pictures. There is a self-timer, and I believe that's pretty much it for photo-taking functions (there aren't even any preset functions). Once again, great in sunlight/bright light conditions, but I wouldn't recommend using it under any other conditions. I'd give this function a 3 out of 5.
MICROPHONE (2/5)Ah, the microphone. It would work fine for use as a tape recorder (speaking into it), but not for recording music, lectures, or a speech. It just doesn't cut it. The microphone tends to pick up wind, and sadly it doesn't pick up audio that well. Recorded sounds lost about 50% of their clarity even when the source was only 10 feet away from the camera! For the sake of comparison, the microphone is about as strong as that of a digital camera that can take videos.
DURABILITY/BATTERY LIFE (3/5?) I haven't dropped this or anything, so I don't know what to say about durability. It does, however, have a great battery life. Even with partially used batteries, the camera withstood 4 hours of constant use.
ERGONOMICS (2/5)Without a strap, it's rather difficult to use this with only one hand. Although all the buttons are located close to each other, they're not placed in the greatest places. Especially when lacking a strap, you'll probably have to prop this on a tripod or operate it with two hands in order to press the buttons while filming. So, ironically, this pocket camera can't be operated with one hand.
So, this brings me to my overall rating of 3 out of 5. This camera is only useful as a casual cameramaybe for your younger son or daughter who wants a video camera, or for around the home, NOT for vacations or trips to Disneyland. If you want a pocket-sized camera good enough for daily and all-purpose use (is there even one that exists?), I suggest you keep looking.
Buy VuPoint Solutions 5.0 Mega Pixels Multifunction Digital Video Camcorder, 2.4" TFT Color Now
The VuPoint DV-5056 Camcorder can produce surprisingly good results, but only in really well lit environments. I found this camcorder on clearance at a local "big box" store for about 1/3 of the normal retail, so it seemed like a good risk for use by my kids. Here are my observations:
Pros -
+ Small Size; about the size of a large cell phone
+ Swivel Display; rotates 360 degrees to allow visibility even when videoing yourself
+ Video Mode; generally produces good image (but see "Cons", below) and sound quality, saves as "AVI"
+ Camera Mode; produces better than expected pictures, especially when using the built in flash
+ Audio Recording Mode; works well for taking notes
+ Card Support; has a small internal memory, but it also takes SD and SDHD cards (tested up to 4gb)
+ Video Out; includes cables for composite video\audio out to TV
+ Web Cam; can be used as a web cam (change USB option in menu)
+ Good Battery Life; takes 4 x AAA batteries and they last for many hours of video
Cons -
Default Settings Not Optimal; video and camera settings should be changed for best results, particularly the video Resolution and Frame Rate
Poor Low Light Performance; almost useless video quality in dim house lighting (see picture in "Customer Images" for comparison to Flip Ultra Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes (White))
This is a very good camcorder\camera for use outside on bright days, but it would be a poor choice for most home indoor use.
CFHI don't understand those problems others are having with photos in low light. I took several in darkness with flash and they came out fine just as good as other cameras. The features are simple, direct, logical and easy to use. I learned to operate the camera quickly and I'm not a technology-friendly person. I have Essential Tremor. I've had difficulty using other cameras and had all but given up trying to take my own pictures. Somehow, even without fancy anti-shaking programming, my photos with this camera come out sharp and clear. I think it's a combination of design the way it's configured and shaped and the action of the shutter. Whatever it is, I'm able to take clear photos again. A big "thank you" to VuPoint Solutions!
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