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

Okay, the video quality will probably not blow your mind or anything. It's not a Canon hv20... but I got an open-box Vado HD from Amazon for $160 and it's more than good enough for $160. The sound quality is... functional. It's mono and pretty rough sounding. If having high-quality sound is important, you might consider getting a stereo portable recorder anyway. But it works.

The video quality is as good as can be expected for the price. It looks pretty good, but since it's pretty compressed, it doesn't stand up well to extreme color grading.

However, there is a lot to like about this camera:

1. Wide-angle lens - the Vado has the widest lens of all the cheap pocket HD cameras, which leaves everything in more or less in focus.

2. Wide-angle lens - since all of the pocket cameras lack image stabilization, the wider lens causes moves and shakes to appear less noticeable than on the other pocket cams (especially the Mino).

3. Interface - it features a very simple and intuitive interface.

4. Feel - it's tiny, light, and the rubbery mat finish feels good, seems reasonably tough and doesn't show fingerprints.

5. Features - 8GB of built in memory and replaceable rechargeable battery. Having the option of inserting a spare battery is nice.


These are not dealbreakers, but here are the things that are not awesome about the Vado HD:

1. Annoying on/off chime - there is no way to disable the ringtone that chimes when you turn the unit on or off. I'm assuming this is to discourage upskirt cam people or something, but I think it's kind of obnoxious for the rest of us who might like to shoot in a quiet place without disturbing others.

2. USB thingy - the USB plug is located on the bottom of the unit off to the side, which makes it impossible to prop the unit up against something without holding it. It's not everyday that I'd want to do that, but I just don't see why they couldn't have made the bottom level.

3. weird AVI codec - a lot of programs have difficulty reading the format that the Vado HD records. It's an AVI with a fairly non-standard codec. I would definitely prefer that it recorded to Quicktime files, as they seem to play better with more software suites. Final Cut will import them, but than makes you render for playback in the timeline. As a workaround, I batch convert all of the .avi files to Apple Intermediate Codec files for working within Final Cut, so that I don't have to render every time I make an edit. It's not a huge deal, but it's not really ideal either. Premier on the Mac won't even import the files... and this is after downloading the special .avi codec. I'm not sure if it's possible to get the files working on Premier on the Mac without converting them via Quicktime first.

UPDATE: I have since begun editing on Premiere on the PC, and it works great. I have also finally watched the videos on my 32" LCD and the picture looks pretty amazing - way better than you would expect from something that costs under $200 and fits in your pocket.

Okay, that was longer than I meant for it to be.

In summary, it's a pretty amazing little camera. Don't expect the same video quality as a $500 HD camcorder and you won't be disappointed. But for less than $200, it rules. Even if you have a fancy camera, you might end up using this more, because you really can easily fit it in your pocket. It's smaller and lighter than most current cell phones.Get more detail about Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black).