Camcorder Reviews

Today’s smartphones claim to have enough resolution to take a perfect large size still image. But, let us face it, most mobile phones still lack in high definition video recording. And, not everybody has a camcorder and even if you do, having it with you all the times is a little burdensome due to its bulk and weight. Thus, Pocket camcorders have surfaced over the past few years and true to its name, the camcorders are pocketable, shoot video in HD resolution and are very easy to use. Creative’s Vado HD is one of them who have made an effort to take on the likes of Flip Mino, Kodak Zi8 etc.

The first generation Creative Vado HD may have fallen off the horse for the first time, but Creative has dusted off the little boy and come back for more. After a minor update to the original Vado HD mini camcorder, Creative has now released this entirely revamped 3rd Gen edition. The new third-generation Vado HD departs from the first and second generations with a sleek new design, additional features like external microphone support and improved low-light recording, while oddly dropping in storage from 8GB to 4GB. Fortunately, now Creative has also released the model in 8GB capacity. Its list price is significantly less than the second generation Flip Video MinoHD and about the same as its rival, the Kodak Zi8, which requires you to buy an additional memory card as it lacks any internal memory. Read on to find out more.

Design:

Metal bodied tiny camcorder:

Even though the Vado HD 3rd Gen Camcorder is quite attractive, it does not feel quite as durable as the heavier Kodak Zi8 or the metal-bodied second-generation Flip Mino HD, and since it has a shiny finish, it does seem prone to scratches.  It is tiny, even by mini camcorder standards, measuring only (H x W x D) 99 x 58 x 16mm and weighing just 93g; both smaller and lighter than its predecessor. There is no silicon sleeve provided, as with the original, so the glossy finish could be easily scratched. That glossy finish covers pretty much the whole front and rear fascias. This is because Creative has opted to use touch-sensitive controls. This decision, we think, is disastrous.

As with most camcorders of this class, the design is fairly basic; the operating side features a large 2″ LCD display with a resolution of 640×240 pixels with just a single record button flanked by capacitive touch buttons that are quite responsive. The screen is a little washed out and is not as clear as other pocket cams. That said though, the actual output quality of the video is far superior. The Creative Vado HD 3rd Generation Camcorder is available in white, purple, black, blue (cyan), and red.

Buttons and Slots:

The only dedicated button on the rear is the record button, but this is nestled amid a minefield of touch sensitive areas. On its side, there is a Mini HDMI port for outputting video to HDTVs. However, no cable has been included in the package. At the bottom, there is a threaded tripod mount and flip-out USB connector, for uploading and charging through a PC. Finally, on the top, you will find a headphone jack that also accepts optional external microphones.

Interface:

There is nothing to rave about the interface, but it is fairly straightforward and quite simple enough to navigate through once you play around with the camcorder for ten or fifteen minutes. The simple interface allows for easy one-button recording with a single big red button on the front. Unfortunately it is surrounded by some awkwardly touch sensitive buttons controlling zoom and exposure. These controls are far too sensitive, and we regularly found ourselves zooming in, adjusting the exposure or switching to playback mode when we did not mean to. We sincerely hope Creative goes back to the old controls on the next model.

One impressive point is the speed at which it starts up. Press the power button on top and you are shooting in around two seconds. The two buttons on the side are for deleting files and switching between video and camera modes with the latter being limited to a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. These buttons could easily have been assigned to more important tasks, such as exposure level.

Features:

Video Capability:

Internally, there are improvements in certain areas and cut backs to others. Creative has not disclosed the size of the 1,280 x 720 CMOS sensor, but we would guess it was the same 1/4.5in used in the vast majority of mini camcorders. It has the ability to shoot videos at High Definition resolution of 720p and at the lower 640 x 480 pixels VGA resolution, which allows you to store more video than the typical 2 hours of HD in the 4GB of internal memory. That “2 hours” we had mentioned is about how long the rechargeable lithium ion battery lasts as well. The Vado HD has also got an impressive wide-angle lens on the front giving it a far broader field of vision than the more expensive Flip camera.

Still Image:

In addition to this, there is also a still image capture mode that produces photos just a notch above the camera phone quality. It is only capturing the images at the same 720p resolution but it is a handy extra feature. And though there is no macro or close-up mode or image stabilisation, it does have a motion detection option that triggers recording when it senses motion in front of the lens. As with most of current pocket camcorders in the market, there is a 2x digital zoom but no optical zoom.

Video formats:

Similar to the MinoHD, this model records H.264 compressed video in MPEG 4 format instead of the Advanced Profile MPEG-4 AVI used by the original Vado HD. The video quality was decent for an inexpensive camcorder, but when the video shot is compared with its predecessor as well as with its competitors, the colours seemed less vibrant; in more poorly lit environments, the Flip camcorders performed better, with slightly less noise and a sharper image. Also, the Flip camcorders managed to adjust for exposure that is going from bright to dark scenes faster. Interestingly, the Vado HD third generation Camcorder from Creative has manual exposure control, just press the forward and back buttons as you shoot. This is not very useful, though and we say so for three reasons: the effect is fairly subtle, the exposure changes so slowly that you tend to overshoot your goal, and it is also impossible to see the changes on the LCD so you cannot tell where you want to be.

Software:

The software allows for one-touch uploads to YouTube, Photobucket, Box.net, Facebook, KinKast, and MotionBox plus Twitter on the Mac, once you have stored your username and password for each service. You will also be able to email clips to friends and family. Beyond the sharing capabilities, you really do not get much else. It provides only the basic capability to trim clips, as well as extract a single photo or 30 photos. You will not be able to stitch them together into a longer movie, though. On the Mac, it can hand off editing to iMovie through a dedicated link in the software. Creative has slightly improved its sharing features, but Flip Video remains the leader in this area, with its online Flip Channels and an iPhone app allowing you or your friends and family to access those videos remotely from an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Easy transmission:

One of the Flip’s key advantages has been how easy it is to get videos off the camera and distribute them, and Creative has put a bit more effort into this aspect of the user experience. Vado Central 3.0 software comes preloaded in the camcorder and can run under both Windows and OS X 10.4 or later. Unlike its rivals, however, you will not be able to run the software unless the device is attached to the system, and you can only install it to your hard drive under OS X. Creative says it works this way because its users prefer third-party software, but it still seems unnecessary to cripple the software like this and likely tick off some people. Unlike with previous models, at least compatibility does not seem to be an issue; the MP4 files play fine using QuickTime and Adobe Premiere Elements.

Performance:

Video Quality:

It is important to note that when you keep the playback image small on your PC, like that of the YouTube size, it is harder to distinguish between the video quality among these models, particularly when it comes to sharpness and noise. But when you blow the video up to full screen or view it on a large-screen TV, you will start to see the differences. Though you cannot compare this High Definition video to the video you had captured with a full-fledged HD camcorder, shooting in 720p does allow you to scale the image to larger sizes and retain a reasonable amount of detail and sharpness than with VGA-resolution video.

Tripod necessary:

To get stable video with this type of camcorder, it will be helpful to make use a tripod; normal handheld jitter is almost inescapable. Like most of its competitors, the camcorder does not focus at close distances; we wish there was a macro mode like the one that is offered on the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera.

