ION Audio Twin Video Portable Recorder

Be sure to set the microphone gain to high, so that the audio part of video recording is loud enough to be heard.

The picture and video resolution is a very basic 640 by 480 pixels, which equates to 0.3 MP (same as most webcams on notebook PCs).

The main attraction of this video camera is that you can switch the video subject while making the video by pressing a button. With other video cameras, you would have to pause the video, turn the camera 180 degrees, then start the video again. It becomes very tiring if you have to do this often, as in an interview situation.

This camera uses a 3.7 volt, 1050 mAh rechargeable lithium battery, BUT it does NOT state what battery type it is on the label. This means if you need a replacement or a backup battery, you'd have to buy it from ION. It costs $20 plus shipping!!!!! The camera only costs $40. I cannot think of a reason why ION chose not to specify the battery type, other than that it wants you to buy it directly from the company, at a high price. A 3.7 v, 1050 mAh battery commonly sells for under $5, including shipping, on Ebay. You'll have to make sure the dimensions and electrical contacts are compatible. It is not difficult, just inconvenient.

Update(8-6-2011):

The battery IS BL-5C. It is available on Ebay at very reasonable prices, even includes shipping cost. Just search for "BL-5C" and you'll get lots of choices. I got one for $2 post paid!

I purchased & received the ION about 2 weeks ago from a Computer store on line. It was about the size of a pack of playing cards & to be honest, I wasn't expecting much, Boy, Was I wrong. This wee little Video recorder takes Great Pictures & downloads them to your PC or Printer for making Hard Prints ( Printer must have Mini-Slot ). It's easy to use & recharges quickly using the USB Port, With Cable connector provided.

The Zoom is small, but usable, About the only Problem I have with The Ion is, The Sound is poor, But at several thousand Still Shots or 120 Min. movies, For under $50.00, Who can complain?

I would & Have recommended this to my friends.

Buy ION Audio Twin Video Portable Recorder Now

I bought this mostly because it was small and I could carry it around more easily than my digital DV video camera and it recorded to a removable card so there was less problem downloading the video you shoot.When you shoot a video with the ION it looks great on the cameras small screen but when you put it in your computer and watch it on a full size screen (my 19" computer monitor for example) it is grainy and fuzzy and very poor quality (it records in MP4 format). I mounted the ION camera on a stand (the included stand adapter is actually a really great item) and used it to record my band one night in a club soon after getting it. I expected it to be grainy in the low light but I also found that if you leave it on to record more than a 10 minute clip you lose sync and this is very noticeable and only gets worse as the video gets longer.

A week after getting the ION I saw that Cisco had just announced that they were discontinuing their FLIP video line. I bought a FLIP for the same low price as the ION ($50.00). The difference is night and day. The FLIP is very clear and works great especially outside in normal light (it's not great in low light but I expected that). The FLIP also has no sync problems during longer videos like the ION does. The FLIP also has a pop out USB connector for downloading video to a computer and the software is already part of the FLIP flash drive so you can use it on any available computer.

In my opinion buy the ION only if you are doing short videos to upload to the internet. Buy a FLIP if you want something with much better quality.

Read Best Reviews of ION Audio Twin Video Portable Recorder Here

This was a waste of money, the audio is awful, the picture setting is awful. the only good thing is it takes nice video but stop recording on u if your video is longer than 30 minutes. dont purchase, not worth it

Want ION Audio Twin Video Portable Recorder Discount?

I purchased this product for 19.99, 4.99 shipping. Awesome deal! I purchased the video camera with bicycle touring in mind. Its lightweight and small which is perfect for touring. Also the ability to switch back and forth is a great feature. So far the camera works flawlessly. Other reviews were correct when it comes to sound quality but other than that its perfect for what I will be doing with it. I will update my review once I get out on the road.

Update....5/18/2013

So far I have lost 2 video's. For some reason about 5 minutes into filming it starts to break up and freezes. I can't much complain for only 19.99 but its very frustrating.

Save 76% Off