Here's the short and skinny on this thing. It makes for a decent stocking stuffer at Christmas or extra birthday gift. I mean, its usually on sale for about $100 and that's about an extra $150 cheaper than an entry-level "name brand" camera. I bought mine for my teenage son who basically wants to dabble with this thing. If your kids, like mine, are extra rough with things, then you probably don't want to spend $400 for a Sony or JVC.
To begin, the package indicates that it is a "5 in 1" device, meaning camcorder, digital camera, MP3 player, etc. Don't think you'll get out of purchasing a separate MP3 player for your kids though. The MP3 player won't fool any teenager, so you'll definitely need to buy a devoted MP3 player. Seriously, the MP3 capability on this thing is a joke. As far as digital pictures, it takes grainy, sub-par pictures, so only a teenager would likely be okay with this. Don't expect good family photos in other words. The camcorder function is basic at best. This is not what you want for recording whatever memorable, precious moments you wish to capture. It's okay for kids to record "silly" things, but if they truly become interested and want to delve into this as a hobby, then you'll seroiusly need to consider splurging for something better.
What actually makes this player so inexpensive and lightweight is actually its Achilles heel. You see, most digital camcorders come with a rechargeable battery. In fact, the rechargeable battery is what adds significantly to the cost of the camcorder. I don't have a cost breakdown, but I suspect it is in the area of 25% of the overall cost. With the DXG, there is no rechargeable battery---but how I wish there were!!! Instead of a bulky rechargeable, this uses four "AAA" batteries. Cool, right? Well, this thing goes through batteries like a Hummer goes through gas. Seriously, four fresh batteries will be consumed in only a few minutes!!!! The bottom line, you'll most certainly need a separate battery recharger and rechargeable batteries to constantly feed this thing.
In short, this is a decent gift IF and only IF you buy a battery recharger. If you desire only the digital camera function, you ought to seriously consider a devoted digital camera as this one is ho-hum at best. Not a bad gift, but it is really more of a toy than a "big boy" camera.
I have been playing with this camcorder since I got it for Christmas and overall I'm pleased with it. On the up side: it's light & compact as your wallet, easy to use (I read all the instructions first), easy to download the pix & vids to your computer. And it's cheap. I've had no trouble with my battery door or extra memory chip coming open, as some other viewers have. On the down side: the built-in memory really isn't enough to allow for much video shooting or picture taking before it's full (an extra memory chip is essential and according to the DXG website there is a certain type that is compatible), neither the instructions nor the website explain certain functions and icons you really want to know about (such as flash operation). I've had better results shooting outdoors, than in. Light makes the difference. But overall I like my DXG and carry it w/ me in my handbag.
Buy DXG DXG-506V 5.1 MegaPixel Multi-Functional Camera with MPEG4 Technology (Silver) Now
i am amazed at how many people hold this camcorder INCORECTLY.
you do NOT grip it like a gun, you hold it with your thumb on the bottom of the unit and your index finger and the finger inbetween your index finger on the top of the camcorder where the 3 notches are.
notice how you are not covering the flash, or touching the battery door? i have NEVER had the SD card slot door magicly open, it clicks into place.
again if you hold the camera like a gun, you might be acidently sliding the SD door open with your fingers. THIS IS THE INCORRECT WAY TO HOLD THE CAM.
the flash is activated by pressing LEFT on the ring with the red button, alternatvly pressing right will pause video.
pictures should be taken with the fine setting, and you MUST hold the camera still while shooting ( while the save bar saves the picture )
here is a hint...use a high speed SD card, most standard cards are 32X and are slow at 3 or higher Megapixels. I use a 150X card for fast saving of the pictures which means i do not have to keep the camera still for very long it only takes a second to save a high megapixel picture.
good light is required for the video, pictures i have not had problems with, the flash is fine for dark pictures.
another hint, use AVI for video as it is the least compressed of the 3 options, also if you want night or dark shooting you CAN do this with the camera, here is how, when you play back the video on your pc, turn up the contrast to 75% from the default 50% on Windows media player.
i hope this helps you all.
my only complaint is this....
i noticed on the LCD screen or rather the edge border of the plastic around the screen on both the top and bottom of the border of the screen in the centre there is a cut in the border, i am not sure if this is a manufacture defect or if its supposed to be there, it seems odd that is on the top and bottom border of the screen, and both in the centre of the border. ( you cannot see it head on with the screen, you have to tilt the angle of the screen to see it )
anyone else notice this, it was not like that on the 305v model that i used to have.