Audio quality:

Moving on to the audio, we found that it is louder than the original Vado HD. For best results you will have to stand fairly close to your subject and not have too much extraneous noise, but it has record and play back with ample volume and does so relatively clearly. Like the Zi8, the model supports an optional external stereo mic through the headphone jack, which allows for enhanced recording capabilities.

Accessories:

With its charger and data cable built right in, the Vado HD does not really need any accessories, but Creative throws in an HDMI cable for outputting video to HDTVs, and a short USB extension, which can be useful when dealing with the crowded ports on the back of a desktop. We missed the silicon skin bundled with the original Vado HD, but the accessories still stand above the likes of Flip’s MinoHD, which includes frills like an accessory pouch and lanyard, but no HDMI cable to pair with its HDMI port.

Warranty:

Creative offers its 3rd generation Vado HD one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

This 3rd generation of Creative’s Vado HD makes an impressive outing. It packs a surprising amount of functionality in something normally considered more of a toy than a proper camcorder. The 3rd Gen Vado is a case of three steps forward, two steps back. The video and audio quality is improved and the microphone input is a great idea; however, the reduced storage capacity and touch sensitive controls are unwelcome changes. Overall, the Creative Vado HD 3rd Gen does not successfully distinguish itself from the competition, particularly the Kodak Zi8, it does offer some nice improvements over earlier Vado HD models that keep it relevant in the pocket camcorder space. Ideally, however, we would like to see this model discounted to less than the stated price tag. At that price, it might become more tempting.

Creative Vado HD 3rd Generation Video Camcorder – Technical Specifications

Manufacturer	Creative
Model Name	Vado HD
Type	Pocket Camcorder
Dimensions (H x W x D)	3.9″ x 2.2″ x 0.6″ (98.8 mm x 57.6 mm x 15.8 mm)
Weight	93g (with battery)
Colours	Black, White, Purple, Blue and Red
Screen type	LCD
Screen size	50.8 mm (2″) diagonal, 16 million colours
Screen Resolution	640 x 240 pixels
Tripod mount	Tripod mount
Sensor	HD CMOS (1280 x 720)
Video resolution	HD (1280 x 720p), VGA (640 x 480)
Low light performance	Extremely high sensitivity at 3.3V/lux-sec
Frame rate	30 frames per second
Zoom	2x Digital Zoom
Internal memory	4GB
Online Sharing	YouTube™, Photobucket™, Box.net, Facebook, KinKast
Recording capacity	Up to: 1 hour (HD+ quality), 2 hours (HD quality), 4 hours (VGA quality)
Digital video file format	.mp4 (H.264, AAC)
Exposure Adjustment	Auto or Manual
Still image format	JPEG
Still picture	HD still picture at 1280 x 720
PC connection	Built-in flexi USB connector
TV Out	RCA, HDMI (HDMI cable included)
Microphone	Built-in
Speaker	Built-in
Included Software	Pre-loaded Vado Central 3.0
Battery life	2 hours
Warranty	One year

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 arrives on the coat tails of the Flip video devices and even Kodak’s own Zi8. It seems to be one of the most pocketable mini camcorders we have ever seen. The Zx3 comes in with a big upgrade over last year’s Zx1, and it also poses a significant threat to the ultra-compact camcorder market that is currently dominated by the Flip. To be more clear, it is the next in the series of Zi6, the Zx1 and Zi8. They have all had similar form factors and similar performance; the Kodak Zi8 Camcorder had 1080p and the Zx1 was weather proof, but the PlaySport obsoletes both of them. At roughly around the same size as a modern Blackberry phone, sporting full 920 x 1080 HD video, 5-megapixel still image capability, HDMI-output, and an SD/SDHC card slot and a major defining feature of being waterproof down to three meters, it is available now for around £115.

The idea of the PlaySport Zx3 is that, if you are one of those outdoors type, you can take the PlaySport with you and film yourself and your friends and rest relieved that a sudden unseasonal downpour is not suddenly going to kill your camcorder.

Design:

Body and Construction:

The Playsport Zx3 is an ultra-compact camcorder, hence, it has been specifically designed with portability in mind. The camcorder is very light at just 128g without its battery and it could easily fit in your pocket. Its upright design is very conducive for pocket transport as well. The device itself is a tiny camcorder with a rugged appearance. While shock proofing is not one of the listed features of the product, it certainly looks like it could stand a drop or two. The fascia of the Zx3 is mostly flat, but the edges are curvy and smooth. Most of the camcorder’s surface is rubbery making it easy to grip on to. There is a small fixed lens is in the upper right and a little hole for attaching a wrist strap at the bottom of the camcorder.

The Playsport can stand on its own, but its base is fairly wobbly due to its rounded design. Still, we are quite happy to see the camcorder can stand on its own, although you may have to take a few seconds to make sure everything is balanced correctly for this to occur. The buttons on the Zx3 are well built and we are far more impressed with their quality than we were with the Kodak Zx1. The Zx3 also has much better overall construction and design than the cheap feeling Zx1.

The front of the box has Images of canoeists and dirt bikes splashing through puddles, they help to emphasise the target market of the device, as does the cheerful, yet durable design. The device comes in four colours including purple, blue, black and orange; while its face remains white in each of the models.

Display:

In the rear, the PlaySport has its controls and plays host to the stationary 2” LCD. We are not particularly excited about the stationary LCDs on these ultra compact camcorders because they are usually difficult to use in high-glare situations. Kodak did implement a glare shield and a new anti-reflective coating on the Playsport, however, so these additions might help. The camcorder does not have a viewfinder, so the LCD is all you have for framing your image. The Zx3 does have a few brightness settings for its LCD, which is a feature not usually found on budget camcorders.

Controls and Slots:

The left side does not appear to have much going on, but in the right side, you will find the power button of the camcorder along with all of the device’s ports including HDMI, USB and analogue AV out. The bottom of the Kodak Zx3 has a tripod mount and what appears to be a built-in speaker along with slots, SD/SDHC card and battery are safely covered by waterproof hatches. The flip-open door that covers the card slot and battery pack locks into place and provides very good coverage for both compartments. We had read some reports of users who had found their PlaySports to be less than waterproof in practice, but this could be due to some misuse or defective units. The camcorder also has a special ‘H20′ mode that helps to improve the picture while filming underwater by filtering out some of the blue tint. Note that the device does not float. Let it slip out of your hands while you are cruising, and your PlaySport could find itself on a one way ticket to an underwater visit.

Features:

Interface:

You need not be a tech savvy to control the PlaySport. Just five buttons and a five way direction pad is all you need to master the device. The menu options are pretty sparse too. It is slightly annoying that all the menu settings are labelled with icons, some of which are not always as easy to decipher as they might be. The d-pad is responsive and easy to use, but it controls too many things. Push it left or right and you get to a menu for setting video resolution, push it up or down and you are adjusting the digital zoom. We found ourselves accidentally opening menus just because we pressed a button on the d-pad when we did not mean to. But, again, this is a relatively trivial criticism. A big part of what makes an ultra-compact camcorder easy to use is the quality of its provided software.

Memory:

The Playsport Zx3 records video and stills to removable SD/SDHC memory cards. Kodak equips the PlaySport with 128MB of internal memory to get you started, however, this will only give you enough storage space for a few seconds of footage. This tiny bit of internal memory is mainly reserved for the editing software that is embedded inside the camcorder. A high capacity SD/SDHC card should be the first item on your shopping list after buying the PlaySport. Kodak’s Adventure Mount, that secures your PlaySport to handlebars or a helmet for hands free filming, could well be your second in that list.

