I am glad I purchased this instead of the other HD camcorders in this price range.I was about to return this and get an aiptek a-hd+ but its a good thing i found some raw MOV files of the aiptek a-HD+ on forums.
After seeing the quality of the aiptek a-hd+ raw MOV files I decided to keep the DXG 581v.
After comparing the raw MOV files of both camcorders, DXG 581v looked so much better, and sharper. The aiptek a-hd+ looked like it was only upscaled and was actually only 480p...the aiptek lacked sharpness and detail
The DXG's 480p at 60 fps is smooth as butter and still sharp and detailed. UPDATE: The 720p mode and the 1080 mode is also smooth change sure your frequency setting is set to "50 hz" and change "TV format" to PAL. This will smoothen out the panning...i guess the electronics inside are PAL but the software is set to NTSC because the unit is sold in the states.
The problem with the raw MOV files I saw with the aiptek was that it would sometimes skip frames. It appeared aiptek found a way to double the frames of its 720p at 30fps mode...it is a faux 60fps and doesn't look good.
If you want an HD camcorder that can catch a clear view of a car's license plate as it unintentionally passes by your camcorder's line of sight then get the DXG 581v.
Pros:
large lcd screen.
Sharp even at 480p
smooth 480p at 60 fps compared to the other HD camcorders at $130+
-UPDATE: also smooth 720p and 1080 after changing TZV format to PAL and frequency to 50
comes with cables:
> composite inputs and USB input.
> mini HDMI to HDMI
audio passes through the HDMI connection
good audio quality...very detailed and can pick up deep bass sounds.
can change resolutions on the fly pressing right on joystick
can change exposure on the fly pressing up/down on joystick
can turn on the LED flash during video recording press left on the joystick
very light
very smallyou can actually hide it in your fist.
comes with pouch you can attach to your belt.
720p and 1080i are very good quality. can catch alot of detail.
macro switch is firm and in perfect spot if you want to quickly change to macro and back to normal mode
autofocus does a good job of getting every detail.
works with my 16gb class 6 sd card
battery is rechargeable and only costs $3. It uses FUJI NP60 battery.
battery life long i will update this and do a battery test. battery gave me 2 bars out of the box. UPDATE: did a continuous recording at 1080i which lasted 1 hr 30 min. using my replacement battery gave me 2 hour recording continuous.
-voice recording is great. I was able to record a lecture 30 feet away from the professor and could hear his voice clearly during playback.
when camcorder is plugged into HDMI slot of HDTV it enters playback mode. Files will play continuously and will loop.
can upload the raw MOV files directly to popular video sharing sites
battery is secure...no wobble.
camera is more steady then other camcorders. (less shaking)
was able to attach camcorder to tripod.
able to keep camera stable without tripod.
Cons:
720p and 1080i run at 30 fps.
1080i only. it is not 1080p (1920x1080)...it is actually 1440x1080.
no lens cap
does not include an SD card.
movie mode and voice recording mode must be selected in the menu. After shutoff movie mode is set as default. you must go back into the menu to enable voice recording.
raw MOV files do not play on the xbox 360
only 32 mb internal memory. about 5 seconds video, or 20 photos, or 1 minute of voice recording.
Since I can change resolutions at a click of a button on the joystick, I use 480p when I am recording a fast motion video, where I know there will be alot of panning.
Then I will use 720p or 1080i, when the video calls for slower or litte to no panning, and details need to be captured. UPDATE: after changing TV format to PAL and Frequency to 50 hz panning is now smooth. so I use 720 and 1080 most of the time now.
In staples I was hunting for a laser copier. I could have used my phone to take photos of each copier and price tag but using the DXG 581v made it so much quicker and easier to review when i got home.
I used the 1080i resolution. took a full body shot of one copier then focused on the price tag while switching to macro mode and taking a shot of hte price tag. Did this for the whole aisle of laser copiers. It was quick and I ended up with everything I needed on one file when i got home.
UPDATE: Attended a trade show in Las Vegas and I have to say the DXG did an amazing job.
I recorded each workshop and seminar at 1080i and during playback the video quality was so clear. The power point presentation on the projector screen which I recorded was very sharp on playback.
