Toshiba Camileo Pro HD Camcorder Review
Another addition to Toshiba’s product kit, but this time it features all new HD DVD format. Toshiba Camileo Pro HD camcorder is a form factor handheld video camera fitted with flip-out screen, and loaded with SD-based HD offering 720p digital video, 4x digital zoom, and 5mega pixel still image photography makes it popular among the novice movie maker. Considering the gamut of feature and options it is bundled with this camcorder is definitely a best bet available but not the ideal one for movie making professionals. This device is well- adept for filming the light and joyful family moments destined for YouTube which cannot be framed otherwise.
Compact and lightweight Device
This light weight camcorder will slip into your jacket pocket easily. Though it is not the lightest camcorder available but definitely small enough to take it around. It measures only 70 x 110 x 33mm and weighs just 180 grams.
Look wise, Toshiba Camileo Pro HD Flash Memory Camcorder lacks modern touch rather it has a conservative design. With dark and dull black paint brushed all through its body with occasional touch-up of shiny silver makes it look erstwhile. The 2.4-inch LCD screen flips out from the main unit and rotates on its axis so that you can film yourself when necessary.
Info icons on the screen looks clumsy which you can it turn off. The menu options are basic without any quick access or shortcut options but they are functional and easy to use.
The rear end is designed to fit in Control buttons, along with a control stick, mode and menu buttons, still image capture options, zoom control and record menu. At the edge of the screen lies additional buttons which takes care of control playback. These buttons if created elsewhere would have been useful.
But the control stick comes handy. This stick allows you to select white balance, flash settings, macro mode, and on-board illuminator. Under its small flap tucked in the USB required for connecting your PC and for charging, and standard 3.5mm jack for HD out.
Tons of Useful Features
At a glance when you skim through Camileo Pro’s specification list you may think that this compact device is not fully loaded. But when you take a closer look it reveals amazing features like digital voice recorder, mass storage device, 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, H264 video format with 720p supported for digital recording, 5 mega pixel CMOS sensor for still photography.
For quick view while recording use 2.4-inch colour TFT LCD screen to review your videos or still photographs. You can also continue to record your memories for an hour long using 32GB SDHC card, but it is not supplied with the box. You need to buy it separately. This gives you the flexibility to shoot for continuous 6 hours. Once you are done with the recording, hook up this camcorder to the TV and split your footage directly on the television.
Toshiba Camileo Pro HD Digital Camcorder though slightly heavier than its predecessor, the device is still pocket-sizable which enables you to carry it around and use it as a standard digital still camera. The 7-megapixel CCD is pretty much enough but makes it impossible to interpolate images up to 11 megapixels using any editing software.
Lot of add-ons
That is not all Toshiba Camileo Pro HD offers more. Surprisingly it is bundled with MP3 player, voice recorder, motion-sensing options and an interface that opens up even your eBooks. This means reading is also supported on this camcorder. That’s not all you also have the option of setting up your Camileo as a webcam. Once it is connected mount it on a standard tripod and let it record on its own for umpteen hours.
Ample Storage
The storage features in Toshiba Camileo Pro HD Pocket Camcorder include 128MB internal memory. But that will not be sufficient even if you shoot once in a while. Get an SD card at the time you purchase this camcorder for uninterrupted flickering. It supports SDHC. Another reason you should stay away from the internal memory is that when you slip in an SD card internal memory is not at all accessible even when you are in playback mode.
Unlimited Flickering
Video shooting options allows you to record at 1280 x 720p. This is the highest settings available with options to choose from DVD, VGA, and web resolution. The format that supported for video shooting is MPEG4. The quality is good enough for playing back on your TV.
When shooting outdoor the output from Camileo Pro HD Digital Camcorder is impressive and it works with apt consistency. But a subject at a distant location often looses it colour and definition. Overall the colour balance is proportioned with occasional vividness around the subjects which are bright red. But that is barely minimal. White balance options include fully automatic mode, fluorescent, cloudy, plus sunny, and tungsten presets.
But when shooting at a street fair, it displays impressive output by capturing any blinking lights, flurry movements, and loud noise with great refinement and clarity. It does crawls a bit when you try to focus on subject, but does not show too much discrepancy. Devoid of any manual focus makes it difficult to zoom in but that’s not too much trouble.
Considering the features of Camileo Pro HD CCD Camcorder for still photography, like dedicated flash, 5MP CMOS sensor offering 8 mega pixel images of course after interpolation or re-sampling are surprisingly encompassing. But this is not definitely a replacement of your digital camera.
Audio recording is supported on Camileo Pro HD. It records audio at 48 kHz with 128Kbits/sec AAC compression when in HD video mode. The standalone sound recording is in WAV format using 4-bit, 11 KHz stereo, at 88Kbits/sec.
