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Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) | 
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| Brand: Creative Labs
Category: Photography
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $79.95
You Save: $20.04 (20%)
New (35)
Avg. Customer Rating:  45 reviews
Color: Silver
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Optical Zoom: 2
Display Size: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 7.5 x 1.4
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: VF0570-S
Model: VF0570-S
UPC: 054651159679
EAN: 0054651159679
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Pre-Order (0-0 Business Days)
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| Features:
| • | Vado is thinner than a deck of cards and as light as a cell phone | | • | Never miss a moment with two hours of video capacity and one-button recording | | • | Comes with built-in USB cable and on-board software; easily edit and upload videos | | • | Large 2-inch anti-glare screen | | • | Shoot up to two hours continuously with rechargeable battery |
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Product Description
Creative Vado is a slim, lightweight pocket video cam that makes it easy to capture and share everyday life as it happens. Simply connect Vado to your PC with the flexible USB plug and the built-in software lets you save videos to your computer or post them directly to YouTube or Photobucket. Since Vado is thinner than a deck of cards and as light as a cell phone, it fits into your pocket or purse and never weighs you down. Free yourself from the hassle of the bulky camcorder bag. You'll never miss a moment, with two hours of video capacity and one-button recording that makes capturing life on video effortless. With up to two hours of video capacity, you never need tapes, CDs or extra memory cards. With a 2x zoom and excellent low-light performance, you'll get great video quality every time you press Record. Just connect Vado to your computer with the flexible USB plug and the built-in software takes over. You can transfer your videos to your computer or post them directly to YouTube or Photobucket, all at the click of a button. The rechargeable battery is removable so you can change out for a fresh one. Built-in microphone and speaker Built-in flexible USB connector TV-output (Vado Audio/Video cable available separately) Anti-flicker support for adjustment to 50Hz or 60Hz Easy-to-use with great video quality at the touch of a button Slim, lightweight design that fits in your pocket or purse Simple built-in software makes sharing videos on YouTube or Photobucket a snap System Requirements - Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHZ or faster, Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Mac OS X version 10.4.11 or later, QuickTime with Xvid plug-in, 512MB RAM and USB Port
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| Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
Runs laps around the Flip Ultra May 29, 2008
163 out of 171 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RM6ZFID4IPMOR Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver)
I did a comparison of the Vado vs. the Flip Ultra, and I'd say the Vado beats the Flip in every way, except the mic. The mic recorded lower for me on the Vado than the Flip when I tested the two of them at the same distance.
The Creative Vado Versus the Flip Mino and Ultra - The Good and The Bad July 10, 2008
55 out of 57 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RY93JL20IW5B
I wanted to find out if the new Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) was better than the Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder (Black) or the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder (Black). I myself am surprised by the answer I came up with. The real answer may be, "none of the above."
While all three are *good* devices for what they do, I am still searching for my perfect digital camcorder to come out at the right price. The short answer is the quality of video and audio on the Flip Mino is noticeably better than the Creative Vado, even when it's at its highest setting. However, for most users, the Creative Vado will probably meet your expectations at a much better price than the Flip Mino. The Mino's recent price drop makes the decision slightly harder, but there's still enough of a price difference to make the Vado attractive.
Pros
+ Video quality is ok on the Vado (similar to the Ultra) and much better on the Mino - Advantage, Mino
+ While the Ultra worked with removable batteries and the Mino has a built-in rechargeable battery, the Creative Vado has a rechargeable battery that is user changeable and can be easily swapped for extended recording - BIG Advantage, Vado
+ The Vado gives you the option of recording in SP for longer record times, and the quality difference is minimal - Advantage, Vado
+ The microphone sensitivity is below average on the Vado and slightly better on the Mino - Advantage, Mino
+ The low light performance is subpar on all three units but slightly better on the Mino - Advantage, Mino
+ Both the Vado and the Mino are easily recharged by USB connection, but the Vado includes an option for quick-charging - Advantage, Vado
+ Both include ports for AV out connections to TVs, but the Mino comes with the cable and the Vado does not - Advantage, Mino
+ The included software is self-contained on both units and seems to work fine, but the Vado requires much less to be installed - Advantage, Vado
+ Ability to zoom seems weak on both, though the Mino does perform slightly better - Advantage, Mino
+ Both have a screw hole for attaching a tri-pod or similar stand, but the Mino's is centered and the Vado's is off-center (on the lower right) - Advantage, Mino
+ In terms of looks, the Vado's body is thinner and wider, and the Mino is slightly thicker but not as wide; the Mino definitely looks slicker, though the black plastic will attract finger-prints; Also, the Vado comes in different colors - Advantage, Mino
+ Nice indicator shows when either unit is capturing video - Draw
+ The buttons on the Vado are real tactile buttons that have nice feedback; The Flip Mino controls are touch sensitive (except for the record button) - This is a matter of preference, and both are nice, but I prefer the real buttons on the Vado; The Mino seems to have a lag when pressing the controls - Advantage, Vado
+ The Vado's screen is slightly larger and wider than the Mino's - Advantage, Vado
+ The built in speaker on the Vado is not nearly as good as the dual speakers on the Mino - Advantage Mino
+ The Price on the Vado is much better (just under $90, depending on color) while the Mino sells for much more (listed for $180, sells for about $150)
Cons
- The USB dongle on the Vado is flexible but has a tab that sticks out from the body, while the Mino has a slick USB connector that tucks into the body and is released via a tab - Advantage, Mino
- Users who want to use a dedicated microphone are provided no jack on these devices for that purpose - Draw
- Neither unit has a headphone jack for checking audio playback on recorded videos - Draw, but the weaker speaker on the Vado makes this hurt the Vado more
- Still has some software issues that will hopefully be fixed with updates - Advantage, Mino
- The Vado requires you to install the XVid codec to use the built-in software - Not a huge deal, Draw
- Not as much support for Mac users in terms of software
- The Vado comes with no carrying case or dongle included, while the Mino comes with a cheap pouch and a dongle - Advantage, Mino
- Vado packaging definitely seems cheap, while the Mino is presented in a box that is reminiscent of the packaging of Zunes and iPods - Advantage, Mino
- The Vado's on screen menus are definitely not as nice, and the Vado Central software is not nearly as good as the Flip Video Muvee software - Advantage, Mino
- Neither of these has slots for any kind of memory card - Draw
- Neither of these will compete with some of the high-definition flash memory camcorders that are on the market, such as the Sanyo Xacti - Draw
Conclusion
I will post some pictures and video samples shortly.