Using the replacement battery I purchased for $4 here on amazon, lasted 30 minutes longer than the original battery that came with the DXG 581v.
UPDATE:
To hook up the camcorder to an old HDTV with the HDMI port that doesnt support audio.
1.) plug the usb cable with composite out and left channel out to the dxg 581v
2.) plug the left channel audio out to the audio input of the HDTV
3.) plug the HDMI cable to the HDTV
4.) plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the DXG 581v camcorder
You will now have audio while using the HDMI portof the HDTV.
Outdoor shots in sunlight are excellent, while indoor shooting in low artificial light is not great, but is useable for my purposes. The camera does not have image stabilization, and it is essential to really concentrate on keeping the camera steady when panning, etc. The camera is very easy and intuitive to use, except that the LCD screen is tough to see in strong sunlight (a common problem). The camera also shoots 5 MP stills, which are pretty good. However, at Disney World I carried a little pocketable Pentax digital camera that shoots 8 MP stills and has a 7X optical zoom for more versatility.
Battery life with the included 1200mAh battery is very good (20-30 minutes). I purchased an 8 GB SDHC memory card, and used only about 60% of its capacity in shooting 1.5-2 hours of mostly 720P video. The 4X digital zoom is useful, although an optical zoom would obviously be better. However, considering the $150 price, the features provided are very good in my opinion. The included belt holster is not much bigger than a cell phone holster and is convenient with its velcro flap.
My one complaint is that the built in microphone is extremely sensitive to wind, which can completely overpower any other ambient sounds. When wind wasn't a problem, the camera did a good job of recording music and other ambient sounds in the Disney World attractions. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the DXG 581V.Having gotten the camera a few days ago I sat back and impatiently waited for the 8gb memory card to come in. Once the camera battery charged and the card was in I started shooting and experimenting like mad. Now granted the only two camcorders I've owned previous to this were not to great, but nevertheless will be my means of comparing. The first camera I owned was JVC mini-vhs, the second being the original Flip. I've also seen the footage and sound that the Flip Mino or whatever you wish to call it takes.
Here's my verdict:
CONS:
The camera only films 60fps with the 480p setting (nevertheless the 30fps
doesn't look too bad with the 720p and 1080i)
films like a vhs camcorder but slightly better when it is DARK inside a room
same goes for outside footage. But outside nighttime footage is slightly better than most portable camcorders.
no image stabilization but holds up to being not NEARLY as watery and bouncy as other portable camcorders such as the FLIP.
PROS
Video format really easy to work with in quicktime
Video files don't take up a lot of space for the amateur filmmaker who
doesn't want to have to by an external harddrive to work his camera.
Very VERY nice detail and quality in well-lit and outdoor situations
VERY GOOD and CLEAN audio pickup
Not too small, and doesn't feel necessarily cheap
TONS of features [unlike the FLIP] not just one touch recording
white balance
brightness
display settings
playback of video and photos
films decent macro video and still pics
takes decent pics from 5mp-8mp
nighttime settings
choose between NTSC and PAL
comes with plugins for HDTV and for playing on regular TV
In summary the only reason I gave it one star less is because it's not necessarily 100% HD. I mean on your laptop when you just finished shooting in a
good lit situation outside it looks pretty darn close. But I can't imagine it looking like your Blue-rays when you play it on your 42 inch.
If your looking for a cheaply priced camera with quality, durability, and tons of features this is as best as it gets. From what I've seen THIS IS the best model DXG sells and I would highly recommend buying it.I like the DXG HD 581 Camcorder because of its light weight and ease of operation. You can just put it on your belt like a phone. I really like that. Unfortunately, my rating on the battery is not so good. I charged the battery when I got it and less than two days later without having used the camera, the battery was dead. I tried charging it again but to no avail. Unfortunately, I had to go and purchase another battery at the cost of $32.00. So with the price of the camera at $115 and a new battery at $32, I felt that I got taken on the camera. Unfortunately that is why I'm rating the camera so low.I purchased this camera because it seemed to have a lot of features for the price. I received the item, removed it from the packaging and found that it was dead. The only thing that works on it is the little green power LED. Really poor quality control.
Save 50% Off
No comments:
Post a Comment