Read Best Reviews of DXG DXG-506V 5.1 MegaPixel Multi-Functional Camera with MPEG4 Technology (Silver) Here
Don't be fooled by what people say for this item.They say things break by using it or just fall off of this product. So where do I begin, well first off I could not be more happy with this product then I already am. I got this in a nice box and opened it right away. First thing I noticed was its size. It is nice and small and thats the way it should be. However when I saw how small it was compared to what I originally thought, I was worried about video quality. Then onced I recorded things in different lighted areas, I found it to have great quaslity. One problem I did found was when It was dark, this camera deos not do so well in the dark. It just lowers the quality of the video. So after trying it out I was confused a little at how to work it but I found out how to use it right away. I bought the 10 dollar 1G memory card with it and they work perfectly together. The clip on lens protector is a little unsatisfieing but it will do good in the short term. I have not tried the MP3 player because I did not buy this camera for that, however I did try the voice recorder. Everything works great from the Pictures to the videos to the Voice Recorder. This camera also has nice small features like changing the formats of things you record, and all those little things. For about one-hundred dollars this is a must buy. This camera is perfect if your looking for compatibility, and recording movies. Believe it or not if you record at 30 fps on a 1GB card you can record to about one hour and thirty minutes.
Pros:
-Price (Camcorder is about 100$ HOWEVER buy the 10$ GB card because not all cards can go into this camera, believe me its worth the money. The card is cheap and works perfectly for the camera.)
-Quality (Good quality for such a small thing and you can chose from different frame rates.)
-5.1 Megapixels (This is good for cameras, some expensive cameras might not even have this.)
-Memory ( With the card this is a good amount of memory that will allow you to film for at least an hour.)
-Cables and Programs (A CD comes with the camera to install some programs to save the things you took onto your computer, if you don't have anything already.)
-Compatibility (Nice light weight camera.)
-Included Carrying Case (Comes with carrying case to protect your camera even more.)
Cons:
-(Confusing to use at first, it is possible to delete thigs without you knowing what you are doing, however everything is explained in the manual.)
-Clip On Lens Protector (It is kinda bad after a while, because it deos losen, however camera comes with carrying case anyway so thats good.)
-Memory (The built in memory is not that good at all, so buy the card or you won't enjoy this camera.)
Anyway this camera is perfect for filming those little moments in your life, like on vacations or other things like that. You can easily tuck it somewhere where it won't bother you. However if you want PERFECT quality you won't find that here. This camera deos have great quality but its not perfect.
This is a product that most likely you will love or hate, however I really loved it.
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I love this camera. For what it does--it works great! It's ultra-compact and fits anywhere--in a coat or pants pocket--and the pistol-grip style make it handy to shoot stuff without missing the action. This makes it super-convenient for traveling--where you don't end up spending so much time looking through an eyepiece that you miss enjoying the view yourself. And the MP3 player comes in handy on long plane flights. No, it's not an HD camera and it shoots poorly under low light conditions. For the price--I was pleased and happy with the shots it took. I'd love to see a higher quality version of this, too. But it's not garbage like some of the other reviewers stated. It has some nice features (the price!!) and some limitations. So if it fits your uses--get one. You'll be glad you did.
The best things about this camera/camcorder:
-it works great in daylight/outdoor conditions
-it is super compact
-it let's you point and shoot pistol-grip style (so you can enjoy what you're viewing)
-it's ideal for video that's going straight to the web (it uses avi, mov, asf)
-you can replace the AAA batteries whenever you want/need to--not a proprietary battery that requires a special charger, handy when you travel in countries outside the US
-you can replace the memory cards when they fill up (and I think the cheapest place to get them is Amazon)
-it doesn't attract attention to itself like large camcorders with flashing led recording lights
-it's nice to have an mp3 player, camera, camcorder, and audio recorder all-in-one--truly a multimedia recording device
But, also beware that there are some things it doesn't do really well...
-it really only works in daylight/bright light conditions (don't even try shooting outdoors at night)
-the flash doesn't really work unless you're shooting within 3' of subject
-the battery and lens cover are plastic and will wear out if heavily used/misused
-there is no external mic jack
-the menu for the mp3 player is limited
-the manual is somewhat lacking and the print is really small
I bought one of these digital camcorders and at first I was fairly impressed by how easy it was to use and the better than average video quality. Then I heard the audio... Or lack of it. Actually all I heard from the audio was a static hiss. Thinking I had gotten a bad camcorder somehow, I exchanged it for another. The second camera had the same problem. These camcorders either have a serious defect in the audio or Vivitar is using really low quality microphones in them. I returned that one as well, shelled out a little more money and bought a 2nd generation Flip Ultra 120. In the world of digital camcorders, the old saying "you get what you pay for" really is true. I got stung twice trying to pick out a bargain and it will be a long time before I try another Vivtar product. If you really want a decent digital camcorder, be prepared to pay for it because this one isn't worth the price.