Software:

As we just mentioned, the Kodak Playsport has embedded software built into the camcorder. This software is called Arcsoft Media Impressions and it is only compatible with PC computers. The files recorded by the Zx3 are compatible with Macs, but the Arcsoft software has no Mac support.

Manual Controls:

There are no real colour or image controls, but it does have a few odd digital effects like negative and solarise. Strangely, you cycle through these effects by pressing the camcorder button on the back of the Zx3. The manual controls include Image Stabilisation and NTSC/PAL switch. You may well be aware what Image Stabilisation is. As with many ultra-compact camcorders, the Zx3 can be switched between PAL and NTSC modes. Switching to PAL will not change the way the camcorder captures video, but it will make a difference if you try to connect the camcorder to a PAL television.

Lens and Focus:

The Kodak Playsport Zx3 has a fixed f/2.8 lens, and this means the lens has no moving parts. There is no autofocus system, no optical zoom, and no adjustable aperture for the lens. It has a big CMOS chip at 1/2.5-inches, but that is quite normal for an ultra-compact camcorder such as the Playsport. Hence, since the camcorder has fixed focus, so autofocus problems should not be an issue. According to Kodak, the camcorder has a focal range of 1.0m to infinity. Underwater, this focal range is 1.33m to infinity. It has also got backlight compensation function that can be turned on and off from the menu and it also has the face tracking setting.  The Playsport did not appear to have any low light modes and it does not have any scene modes too.

Zoom:

To zoom with the Kodak Zx3 just depress the up and down on the camcorder’s d-pad. Keep in mind you will be controlling a digital zoom when you do this, as the camcorder has no optical zoom. When you zoom with the device a large bar display shows up on the right side of the screen. Unfortunately, this display does not list any numeric zoom length, it is just a graphical display. As we just mentioned, the PlaySport does not have optical zoom, but you can use a digital zoom. Kodak does not list how long the digital zoom is, nor did the camcorder display a zoom ratio when we used it, but it seems to be 4x.

Exposure, Aperture and Shutter Speed:

The only manual exposure control on the camcorder is a feature that turns backlight compensation on and off. The aperture is fixed at f/2.8 on the Playsport. So, not only is the aperture not manual adjustable, but it is also not adjusted automatically by the camcorder; it always stays at f/2.8. We did not find any manual shutter speed controls on the Zx3. There also no menu option for turning an auto slow shutter on or off. Finally, there are no manual white balance settings, white balance presets or manual gain either on the Kodak Zx3.

Video Resolutions:

The Kodak Playsport uses the H.264 codec to compress video. It offers three video resolutions: 1080p, 720p and WVGA which is standard definition at 848 x 480 pixels. All these shoot video at 30 fps, although a fourth option is available that allows you to film 720p HD video at an increased rate of 60fps. The 1080p setting provides visibly more detail, but many users may find themselves switching to the 720p/60fps mode, just because of the fact that it is much better for filming fast moving targets.

Audio:

The built-in microphone on the Playsport Zx3 records audio using the AAC/LC audio codec. Surprisingly, the audio levels on the camcorder can be adjusted manually, and you can also turn audio recording off entirely.

Performance:

Video Quality:

We are really surprised by the PlaySport’s image quality. After having excused many other pocket camcorders’ picture flaws in light of their low cost, it was refreshing to discover that not all budget camcorders make so many compromises when it comes to video and still images.

During daytime, the PlaySport delivers comparatively sharp, colourful images that are free from much of the noise and compression artefacts that plague many pocket camcorders. Remember that it is still a fixed-lens device with a small image sensor, though, so do not expect its high definition performance to be on a par with that of standard sized AVCHD devices. Also, due to the fact that it has a candybar form factor and light weight, the PlaySport’s handheld footage can look pretty wobbly, even when the electronic image stabiliser enabled. Auto white balance has been a problem with the previous Kodak camcorders and in bright light they could not white balance properly. Fortunately, Kodak has solved the issue this time around.

Still images:

In terms of still images, the 5 megapixel resolution of the PlaySport Zx3 is certainly respectable. It is worth noting that the PlaySport records all its photos in the same 16:9 widescreen mode as its video. This is fairly impressive for an ultra-compact camcorder, although numerous other manufacturers like JVC and Sony have similar photo specifications on ultra-compact models. The Zx3 has no options for capturing photos smaller than 5 megapixels. While this is fine for landscape shots, it can make for some strangely long and thin portrait still images if you hold the device horizontally. However, this is a minor black spot and the quality of the image really is not bad at all for this kind of device, especially if you are outdoors. Interior snaps are also very commendable given that there is no flash or lamp.

Package contents:

While unpacking the PlaySport, you will find that Kodak has been generous in including a selection of accessories, including a UK/EU power adaptor, and USB, analogue video and HDMI cables. This kind of selection is fairly unusual for such a device, particularly given its budget price tag.

Warranty:

The Kodak PlaySport Zx3 Pocket Camcorder comes with one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

The Playsport Zx3 from Kodak brings a lot of new features to the ultra compact market. Its waterproof design may capture the headlines, but we are equally impressed with the Playsport’s ability to record a Full HD video image and 5-megapixel stills. Though some of the advanced photographers might argue that the 1080p is quite worthless, they could go for the Zx3 if they are going on quite an adventurous trip. The Zx3′s variety of controls and features like face tracking, LCD brightness settings, and digital image stabilization also set it apart from other ultra compacts like the Flip series of camcorders. Overall the Kodak PlaySport is quite simple to use and it is also very affordable. This camcorder records better looking images than many of its competitors. Add in the fact that you can film underwater and all you really need to ask yourself is: “Which colour do I want it in?”

Check other Kodak Camcorder Reviews in this website.

Kodak PlaySport Zx3 Video Camera – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Kodak
Model Name	Kodak Zx3
Type	Pocket video camera
Dimensions (W x H x D)	58 x 113 x 20 mm
Weight	128 g
Colours	Purple, Blue, Black and Orange
Screen type	LCD
Screen size	2 inch
Tripod mount	1/4 in. standard
Sensor	1 / 2.5–type 5 MP CMOS
Low-light sensitivity	Good
Video compression	Compressed with H.264, outputted as .MOV
Frame rate	HD: 30 frames per second HD60: 60 frames per second
Lens	5.54 mm, 35 mm equivalent 48 mm @ 1080p 36 mm @ 720p 36 mm @ WVGA 36 mm still capture
Zoom	4x digital
Internal memory	128MB
Expansion slots	SD/SDHC card expansion slot
Focus modes	Tele Macro m
Image Stabilization	Electronic
White balance	Auto
Still image format	JPEG
Still picture	5 MP
I/O interface	USB 2.0 (high speed), AV out, HDMI
Ports	USB, Composite (RCA) Out, Component Out
Recording Quality Options	1080p-1920 x 1080, 30 fps 720p / 60 fps-1280 x 720, 60 fps 720p-1280 x 720, 30 fps WVGA-848 x 480, 30 fps still-5.3 MP, 16:9 widescreen, interpolated
Microphone	monaural
Speaker	Yes
Included Software	ARCSOFT MEDIA IMPRESSION Software for Kodak
Power	KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-7004, AC Adapter
Box contents	KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, Battery KLIC-7004, Adapter and cable for charging, HDMI and AV cables, Wrist strap, User Guide and ARCSOFT MEDIA IMPRESSION Software for Kodak (on-camera)
Warranty	One year

Overview:

Pros:

• It has got a highly spacious, highly reliable mass storage which is about 100GB.
• The styled colours are a treat to our eyes and so is the design.
• The image clarity and quality are top class; the lens and sensor are also good.

