Mini DV MD80 DVR Video Camera w/4GB MicroSD

We purchased this camera (Mini DV MD80 DVR Video Camera) for our son this past Christmas with the hopes that it could be mounted to his model RC airplanes. It was a gamble, but for the price (we paid around $15 w/memory card) it was a gable worth taking. This little video camera has turned out to be a fabulous addition to his model airplaning experience. We were able to very easily mount the camera clips (provided) to the underside of the airplanes with some heavy duty Velcro and it works out great.

The Good:

* Price we paid only $15!

* This camera takes fair, not great video. But for the price it took far better video than I was expecting. Plenty good enough for my son's hobby needs.

* It is small and light. About the size of two stacked USB thumb drives and weighs only a bit more due to integrated battery.

* Charges over USB.

* Standard mini USB plug. No need for a special cable.

* Included a wide variety of mounting clips and brackets. Enough to meet our needs.

* Includes a lanyard and lanyard clip right on the camera. This is great for our needs as we tie the lanyard to the planes as a back if the mounting bracket gives way during flight.

* Removable/replaceable memory (standard MicroSD). This is very handy for a long day out at the air fields when one gets full we simply drop in another memory card.

* Acts as a mass storage device. Thus no drivers needed on your computer and simple file copies are all that is needed for video file management.

* Comes with rechargeable battery

The Bad:

* No display screen. This turns out to be a good thing for us, as a screen only adds to its size and weight. But for some this might be a pain as you must down load your video to a computer to view it.

* Controls are a bit cramped and confusing to understand how to use. But that is expected for something so small and for its price.

* No zoom. But what do you expect for $15? That said the current angle of the view is pretty good for our needs. If you desire a zoon this is not the camera for you.

* Battery is fully integrated and non-replaceable. But that is expected for this price point. Even if it were replaceable the replacement would surely cost more than the $15 I paid for it.

The Ugly:

* The video contains embedded date/time in the lower right hand corner of the video. I can't figure out how to get rid of it. It took me many hours on the internet just to figure out how to get the date/time set accurately. I am not a dumb guy when it comes to tech related things but this was a royal pitb to figure out. Most of the ways called out online did not work.

* The documentation is horrid. I had to spend a few hours with the internet to figure out how to configure this thing. I don't care how cheap it is it doesn't cost much to print some documentation or at least print the URL to where good documentation can be found online.

Conclusion:

This is a great little camera for our needs and the price. If you are looking for something small and self-contained that takes decent video for an unbelievable price this is camera for you. I'm giving it four stars due to the difficulties for configuring the date/time and poor documentation.

I am really impressed with this little unit. It puts out really good video for its size. It is by no means so small that you can place this unit anywhere and no one will notice, but it is small enough to be missed by most people. The unit works well, but it is difficult to press the little bitty buttons with big honking fingers. You will get into the habit of using some form of stylus to turn the unit on and get it recording. It also took me a little practice to understand what the blinking lights mean am I recording or not? In the end, there is no limit to what I want to do with this unit. Now, if only I can find the time to use it like I want to. I have used this unit to record golf swings for further analysis (its small enough to fit in a golf bag pocket and to be used without making the subject totally uncomfortable), recording helmet video from my daily bicycle ride (attached by Velcro to my helmet), and as a dash cam for my car (attached by Velcro to the back of my rear view mirror pointing forward) to record idiots and trash throwers. I did quickly break the spring loaded clip provided, but find Velcro is a more stable means of attachment.

This is a great unit for use where a full size video cam will be in the way.

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We now have at least 5 of these cameras used by our campus safety dept. well worth the price as they have really cutdown on the "he said/she said" problems that occur between security and students. Great asset when when used properly.

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I thought that it took very good video for the price and purposes I got it for.

The only drawback is that it is difficult to see where you are aiming it at times

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Paid a cheap price to get a very cheap and barely functional product. Bought 2, one wont hold a charge and the other wont let me access the memory....lesson learned!