Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black) Order Now

Recently, I had decided to purchase an HD camcorder for my upcoming trip to Shanghai, China. The last camcorder I bought was nearly 20 years ago, believe it or not, a Sony tape machine. The technology has advanced just a wee bit the past couple decades!

In looking at my alternatives, I was almost set on buying one of the Canon flash units, probably the Vixia HF100. However, as I learned from my old Sony experience, the odds of my using the camcorder extensively was nil. One of the issues is size; a regular camcorder such as the Canon is relatively compact and lightweight, but it doesn't fit in the pocket. I will be less likely to use what I don't carry around with me.

Thus, my attention turned to the pocketcams. Now, I know they aren't "full HD", i.e. they record in 720P rather than 1080i, and with their slower bitrates and smaller lenses, the picture quality just won't match up with the most popular HD camcorders on the market today. However, after thinking about it, I realized that form factor was more important to me than getting the top picture quality, and from what I had read on Amazon and elsewhere, these pocket HD videocams have remarkably good pictures anyway. Plus, with the embedded software that boots up when plugging the camera into the computer's USB port, it's easy to upload to a video site like YouTube. Heck, these gadgets are so convenient, I might actually use it to broadcast my own videos to the world after my stay in China!

That, and the dirt cheap price of about $300 less than the cheapest of the regular sized HD camcorders made this an easy decison to go small. After all, in a couple years I'll be able to get one of those regular units if I desire for at least $200 less than today's prices, and they'll have more and better features. Not that I'd really want to have the Canon HF100 or a successor at that point, but at least I know I could own one AND a pocketcam in the future for the price of a Canon alone today.

So, with that decided, I had to pick between the Flip Mino HD and the Creative Vado HD. The Flip is much better known, and Creative seems to have a marketing problem. You can't find it anywhere except on their own website, Amazon, and maybe one or two other e-tailers. The cute gadgets, which should be big sellers, cannot be found anywhere in the Denver area since the big box retailers don't carry them. That's a shame, because I think Creative would have a hit on their hands if they distributed it widely. Maybe they still will do that since it's a pretty new product, but so far, no dice. Thus, I am only the 36th person to write a review for this product on Amazon. That's really a low number for such a neat device.

Getting back to the Vado HD versus the Flip, I have to say that after doing the due diligence, the decision was easy. The Vado HD is a clear winner, with more built-in memory, a larger LCD screen, included HDMI cable for connecting to an HDTV, and superior wide-angle lens which gets more stuff in the field of view. All the video tests I saw on YouTube and Vimeo proved to me that the Vado just does a better job taking HD videos than the Flip. So, after doing this research, I ordered one.

My Vado HD arrived today. I have been playing with it all night, and LOVE it. It's so simple to learn, and even smaller than I had imagined from the pictures on the internet. It's smaller than even my iPod Touch! Fits right into the front pocket.

Connecting the camera to the HDMI and TV was easy, and the vibrant picture filled the screen. You have to remember that it's small and light when taking videos, and has no image stabilization. Keep the camera still in your hand, and make the movements when panning gentle or else you may have an unwatchable video. Tripods help too. With a little practice, though, the video results will be smooth and impressive.

The connection to the computer went just as advertised, with the Vado Central software booting right up. Uploading to YouTube was a snap, but the upload time is on the tedious side (over 10 minutes for a 2 minute video). Maybe recording simple videos would upload faster in "HD" mode rather than the default "HD+" mode, which takes up twice the memory. The latter mode is for detailed scenes such as when I take shots of landmarks in Shanghai in 7 weeks. A video clip that just has me as a talking head could easily look good in the lower HD or even the available SD mode.

I'm thrilled with how well the video looked on my computer screen as well. It was a snap to copy the file to my hard drive and watch it on Windows Media Player in full screen mode. Very sharp detail and good exposure. It's amazing how vibrant and detailed the video can be from such a tiny gizmo with a pea-sized lens. Unless you're a videophile or need professional looking videos of a friend's wedding or other special event, the quality will suit your needs.

Especially given the price and tiny size, the Creative Vado HD is a great value. And it's something you will use, again and again, due to its extreme portability. IF UFO's exist, someday I predict it will finally be caught on video with someone's Creative Vado HD or similar gadget. This product is elegant in its simplicity, and could really penetrate the masses like an iPod if marketed correctly. It's that good.Get more detail about Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black).