Cons:

• The biggest disappointment comes to the limelight when you find that there is no Horse shoe or view finder
• The fact that it comes devoid of HDMI cable also ads additional overhead when it comes to High Definition
• A100F though compatible with normal systems is found to be incompatible with Mac. So, Mac users are going to get disappointed.

Review:

With the launch of Gigashot A100F, the world’s fifth largest personal computer vendor has come up with the world’s smallest Full HD camcorder. With its venture into the HD camcorder world, Toshiba has laid it hands on high definition and large capacity. Rewind half a decade back the makers launched the Gigashot taking advantage of video formats which could be recorded to hard disks. At that time this was one key technological aspect of Toshiba. Toshiba worked a lot on Gigashots and now they have come out with the latest inline product made with the old Japanese secret on the roll.

What is the highlight?

The 100F belongs to the A series of Gigashot. With a 100GB hard disk, this very product competes with Sony, Panasonic and Canon.  Gifted with a 10x optical zoom up front and a 3” screen it is going to capture every iota of your mind. There is also a removable memory card which lets you commit 12 hours of HD video or 23 hours of standard video to its built in drive. It has an impressive frame rate and full sounding Dolby digital stereo audio.  It does boast of smooth and quiet action that gives the impression that the lens is gliding to its target. The menus can be accessed and features selected through a combination of mode wheel and a small joystick meaning operation is intuitive and this device is a fast responder to user choices. Overall is this device the chosen one, we have been waiting long? Let us find out.

Design:

Small and easy:

With VLSI technology, many electronic components could be merged on to a single board which drastically reduces the size of hard drives. With both removable media and built in hard drives, the camcorders have become smaller and lighter. Definitely, it is not cheap but comes with a bristling technology and its size simply fits it into the palm. Though not the smallest camcorder, it includes a whooping 100GB built in hard disk. The videos can be recorded in AVCHD format. The model also boasts a sturdy metal built to its conventional styling and mix. The features include an optical zoom of 10x. The actions are smooth, quiet. The menus are accessed through a combination of mode wheel on the screens left hand side and with a small joystick located below it. This ensures the quick response to users choice.

Earlier camcorders were large and heavy. The Toshiba A100F Hard Drive Camcorder here brings in comfortable weightiness. You could simply balance it in the right hand. There are two tone silver and black styling which looks good.

Screen:

With a lot being invested these days on the making of the screen, the Toshiba Gigashot A100F comes with a 76mm or 3 inch screen. This LCD screen opens out to the left and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. The screen has a pixel resolution of 230,000. One specialty we have here is that the opening and closing of the screen would result in the camcorder shifting to the stand-by mode.

Impressive design:

On the right side, there is a rubberised grip along with an adjustable padded strap. The entire arrangement is quite convenient such that your index finger controls the zoom using the zoom rocker which is very responsive and also a dedicated shutter button. Enjoy capturing your stills to SD cards while filming. There is an option to record the video by using the dedicated video record button. With this alignment, you could use your right thumb to access it. The other controls are located on the back onto a transparent plate. These are meant for left hand operation. The functions and settings are controlled by a mini joystick with a scroll wheel above it. The connectivity sockets included are, namely the USB, AV out, component terminal, HDMI all of which are protected with rubberised seals.

User Interface:

With the menu controls on the LCD screen with an option of using a four way rocker or a plastic wheel that does the task of zipping through the options, it is quite easy to use the menu.  The list is clearly laid out and the auto button keeps things basic. In case, you have problem in finding them do not worry, the auto button lights up the record button and the zoom tracker in a striking blue colour. In auto mode, the camera takes care of all settings. The only option for the user is zooming and recording.

The system of powering on and off, when the LCD panel is opened and closed is very convenient.  A trouble that the auto option gives you is that, it turns on the digital zoom feature and leaves it turned ON even if you have reverted to normal mode. In the end, you have to go back to the menu to turn it off. Switch out of this mode and you have a few manual controls. There are separate buttons for built in video and backlight and manual focus can be enabled by manual focus, exposure control and flash configuration.  There are a variety of screen modes including the portrait, landscape, sports, night scene, snow beach, sunset and stage.

Easy start up:

The start up in Toshiba Gigashot A100F Full HD Camcorder is simply smooth, easy and fast. This instant start up lets you shoot by a simple slide of your fingers under the hand strap to open the 3 inch wide screen LCD. Equally impressive are the frame rate of 60 frames per second and Dolby digital stereo audio. Disappointingly, you will not find an alternative view finder that you would get in Sony that would be activated once the bright light distorts the screen visibility; and neither, do you have the HDMI cable to connect this device to your TV.

Features:

Controls:

The joystick or the wheel lets you to navigate through the menu. These are on the LCD edge. The menu also lets you increase the video gain to intended levels. You can also switch between averaged and spot metering for exposure, or select one of the five available modes. You are also provided with an x, y, colour mode and option to increase or decrease the microphone notch.

Storage:

If you compare it with Sony Digital Camcorders you could observe some neck to neck differences. The storage is one case. A100F comes with storage of 100GB while Sony’s platter size is 120 GB. The Gigashot A100 holds over 13 hours in High definition which is a much higher score over the rivals. The footage or the photo is good under normal light. The colours are pleasing and the auto white balance actually does the job.

Heavy duty:

The built in capacity is something very large, to be precise, far in excess of the currently offered in the cards available in the market. The A100F 100GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder provides the ability to stay up to 12 hours in high definition, and up to 23 hours in standard definition to its built in drive. Additionally, there is also a card slot for an optional SDHC card for storage of 2 mega pixel digital stills.

CMOS Sensor:

The sensor appears seriously good and produces decently good results. Under bright conditions, the colours were dependable. In an adequately lit room, it provided good colour accuracy and less noise. The colour and brightness can be improved in poor circumstances by raising the gain.  So, this product is something that would suit the conditions of domestic audience. All praises for the sensible sensor.

Lens:

The high quality lens in this Gigashot A100F camcorder is one of the best available in the market. As we just mentioned, with this lens, you have an optical zoom of 10x; and, equally interesting is the digital zoom which gives you a 20x and 80x zoom. Focal length is the length at which the lens focuses the light to the focus, which allows you to view distant objects at a closer range. Our lens comes with a focal length of 4.5 – 45 mm which is very impressive. It has a filter diameter of 43mm and a maximum stop focus of 1.8 – 2.8 mm. The 35mm conversion focus is around 35.9mm.  The shooting range in ‘Wide’ has a range from .01m to infinity, and in ‘Tele’ it ranges from 1.0m to infinity.

Audio Video Mix:

The audio video mix is quite impressive. Try your 37inch HD set with the Toshiba Gigashot A100F camcorder, you are sure to miss the sharpness in image that Sony gives you, but you are delivered with some realistic colours. Sneak peak into the internal shots a more detailed noticeable image is observed. Finally, the audio mix is quite impressive. So in all, this camcorder offers beautiful internal shots coupled with some top class audio quality.

