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| Brand: Creative Labs
Category: Photography
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $79.95
You Save: $20.04 (20%)
New (33)
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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| Customer Reviews:
 Best little flash based Camcorder around June 27, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I got my husband a Flip video before we went on vacation so he could use it at his family reunion. It worked out wonderfully. I wish I would have had this. First, it doesn't use batteries which are a pain in the butt to keep track of. The little USB connector is mounted on a rubber extender that plugs right into my laptop. Because the extender is flexible (unlike the Flip) it's easier to snug in next to anything else I have plugged in. When I travel, I usually take a wireless mouse with me along with a portable hard drive. Being my laptop has only 4 usb ports, space is at a premium, so a flexible connector is MUCH appreciated.
Second, this is a bit smaller than the Flip. This fits easily in the zippered compartment of my purse. It also makes much better videos than my phone does, so I have taken to carrying it with me. It just 'feels' more solid than the Flip. Having a flash based camera is also a wonder because I am not worried about knocking it around. Hard drive based music players I have tend to react badly to stress. This little camera is rock solid. In the future I am going to stick with flash based devices because they have no moving parts, last longer and are ultimately lighter than heavy tape based camcorders or drive based mp3 players. They are also easier to recharge. The small videos these make (the Vado uses XViD to compress) are easily manipulated with basic software, and look good on even a large HD television. It's also very easy to put together a compilation with software like Nero, then burn it to DVD. If you have ever done the family reunion thing, you know that everyone wants copies of everything. Being able to assemble and burn something on the spot saves a lot in postage :p
I detected no reasonable difference between the Vado and the Flip as far as quality goes. Both contain features on the drive that enable you to upload videos to sharing services, like YouTube. The Vado drive contains a program you can use on your computer to view or upload your videos. It also has a self installing XViD codec which was very convenient. The Zoom is easier to use on the Vado. It also does very well in low light conditions which I found surprising. I bought the Flip because of brand recognition. If I had known about the Vado I would have certainly purchased that first. As it is, this is now MY camera :) My husband can keep the other thing :)
2gb memory - Pretty cool over all, but couple things are lacking June 28, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I really like this little video camera, it's pretty cool and takes some rather good quality video. 200 megs of video equals about 00:07:30 or video (7.5 minutes). The device is a 2Gig unit that always you about 1.8 gigs for video as some of the storage space is sucked up with programs and of course 2 gigs is actually 1.91 gigs of usable space.
Pros:
*Compact: I like how it's so small but does a rather good job.
*Simple: It's so simple to use it's ridiculous, just hit the big button and record (would be better if the button was Red instead of white it would be more easily recognized as a record button).
*Video quality: for as small as this item is it's rather good at taking video, clean for the most part (I've noticed that it tends to have a decent amount of grain though is average lighting), smooth when you are moving the camera, no jumping of frames, at least not very noticeable.
*Flip out USB connector: I like this but I think it's poorly placed IMO.
*Fast charging: I really liked how it only take a max of like just over 2 hours to charge and there is a fast charging option that is easily activated, just push the play button until the battery with the lightning bolt shows on the screen and it's now going to charge really fast. During this mode you can't access any info on the cam, it will only charge it, but this is a great feature as then you don't have to wait as long if you are going to be leaving in a little while for some occasion.
Cons:
*USB connector placement: it's right next to the tripod connector. So if you have it on a minipod you have to take it off in order to hook it to the computer. I think making it so it flips off from the side would be much better so that it can be easier to get to the plug if you just want to leave a minipod hooked to it.
*The lens cover is easily scratched, I have a couple small scratches on mine already just from going in my pocket that had nothing else but this in it.
*Power button: while I do like it's placement on the side and how it's integrated into the devices style it's a little hard to push with big fingers like mine. Maybe the line that it blends with could be a little wider to accommodate people with bigger hands.
*Record button: a record symbol or it being red would be a good idea. friends that tried to use it had a hard time figuring it out.
*Screen: while I do like the size of the screen I do not like how you can't view it from the sides at all, a wider viewing angle would be great as you can't have your eyes directly in line with the LCD to be able to view it at all times.
*VOLUME*: all around poor, I noticed that it doesn't really pick sound up all that well. You have to talk directly to toward it and in a little bit of a loud voice in order for it to come across clearly. Also, the on board speaker doesn't play back well at all IMO, you couldn't hear anything from it if you tried. In loud volume situations though the mic is overloaded and just can't handle the audio so it reproduces an annoying noise on the video. Whispers are pretty much not heard unless you turn the volume on your PC up as loud as possible.
I think for this to be a rather successful product the last 2 issues really need to be addressed more.
One thing that I would think would make this worth a lot more is if it had the ability to be hooked into the computer and used the computer to record and change setting on the camera through the software that comes installed on it, basically a full frame rate webcam that wont have the jagged/jumpy side effects that even high quality webcams have.
On the first couple of videos there was a DIVX logo brand but now there isn't IDK what the deal is now, but I like it a lot more without the branding on my video. IDK if this is just something that it does on the first couple or what, but I'm much happier it's gone now.
Edited: 08/01/08
EDITED: 11/30/08
There is an update out for the Vado's firmware as well as the software that it uses on your PC, it helps a crap load!!! Although the focusing is bit of an issue close up still it does fine farther away from the subject.
main things in the update are better quality video, less fuzz, better sound quality, and much faster start up time.
to access the update plug your vado into your computer then when the program launches select the little button in the top left corner, you'll see an option for updating. Do that and select both the software and firmware updates. It makes a huge difference in the performance of this device. Also make sure that you follow the instructions throughout the process so you can be sure you don't run into any issues.
 A decent item July 10, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a relatively simple to use camcorder. The problems that I have with it are mainly about the operating system.
1) There is no menu to allow you to scan through the videos stored in memory. Instead, you have to press play, and then skip through to the video you want to watch.
2) Accessing the preferences to change the recording quality or to set the date/time is a bit of a pain. It requires simultaneously pressing the play and delete buttons, but only when you are standing by to record rather than watching videos.
3) Transferring files to my computer is quite easy, just like retrieving files from a flash drive, but Quicktime couldn't play the files properly without downloading an additional component. That is a minor issue, and it was handled in a few minutes, but it was a mild nuisance.
4) The microphone is not very good. It doesn't pick up sounds unless they are relatively loud, and the sound quality is relatively poor.
Over-all, though, it is a decent little player that you can learn to use fairly quickly, and the price makes it a good deal, but don't expect anything astounding.
 I Wanted to Like It..... August 28, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I purchased this as a gift for a business associate and I had planned to buy a pile more to create some low budget video fun. Sadly, the Vado was better in theory than in reality. The video was super fuzzy and seemed out of focus. My associate and I played with it for a couple days trying to get the video to be in focus but we never got it to look right. I bought a Flip and it worked great. Sadly the Flip used AA batteries and was more expensive but at least the video was in focus.....
Good First Try June 15, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
The first edition of the Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder is a fun and handy toy, however it has a few flaws built in. When I excitedly ordered it, I did not know that the software is incompatible with my Mac. I would like to know when they will fix this obvious exclusion. Also, the Vado display shows a vivid playback but looks grainy when blown-up on the computer, even using the highest resolution.
That said, it is a great idea, very portable and handy, and easy to operate for recording and playback.
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