While both of these units are ok, I am in the higher demanding category of users who is only going to be satisfied with the features offered by HI-Def flash camcorders like the Sanyo Xacti. The high price of those units make them prohibitive for now, though the CG9 models are in the ballpark at around $250. Hopefully the price will come down, or competing units will come out to combine the best of both.
But if I have to draw a conclusion, as of now I would say that the Mino is definitely better in terms of quality. But is it better enough to warrant the much higher price than the Vado? I would personally choose the Mino, but I think most people would choose the Vado in most cases. The fact that they made it easy to buy additional or replacement batteries and swap them out yourself is a HUGE plus. And since this is still a point and click camcorder, saving a nice chunk of change doesn't hurt either.
Enjoy!
*****
Note: The sample video was recorded in my friends living room at point blank range (less than 8 feet away from the TV). As you can see, even after turning up the volume up very high the microphone on the Vado still captures audio very faintly. In addition, the video is set to HQ yet is somewhat grainy compared to the Flip Mino.
For a video sample of the Flip Mino, please visit my review of that product. Even though I filmed that sample on the Mino under much more difficult night-time conditions, the video and audio quality is noticeably better. I will eventually update these with more pictures and improved samples.
 The video equivalent of a point-and-shoot still camera May 24, 2008
22 out of 25 found this review helpful
My kids gave me a Vado for my birthday, and I've had some time to play around with it a little since I got it. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that this isn't a replacement for a high-end video camera. It's meant to be small, inexpensive, and easy to use, and it certainly is. Just a few buttons on the unit (see the product description for info) and yes, it pretty much does look like a cell phone without the phone. I walked around New York City yesterday afternoon with it in my jeans pocket and it was certainly easier to carry than a "full-blown" dedicated video camera or even a small still camera with video mode.
There's 2x digital zoom (I haven't played with that much so I really can't comment), and it's capable of up to 2 hours of recording in standard quality, or 1 hour in "high quality". I did a little comparison of a short scene in my backyard and the HQ version did seem to be better quality. Remember that this is shooting in 640 x 480, so if you blow this up and try to show it on your 52" plasma HD TV you'll probably be disappointed, but for personal use on your computer screen, it looks just fine.
Pros:
Small, lightweight = extremely portable.
Easy to use not only for recording, but also for importing videos to your computer (but easiest for PC users; built-in software launches when you plug device into your computer)
Rechargeable battery
Inexpensive!
Decent video quality
Cons:
Built-in software not (currently?) available for Mac users, but you can still use it like a USB connected disk drive
You need a computer to recharge (via the USB port) unless you buy the optional stand-alone charger.
The audio seems a bit low both when recording and when playing back on the device.
Overall, particularly when taking into consideration the price, I think this is an excellent value and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a point-and-shoot video camera.
Creative has a winner - simple, fun and useful! May 21, 2008
18 out of 22 found this review helpful
My wife picked up the Vado last weekend and so far we are absolutely thrilled with it. The Vado has allowed us to capture video of our children that we never would have gotten with our HD camcorder. The Vado is unbelievably simple to use and it looks and feels great. The one button upload to online video sharing sites is a fantastic feature. The Vado also has a rechargeable battery (good for the environment!)
I can't imagine anyone not being happy with the Vado. It's not meant to be a super high quality camcorder. It's designed for ease of use. It gives you the ability to capture all of life's spontaneous moments and easily share them with friends and family.
 Cheap, but cheap May 26, 2008
11 out of 15 found this review helpful
I initially liked the fact that the Vado had a 2" screen and that it was small and light. After using the Vado for a little while though, I realized that the color on the screen wasn't good. It's got a blue tint, and it's kinda hard to see outside. The flip out USB connector is a pain. I wish there were a USB cable included. It's awkward to have the camera hanging off the side of my computer. The kicker though, is that it was a pain to load the videos onto my Mac and play them there.
The camera works pretty well, and it doesn't cost much, but ... with no optical zoom and the problems above, it's not great.
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