Quality modes:

Toshiba has offered some quality modes in Gigashot A100 Full HD Digital Camcorder. The Gigashot uses a CMOS sensor which is also of similar size like others belonging to its class. This offers you a 1/3 in diagonal and 2.4 megapixels along with a 10x optical zoom. If your images are blocky then you can shift to the 20x and 80x zoom. The compression technique used is 4 AVC/H 264. This standard is called HDMV, which is a part of Blu ray specification.

There are 3 quality modes namely XQ, HQ and SP. The XQ mode boasts 18Mbits/sec. The frames here are interlaced than progressive scanning. HQ mode operates at 12Mbits/sec and SP at 9Mbits/sec. XQ records at 1920 x 1080 pixels while the lower uses 1440 x1080. Interestingly, all these modes run at 30 frames /sec. This might pose compatibility problems with European equipments, as usual frame rate there is 25/s. The still images have basically two options which are normal and wide. These correspond to 1440 x 1080 and 1920 x 1080 respectively. The video is recorded in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264(60 fps) and the pixels are recorded in 1920 x 1080i and 1440 x 1080i.

Add-ons:

The Gigashot A100 HDD Camcorder gives you a high video quality specification, but, it is devoid of lot of features which is sure to disappoint the video enthusiast. The AV connections are out only and do not include a microphone input or a head phone mini jack. An additional option of a 2400 mAh battery is also in its arsenal. Gigashot basically relies on USB connections. Apart from the HDMV video format, importing footage is less troublesome.  There are proprietary ports with cables for composite and S video with RCA audio.

System requirements:

The PC requires the following criterions to be satisfied, to use the Toshiba A100. The operating systems supported are Windows XP Home Edition, XP Professional, XP Media Centre Edition, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate, Vista Business, and Vista Enterprise. The PC is required to have a Pentium 4 with 3.6GHZ or Pentium D(duo) with 3.2 GHZ or higher. Primary memory or short term memory is the CPU uses to do common tasks like watching a movie or browsing through a website.  Secondary memory is the hard disks which stores data for longer durations. To sum up, the system requires a RAM of 1GB and a minimum 30GB hard disk capacity required for HD DVD writing. The display adapter with 1024 x 768 or better is demanded or an NVDIA GeForce 7600T or better is required.   Last but not the least the PC requires to be installed with a USB 1.1 or a USB 2.0.

Operating environment:

The environment in which the A100F operates is quite interesting. The temperature in which it operates varies from +5 degree Celsius to +40 degree Celsius. The humidity could range between 30 to 80 percent.

Performance:

Zoom:

Now, let us move on to the part of performance. The 10X zoom might not seem as impressive as the 30X zoom but the A100F has plenty of features that would keep it impressed. It exhibits a good colour stability without much hues. The white balance is also very reliable though it struggles at times with the lightings indoor. The zoom is quick to respond, auto exposure is flexible and cops up well with sudden changes from contrasting environments.  The auto focus usually lags behind the zoom. So what happens is that it always is best to point the camera at the subject and let it focus before the actual zoom. Zooming an area of high contrast, busy frames out smarts the auto focus and therefore the frame gets blurred, thereby it would take some time to adjust.

Picture Quality:

The performance under low light is really good. It manages to illuminate objects a few meters away without being too harsh. There is a slight influence, effected by the noise in the shadow areas but it does not overpower the overall clarity.  The start up is also smooth and fast which accounts for the reason this device starts up by a simple slide of your fingers. The frame rate of 60 per second is also equally impressive along with Dolby digital audio. When it comes to the sensor or the lens, the performance is still uncompromised. The sensors gave good accuracy even in an inadequately lit room not to forget the less noise. The adjustable gain feature also adds to improving the colour and brightness in spite of the poor circumstances.

Other factors:

The lens also offers a very good focal length and also gives you an optical zoom of 10X, lets you shoot in Wide and Tele modes and varies the focal length from .1 to infinity.  The intelligence built in, does pay off. Also, contributing to the performance is the 100GB hard disk drive that lets you store your favourite stills, lets you record some of your precious moments in your life, store even a full length movie. So in all, this device is powerful enough and is sure to capture the market. The performance of the audio and video deserves a word of mentioning.  The AV mix really is impressive, and notable is the realistic colour which you get while connecting the 37inch HD with Toshiba. In the end, Toshiba the fifth largest PC makers have made it a point to keep the ball in their court when it comes to performance of their devices. When it comes to A100F the story remains the same.

Accessories:

The Toshiba A100F comes with some accessories that are quite handy to use: the remote controller, USB cable, AV cable, software CD ROM, owners manual CD ROM, Quick help guide, Quick start guide, lens cover, Rechargeable Lithium ion battery, AC adaptor.

Battery:

The battery used here is the Rechargeable Lithium ion GSC BT6. It comes in two varieties; both in black colour. The lower capacity one comes with a capacity of 1200mAh and a voltage of 7.20v also compatible with 7.4v. It comes in a dimension of 40.80 x 37.41 x 25.46mm. It weighs about 85 grams and costs you about 5.20 GBP. The larger capacity one comes with a voltage of 7.2v; it has a capacity of 2400mAh and comes at a price of 11.67 GBP. Both of them carry a warranty of one year.

Gigashot A100F Warranty information:

Toshiba has finally tailored a fine suite when it comes to warranty. The product comes with an overall 3 years warranty along with equipment upgrades every 18 months.

Verdict:

Here we arrive at the final word about the product. Competing with Sony HDR-SR8 on memory size it falls a bit short of 20GB. When it comes to a viewfinder or a hot shoe, Sony ultimately has the last laugh. But when it comes to simplicity of usage, lay your hands on Toshiba A100F. Also, is the fact that it comes at a substantially cheaper price which could attract users because the features you have here is only marginally short when compared to Sony. So, with this price you get almost similar features of Sony.  Taking the view point of an everyday user this product is an absolute stunner with a beautiful style and excellent performance. When it comes to the image sharpness you would experience Sony to hold an upper hand again, but the audio video mix blends well and stands out to give a good performance. The auto mode is definitely user friendly and simplifies the overall options. But, it irritates you by turning on the digital zoom feature and leaving it turned on even if it is reverted in the normal mode. The amount of manual options are less and not very much impressive.

The built quality gives you a plastic feel which stands out to be disappointing. What balances this is the fast response and reasonable fool proof design. The storage part impresses you with a 100GB hard disks, which lets you store almost everything you could imagine. Surely, this product is compact, small and easy to use. The weightless design is also one thing that needs highlight. Coupled with low weight and high capacity this paves the road for the next generation camcorders. Choosing this device is all in your hands. If you are impressed by the storage capacity, the image clarity and overall design and have the will to trade the size with capacity, do head to the nearest store where you could find this piece or just swipe your credit card number to get a new Toshiba A100F into your beautiful life for just around 392 GBP including the VAT charges.

Check other Toshiba Camcorders Reviews, other latest Camcorders Reviews in this website.