Manage your footage with a Single Click
For transferring footage and photographs to your PC use USB 2.0 connection. With this connector you can drag clips and save it on to your desktop. But very few editing software actually supports your footage since Camileo records in MPEG-4 format, rather than AVCHD format popular with other camcorder, you are left with few choices in regards to video editing software. Software which can assist you are CyberLink’s PowerDirector 7 which easily copies your video, but other editing products like Pinnacle’s Studio Plus 11.1.2 and Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 could only be able to import files to PC. But thankfully Toshiba includes Nero 8 Essentials which can burn your footage to disc. But the simple file transfer technique is inserting your SD card to your desktop and move your video and audio files to your desktop.
The connection unit includes AV out which is also used for headphone socket. For watching your video on TV use already supplied minijack for analogue video output, a cable is provided for composite video and RCA audio. You will also find a second cable for analogue video connections. For video output from HD socket and audio output from AV use component and AV cables. These cables are replacement of HDMI socket.
Verdict
Though it allows uninterrupted hours of recording fun moments this camcorder does have some limitations. Such as auto focus and light balance are slow, audio sound quality is average, no lens cap.
But it does tackles majority of its job smartly like handling light balance and producing impressive video quality. But it works wonder when you are shooting outdoor. However colours like red and orange appear little too heavily saturated and bright regions are over exposed, but it does maintain reasonable level of detail.
Zooming and the exposure controls are pretty slow, especially when adjusting to new lighting conditions. If you are shooting indoor you will be unhappy since Camileo Pro HD Camcorder from Toshiba barely adjust itself in poor illumination. A room lit with a single 100W tungsten bulb is not sufficient enough to capture transparent light and image output tends to be cold. But when you look closer you barely find any grains on your footage and this possible due to its built-in video light.
Sound output tends to be noisy because it has little protection from wind or background noise, and no ancillary mic. In a noisy street the audio sound is sometime overwhelming.
You will find 3x optical quite sluggish, sometimes you fail to recognize whether it is really turned on.
Considering all the above pitfalls Toshiba is little behind than its contemporaries. This is also true with the pattern of its menu options. For example it does have joystick feature, but is not listed in the frequently used function list. Instead, when you push the menu up it toggles macro mode and pushing it right it switches white balance options. Left side toggling brings up changes modes for the still image flash. When you toggle it down it turns on the built in LED video light.
To open up other settings you need to make a trip to the full menu settings.
The menu options are also limited. To improve the colour balance in a dim light there’s an exposure control with increments from -2 to +2 and a night shot mode. But you have to try this option at the expense of frame rate. But you can try out digital effects, such as black and white and classic for old movie. But if you are looking for popular user control like quick access button, shutter control, manual focusing, scene modes to call upon are not present.
But there is at least a setting to counteract flicker caused by 60 or 50Hz lighting and TV screens. This device is good enough for day-to-day flickering of your fun moments but not for serious movie-making.
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Toshiba Camileo Pro HD Camcorder – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Toshiba |
| Model Name | Camileo Pro HD |
| Model Number | PA4065K-1CAM |
| Camcorder type | Mini, HD Camcorder |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 70 x 33 x 113mm |
| Weight | 177g |
| Colour/Finish | Black |
| Monitor | 2.4-inch TFT LCD |
| Image Sensor | Sensor Type 5 megapixel CMOS (2592×1944) |
| LENS | |
| Lens (focusing) | Optical auto focus zoom |
| Zoom | 3x optical zoom |
| Focal length | Capture 5cm close-up image |
| Aperture | F3.6-F6.7 (f = 7.5-21.5mm) |
| Exposure control | Auto |
| White balance | Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Tungsten |
| Sensor resolution | 5 megapixel |
| Motion detection | Yes |
| Shutter type | Electronic |
| Frame rate | 30 fps |
| Flash light control | Flash for still picture (Auto/On/Off) LED light for video recording (Auto/On/Off) |
| Video compression format | H.264/MPEG4 AVC, JPEG, WAV |
| File format | JPEG |
| Memory | 128MB built-in memory expandable up to 32GB with SD card |
| Continuous recording time | 120 minutes in high definition |
| Audio input | Microphone |
| AV out/earphone phone jack | HDTV component-out and normal AV out + earphone-out |
| Speaker | Yes (mono) |
| Digital voice recorder | Yes |
| MP3 player | No |
| TV playback | Yes |
| Self timer | 10 sec |
| Auto power off | 3 minutes |
| OSD language support | English / French / German / Spanish / Italian / Portuguese / Dutch / Turkish |
| PC interface | Mini USB |
| Power adaptor | Mini USB |
| Tripod stand | No |
| Product Specifics | Digital Video Camcorder and Still Camera Digital Voice Recorder Mass Storage Device 3x Optical & 4x Digital Zoom H264 video format 5 mega pixel CMOS sensor Night Mode |
| Battery | Li-ion rechargeable battery |
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