Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) OLD MODEL
by Creative
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CreativeFormat: CD-ROM
Platform: Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional
Model: VF0570-S
Color: Silver
Product 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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Don't be Hollywood, be Cannes
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent many hours reading every blog and user review to decide between Creative's Vado and Flip's Mino. As my indecision continued I realized where the reviews went wrong. People watch movies because they tell a good story, not because they have slightly better quality. I'd much rather watch interesting characters in low-def than boring ones in high-def. To put it another way, the quality of the camera comes from the person pointing it, not the lens the light passes through.
Unfortunately, reviews confuse buyers by focusing on the the camera's technical aspects and irrelevant differences in video quality. "Technically" there is nothing wrong with this. Differences, after all, exist between different cameras. However, consider how reviewers review: shoot two identical scenes, one with the Vado and one with the Flip to compare aspects such as lighting, detail, color reproduction. Then, you compare them side by side and mark your preference. As a result, most reviews tend to favor the Mino in the side by side ranking. (On a side note, Creative released a firware update to improve Vado's quality and almost all the user reviews never updated their post to reflect the improved quality.)
The side-by-side method is wrong.
I started thinking I should purchase a Mino because of the reviewer's high marks. After all, the Mino got an A- while the Vado got a B. And then it hit me. All the reviewers have the wrong perspective. They are examining features because they are easy to examine rather than because it needs to be examined. Let me clarify the last sentence. Is video quality important? Of course. However, here is the problem, reviewers tend to make a big deal out of small differences in quality. The marginal difference in quality is NOT great. On a 1-10 scale (10 = $1,000 camera) the Mino and Vado rate a 5 and 4.9 respectively. In other words, there IS a difference in video quality between the Mino and the Vado. Unfortunately this difference is only apparent when the Mino is the reference point. There is NO difference in quality when a $1,000 camera is the reference point.
The lack of marginal difference in quality brings me to my second point, and the title of my review, "Don't be Hollywood, be Cannes." Hollywood is often criticized for putting special effects above the story. It is as if huge explosions and high-speed car chases make up for a weak story and uninteresting characters. Movies that do well at Cannes, on the other hand, are often nothing more than two people talking--no loud "booms" or flashy Austin Martins. Don't choose these cameras because they produce suburb video. Instead, choose a camera because it will help you share the magic of your child's birthday party to your friends. Small cameras are great because you can easily capture the every day moments that big cameras are, well, too big for. Your friends will enjoy your movie because it tells a good story--not because the Mino has a minuscule edge in quality. Trust me.
This brings me to my second point. Why did I choose the Vado? I choose the Vado for two reasons.
First, the Vado has a wider angle lens. Only one review mentioned this. (http://camdoctor.tistory.com/379). They list the Vado at 49 degrees and the Mino at 38 degrees. What does this mean? In short, the angle of the lens is a measure of how much you can fit in the frame. For example, if you stood 5 feet from your subject, the Vado captures more of the scene than the Mino. To put it another way, you can stand closer to the subject and capture the same area with the Vado as with the Mino. This is important because better films are produced when you are closer to your subject. Not only is being closer more "intimate" it also improves sound quality because better sound drastically degrades the farther you get from your subject.
The second reason I choose the Vado is the price difference. The Vado is half the Mino's price ($80 v. $160 at the time of this post). The Mino is not TWO times better than the Vado as the price would suggest. The Mino, is at most, 5% better than the Vado and I would buy the Mino at $100, but not at $160. Don't let other reviews and blogs trick you into thinking that the Mino is worth twice the Vado because the quality is "slightly" better.
Remember, you are buying this camera to record memories and make stories--moments that last for generations. Video quality is good, but remember, it plays second fiddle to what's important, memories and a story.
So, what can you do with the extra $80? Since your family will appreciate better movies, not slightly better quality, I suggest leaning about camera angles and shot direction by purchasing "Shot by Shot" or "Setting Up Your Shot" (search Amazon). Another thought is purchasing the Gorillapod tripod, which will let you position your camera anywhere to record a scene. By using a tripod YOU can enter the scene. I cannot count the times I wish I was in the scene but wasn't. Don't erase yourself from the moment, get a tripod. Lastly, $80 worth of beer for a local film student goes a long way for private, personalized movie making lessons.
To sum up my review: there are no material differences in quality between the Vado and the Mino. Both cameras have 640 x 484 resolution, 2GB memory, 60 min high-quality recording time. Become a better film maker than relying on "better quality" to make your movies more interesting. I enjoy movies because they are "good" rather than because they have greater "quality."
Best,
Jason
Description of Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) OLD MODEL
Creative Vado is a slim lightweight pocket video cam that makes it easy to capture and share everyday life as it happens. Recording great video is easy with features like one touch recording 2x zoom and excellent low light performance. Sharing video is easy too simply connect Vado to your PC with the flexiable USB plug and the built in software lets you save videos to your computer orpost them directly to YouTube ort Photobucket. Thinner than a deck of cards and as light as a cell phone it fits perfectly in your pocket!Camcorders
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