Toshiba Gigashot A100F Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Toshiba
Model Name	Toshiba Gigashot A100F Camcorder
Model Number	GIGASHOTA100F
Series Name	A series
Dimensions (H x W x D)	78 x 79 x 135mm
Weight	555gm
Max image size	1920 x 1080 pixels
Display Type	LCD screen
Display form factor	Folding
Display Size	76mm or 3 inch
Display Resolution	230,000 pixels
Recording media	Hard drive
HDD Size	100GB
Optical Zoom	10x
Memory Card Type	SD Card SDHC Card
Digital Still Shot Mode	Yes
MPEG Movie Mode Resolution	1920 x 1080
MPEG Movie Mode	With MPEG Movie Mode
Audio Format	12/16 Bit PCM Digital Stereo Audio
Audio Input	Microphone
Microphone mode	Mono
Microphone type	Built in
Focal length	4.5 45mm
Aperture	F/1.8
Sensor type	Cmos
White balance	Auto, Sunlight, Cloud, Fluorescent light, Incandescent lamp
Recording speed	SP HQ
Min shutter speed	1/500s
Max shutter speed	1/8s
Sensor resolution	1490 pixels
Output Interfaces	USB HDMI
Battery	Li ion
Cables	Ac Adaptor, USB cable, AV cable, Component cable
Warranty	3 years

Probably one of the underrated companies in the market, JVC is another producer of good quality camcorders that are still above par, even though not as great as their counterparts from the stronger and the more celebrated manufacturers in the market like Sony, Canon and Samsung. Although it is a bit of a cliche that that the products from these manufacturers are extremely good and at the same time widely accepted, we here consider very good products from even those companies that are not quite under the same lime light. One such product is the Everio GZ-HD40 Full HD Digital Camcorder from JVC. Here is a detailed analysis that gives you the gross information of this new much underrated camcorder.

Design:

Modest as well as Stylish:
The JVC Everio GZ HD40 is one of the most portable professional camcorders you will find in the market. With a very black polished outer surface, the cam looks shiny and pretty stylish. It looks like most of the trademark designs of the other camcorders in the market and you will not find many varieties when it comes to the design part of these camcorders; they all look pretty much the same. As the design part deals with numbers, we are going to give you some numbers that define the JVC Everio GZ HD 40. It measures about 2.9 inches wide, 4.8 inches deep and 2.7 inches high, making it a very comfortable camcorder to hold in one hand. Carrying it will never be a problem since it weighs as low as 16 oz. Now, these significant little numbers mean that the JVC Everio HD GZ 40 has got in it almost everything regarding the design part and it will be one of the best suited camcorders for almost all types of users.

Display:
Display is also another most important feature of a camcorder nowadays because it has become essential to view the subjects in detail before they are actually filmed or captured so that everything looks neat and orderly. The JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Hard Drive Camcorder comes with a very good display mechanism, which clearly shows you that it is a very professional camcorder. The 2.8 inch TFT active matrix LCD colour screen gives you a very good picture of what you are filming. The swivel mode is also integrated for better performance and this means that the screen can be twisted to more degrees than ever before so that you can enjoy fancy filming. The subjects can be shot from almost all the angles possible and this especially makes the videos look crazier and fancier than ever before.

Features:

The professional camcorders are especially meant for superior performance and exceptional quality and hence most of the manufacturers do not concentrate much on their features and design. For better or worse, JVC has provided minimal features and gave secondary importance to them since it seemed like their main motto is to make their products world beating and competitive to the best and the most famous camcorders in the market from the ones like Sony and Canon. Here is a bird’s eye view of all the main features of the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 camcorder.

HI-Def Shooting:
The JVC Everio GZ-HD40 allows high definition video shooting on it. Giving you a 1080i video output, the camcorder is one of the high quality ones you will find in the market today. It has got various types of shooting modes that allow you to change the settings and set the camcorder to record videos in your own style, but still without losing the excellent quality of them. DPOF support , PRINT Image Matching , Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording are the additional features that help the camcorder to record high definition videos. The 1080i video output means that you can play these videos on your HD TV later and awe at the camcorder’s ability to capture wonderful pictures.

Lens:
Just now we have discussed about the wonderful high quality pictures you can get from the JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Professional Camcorder. This feat is possible owing only to the presence of a fantastic lens system that is possessed by the cam. Since lens is the most important part of a camcorder, it ought to be very good. The CMOS sensor enabled lens system of this camcorder is really one of the better systems you will find. Let us see some of the important features of this lens; Lens Type:  Zoom lens – 4.5 mm – 45 mm – F/1.8-2.2, Focal Length: 4.5 mm – 45 mm, Lens Aperture F/1.8-2.2, Optical Zoom:  10 x, Lens system: type Zoom lens,  Min focal length: 4.5 mm, Max focal length: 45 mm, Filter Size: 43 mm, Zoom Adjustment: Motorized drive. Hence these numbers are enough to stand as a proof of how good the lens system of the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 is.

Memory:
Memory is very important for any camcorder since you need to store all the pictures captured by you. Look at the memory features of the JVC GZ HD 40 camcorder and you will find jaw dropping memory on the inside. The camcorder has got a whopping 120 GB built in internal hard drive that automatically stores everything that is captured by the camera. This is a very good thing to do since most of the camcorders, even the professional ones, come with only a slot for an external memory unit, like an SD card. But, these cards have limited memory and hence they cannot store more videos. But having such a big space for your pictures in the form of a hard disk drive means that you can never afford to worry about the storage of your videos and hence shoot with complete freedom.

Software Package:
You are blessed with some of the best software in the market, when it comes to the JVC Everio. Since it is quoted as a professional camcorder, you will find a lot of photo and video editing software packages. The various software apps provided along with the kit are: Cyberlink PowerDVD, Drivers & Utilities, CyberLink BD Solution, CyberLink Power Cinema, CyberLink Power Director, CyberLink Power Producer, and JVC Digital Photo Navigator. While some of these come as built in features, the rest of them are provided to you in the form of software CDs and they are provided in the kit along with the camcorder at the time of purchasing. They can also be installed on your computers so that the videos and photos are copied on to your hard disk and they can be edited later.

Performance:

Since this Everio GZ-HD40 HD camcorder is considered to be a very professional one, it needs to perform well in order to stay in the race due to the other high definition camcorders in the market that bear the names of the stalwarts of the electronic goods like Sony and its ilk. Hence, due to this healthy competition, you will find that the camcorders from the potentially inferior companies like JVC, are improving day by day in the aspect of their performance. When you look at a camcorder or for that matter almost any electronic device, the three things that really matter when it comes to its performance are its video, audio and connectivity performances and their potential to be good at these three aforementioned aspects.

Video Performance:
As we have already discussed under the display and lens topics, the videos look stunning on the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 camcorder. Even though this is not a pretty famous company, it has still tried and used the best technology available at this point in time in the market. The very professional and costly lens that is used by this new camcorder from JVC allows you to capture stunning videos in almost all the conditions. Even though the cam is not great when it has to perform under poor lighting conditions, it can still be considered as a formidable one since the technology used here looks pretty impressive. Hence, you can really count on the videos delivered by this very good camcorder.

Audio Performance:
If the audio does not match the picture quality, then the videos look very dull and the camcorder will not be able to suffice all your needs. We have already seen that the videos are of very high quality from the JVC Everio GZ HD 40. It means that these videos need a very good audio back up and looks like they have got it. You have the two speakers and a built in stereo mic that records the sounds in stereo mode, hence giving you very good audio quality. This means that the videos look very good if not perfect, when they are played on your TV screen and you will not find any lapses in the audio quality.

Connectivity:
Connectivity is also as important as the other two performance aspects of a camcorder. The JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Compact Professional Camcorder has got so many connectivity options for a camcorder of this type. Even though it looks small and stylish, it still has got something to deliver through its ports that are dedicated to connect your camcorder to the external electronic devices. When you look at the ports that are available on this camcorder, you will find that there are these ports include HDMI output, USB, Composite video/audio output, Component video output, Microphone, DC power input, Headphones and Docking station. There is also an expansion slot for you to place a micro SD card and hence provide external memory to your camcorder in order to store the videos that are captured.

Hence, precisely, you can conclude that there is nothing inferior of this camcorder when it comes to performance. You will hence be pleasantly surprised at the way the camcorder operates and shoots pictures with stunning quality.

Battery:

The battery life of a camcorder is as important as any other main feature on it. Anybody on earth wants a camcorder that allows you to shoot more and more without worrying you regarding its battery life. It seems like the battery of this camcorder is a highly rated one. The JVC BN-VF815 Li-ion rechargeable battery gives you a very good battery life, which allows you to shoot for more than one and a half hour; 97 minutes and 39 seconds to be more precise, as informed by the various tests that were conducted before reviewing the product. This battery life may vary from the aforementioned time that depends upon the settings, zoom level and other sundry effects. But, overall, you have got a very good battery with you and this means that more often than not, you do not need a second one.

Warranty:

The JVC Everio GZ HD 40 comes with a parts and labour warranty for a period of one year from the original date of purchase, just like most of the camcorders in the market do.

Verdict:

Considering everything that is discussed in the above paragraphs, you can conclude that the JVC Everio GZ HD 40 is one of the best camcorders available in the market today. It appears to be a little costly but then, since it is tagged as a very professional camcorder, one can expect the price range to be very high. But nevertheless, you get full value for your money and all the features and performance aspects that are seen above, require latest high end technology that demands a very good value for the camcorder. Hence, you can really afford to buy this one of you are a pro. But if you are one of those novices and shoot for fun type of people, then it is very advisable that you go can think of going with a cheaper but still good quality camcorders in the market. That will not only save your money, but will also allow you to choose from a more variety of options.

Check other JVC Camcorders Reviews, Latest HD Camcorders Reviews, Specs in this website.

JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Digital Video Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	JVC
Model Name	Everio GZ HD 40
Camcorder type	Professional Camcorder
Dimensions (W x H x D)	2.9 x 4.8 x 2.7 inches
Weight	16 oz.
Display	2.8″ LCD Screen
VIDEO FEATURES
Formats Supported	1080i
Optical Zoom	10 x
Compression of still image	JPEG
Image Size	2432 x 1368
Instant Shooting	Yes
Minimum Luminosity	3 Lux
AUDIO FEATURES
Audio System	Stereo
Built in Microphone	Stereo, zoom microphone
Specific features	Built in Speaker
CAMERA FEATURES
Image Device: Size	1 / 3″ CCD
Snap Shot	Yes
Switching	Yes, picture to video and vice versa
Photo Burst Mode	No
Digital Still Resolution	2.68 megapixels
Features
Specific features	Image Stabilisation, Shooting Modes, 2 Channel Audio Control
Others
Sensor	CMOS
Recording	24 Mbps
Memory	120GB hard internal disk drive
Zoom Ratio (Digital)	200 x
PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY	Audio Output, Digital  Video Output, S-Video Output
Battery Life	97 minutes approx.
Warranty	One year

The Flip brand is almost synonymous with pocket internet camcorders as TomTom is with GPS satellite navigators. However, just as TomTom has been usurped by some of the other  manufacturers like Garmin, Flip too has plenty of competition in its hands. Pure Digital Technologies pioneered mobile style pocket video cameras, and its Mino is still the smallest and the most pocketable mini camcorders that we have come across; and that has not changed with its latest HD version. It is identical physically and just as lovable.

Design:

Pocketable:
The Flip Mini HD looks virtually identical to its non-HD predecessor. We appreciate the pocket friendly design and both models are super compact and weigh a mere 94 grams.  It sports a cute, small 38mm (1.5”) transflective LCD display that allows you to view what is on the screen even in bright daylight. While most of the previous Flips came in a choice of colours, and the original Mino could be either black or white; the Mino HD comes in with only options of Black and Silver. But, as they often say in the fashion world, at least black and silver are shades that never ever goes out of style. There is just one indication of the increased capabilities of the model and that is just a subtle Mini HD logo in the rear.

Buttons and Ports:
The USB connector of Mino HD flips straight up, rather than on the side, and for a smaller footprint, that should fit better in a crowded USB environment. There are responsive touch sensitive navigation buttons that are embedded into a shiny, flush surface on the rear. Though we really liked the buttons, we ended up occasionally touching the wrong ones by accident. There is a tripod mount that sits on the centre of the camcorder’s bottom, which will be particularly handy for securing it to a car or bike for action shots. As expected, there is no accessory shoe, microphone input or headphone jack; the target market would never use them anyway.

Connectivity:
Not surprisingly, the port for the AV output features Mino’s same Lilliput jack; in fact, it is smaller than the standard 2.5mm jack. Here is the disappointing news, while Flip includes a cable for connecting to a TV, the AV jack outputs only standard definition video. When compared with the Zi6’s output that supports HD and being shipped with a cable, it allows you to connect to the component video jacks on your television. Having said that, the video that you get out of the MinoHD’s composite connection looks much sharper than that of what you get out of the standard definition Mino and Ultra. Along with this cable, you also get a carrying pouch that doubles as a cloth to wipe down the Mino HD.

Installation:
Just like its predecessors, the Mino HD Pocket Camcorder is designed to be very simple to use, and it does so in an admirable way. As before, a full-sized USB plug pops out of the device at the flick of a switch – from which the brand name ‘Flip’ is derived. The entire bundled software suite resides on-board, and installation starts automatically when you plug the Mino HD in for the first time. So, in theory, you can upload your videos from any PC. Unlike some of its predecessors, the Mino HD offers virtually no setting to fiddle with, apart from date and time. After a reboot, you are greeted by a fairly capable app, FlipShare.

Features:

Ease of use:
All that you get to do with your Flip is, shoot in one resolution, and that is just it. Flip does not have any option to drop to a lower video resolution in order to store more video, but really, why do you want to do something like that? The Flip Mino HD Compact Digital Camcorder is all about pushing the red button to start and stop recording and just hitting the playback button to what you have recorded. That is pretty much it! In fact, after initially setting time and date, there is almost nothing else to control on the Mino HD other than starting and stopping recording. There are plus and minus buttons to operate the 2x digital zoom, but annoyingly these only become active when you are already shooting. So, you will not be able set up the zoom on a shot in advance. Not that we would recommend using the digital zoom anyway, as it clearly degrades image quality.

Upgrades:
In order to accommodate bigger and high resolution video files, the Flip Mino HD is equipped with double the usual memory, that is, 4GB. With this 4GB, you will be able to store 60 minutes of 1280 x 720 pixels resolution video. As in the case of the previous Flips, there is no card slot for upgrade, so an hour will be your limit. Here kicks in the comparison: Creative’s Vado HD comes with twice the memory, as well as offering lesser data rates and resolutions.

The original Mino shot VGA video at 640 x 480 pixels and as we just said, the latest model has increased the resolution to 1280 x 720 pixels, with the same progressively scanned 30 frames per second. The Mini HD 4GB Memory Camcorder has received an upgrade from Flip Video’s Pure Digital Video Engine 2.5 processor, to version 3.0. The HD model also incorporates a bigger 1/4.5 inch HD CMOS sensor. This is a fairly healthy size, with positive implications for low light shooting, although Flip does not quote the CMOS resolution. In addition to this, it has improved the low light sensitivity and makes use of a 9Mbps encoding rate, as opposed to the Mino’s 4Mbps one. Hence, the capacity is still quoted at approximately an hour of footage. Last but not the least, the Mino HD sports the H.264 video compression scheme instead of the Advanced Profile MPEG-4 AVI.

From Flip to PC:
The highlight selling point of Flip Video’s camcorders is, how easy it is to get the shot videos off the device and distribute them, and the Mino HD is no exception. All you have to do is, simply flip out the USB connector and plug it into your Mac or Windows machine and pops open FlipShare, which is company’s newly redesigned software. It is a much cleaner interface than before, but the features are broadly the same. You will be able to playback one clip, string a few of them together, pull out a single frame out of the video, and even share your clips with the selected viewers through email or web. When you share videos through mail, instead of attaching a large file or even the small 20 second clips that can result in 25MB file, the recipients are sent a link to your compressed video. Though it does not look anything like your raw video footage, it is not bad and Flip Video has made some serious efforts to preserve some of the sharpness and HD qualities of the video.

Loading on net:
Since this is a pocket Internet camcorder, however, the ease with which you can put your video online is a major selling point, and here Flip just about maintains its crown. Apart from the fact that it can take several minutes to process a video, sharing a file is extremely simple. All that you have to do is, click on the ‘Share Video’ button in the software interface and it takes you to the screen that asks you to select the video clip. You will be then allowed to share the selected clip through email, share a greeting by sending a private video card and share the clip online. In order to publish directly to the social networking sites like YouTube, AOL and MySpace, you will have to create an account for each and log in. Once that is done, you are allowed to automatically upload the videos to the web for private and public viewing with just the click of a button. In case you are allied to some other video sharing website, the same button allows you to prepare the video for uploading. But, in this case, you have to do the uploading the processed file from a folder on your desktop, manually.

FlipShare:
Overall, FlipShare has got a very clean look and seems very easy to use. There are even modest editing facilities. As well as trimming the in and out points of each clip, you can arrange them together to create a longer work, and then add titles and music. Unfortunately, the video trimming feature is buried and it no longer possesses the Movie Mix feature.  Previously, you will be able to select the clips that you liked, click a button and, a few minutes later, the software will give you a movie that is complete with transitions, special effects and even some background music of your choice. However, by sacrificing Muvee, that was powered by the Movie Mix feature, the Mino HD Pocket Internet Camcorder has gained the Mac and iMovie compatibility. With this, you will be able to trim your clips, string them together and add titles and music, but not with the press of a single button. You can even prepare a video for burning to DVD, although the actual disc writing will need to be performed by a third-party app. If you are not a video editing enthusiast, FlipShare could be all the software you ever want.

Performance:

Coming to the part of performance, Mino HD’s predecessor Mino’s video was pretty sharp, with fairly accurate, vibrant colours. But it did not scale well to keep it sharp, you had to watch the video in a small box on your computer screen. As far as the MinoHD is concerned, you can play a full-screen clip with no significant degradation. You will not be confusing the video for that of a ‘real’ HD camcorder, but the video quality is pretty impressive for a camcorder this tiny.

Although we never expect camcorders in this class to compete with mainstream models in terms of image quality, we have been mildly surprised at how well most of them perform. The Mino HD continues this trend. Video that is shot in both bright and low light looked good, not great. But, the video is not nearly as noisy in low light as we have seen from some of the other camcorders of this ilk. Most impressive is how the Mino HD copes with low light as the Mino HD shot footage you might actually be able to use, unlike many cheap camcorders. Toshiba’s Camileo P30, for example, failed dismally in this respect. The audio was also very decent and is certainly an improvement over that of Mino’s.

However, there are a few disappointments too. You do not get image stabilisation, there are clear signs of compression artefacts and bright areas easily blow out, but colours are reasonably faithful in good lighting, and there is an acceptable amount of detail. The Mino HD does a much better job when held steadily, this just means, you might just want to invest in a mini tripod. The camcorder also suffers from some focus issues, like choosing the ground and not the animal that scampers across it, and you also cannot get too close to your subjects, or they will be just out of focus. You might also notice that the videos do not always play smooth precision of true HD video; there is some slight jitter on an eight core Mac with nothing else running.

Battery:

The same non-removable, rechargeable lithium ion battery used in Mino is the one that powers Mino HD too. But, note that, here it shoots only for 2 hrs, compared to the standard Mino HD’s 4 hrs or so, and as you can guess, this difference is mainly because of the fact this Mino is a High Definition camcorder.|

Verdict:

Flip still has the biggest name in the pocket Internet camcorder market, and with Cisco recently acquiring the company it will have the marketing muscle to maintain its brand. The Mino HD certainly marks another step forward for Flip Video and even the mini camcorders in general. Of course, the device is not without caveats, and they include a relatively high price tag, no memory expansion slot and a short lived, non removable battery. So, the big question here is, if the MinoHD is better than the Kodak Zi6; and the good news is, it is. Although some might prefer the larger Zi6 with a larger LCD display, we feel that the main point, the Video quality of the Mino HD is slightly better and its smaller footprint will appeal to people who are looking for a camcorder that makes barely a bulge in your pocket.

Check other Pocket Camcorder Models, Flip Camcorder Reviews in this website.

Flip Mino HD  Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Pure Digital
Model Name	Flip Mino HD
Camcorder Type	Digital mini video camcorder
Dimensions (W x H x D)	51 x 99 x 15 mm
Weight	94 g
Screen type	LCD – TFT active matrix
Screen size	1.5″ (diagonal)
Resolution	176 x 132
Sensor	1/4.5″ HD CMOS Sensor 2.2 µm pixels
Interface	Touch-sensitive capacitive buttons
Power-up Time	Less than 4 seconds
Integrated memory	4GB
Camcorder internal storage type	Flash memory
Memory card support	None
Shooting modes	Normal movie mode
White balance and exposure modes	Automatic
Lens Type	Fixed Focus (1.5m to infinity)
Aperture	f/2.4 (fast lens for great results in low-light environments)
Zoom	Smooth multi-step 2x digital
Recording Time	1 hr
Video resolution	1280 x 720
Light Sensitivity	Ultra low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec) with automatic low light detection
Set date/time function	Yes
PC connection	Built-in flip-out USB arm
Online sharing	Unlimited private video emails or video greeting cards. Direct Upload to MySpace™ and YouTube™
Video Trimming	Video trim – set start and end points. Create movies with multiple video clips – add titles, music and credits.
Video Performance	Flip Video Engine 3.0
Frame Rate	30 frames per second
Average Bitrate	9.0Mbps (auto-adaptive algorithm)
Video Format	H.264 video compression, AAC audio compression, MP4 file format
White Balance & Exposure	Automatic white balance and black level calibration Automatic exposure control with dynamic exposure compensation
Battery type	Internal Lithium-Ion
Battery Life	Up to 2 hrs of use between charges
Charge Time	Via computer USB port – approx 3 hrs Via Power Adapter – approx 2 hrs
Box contents	Composite TV cable, wrist strap, soft protective case, quickstart guide
Warranty	1 year