Aiptek A-HD 720P 5MP CMOS High Definition Camcorder Reviews

• Actually, It's Pretty Fun and Not That Bad

  
  By AVX7ALMKD9ZF9 on 2007-10-21
  For the price, it's a great deal. This camera is pretty much the cheapest HD video camera you can buy. Just bear in mind that it's nowhere near as feature rich or as well built as any Sanyo Xacti that costs $200 more. It's made almost entirely of paint coated plastic, although it should survive in your knapsack or purse if you're careful. It's not going to amaze you with a terrific zoom lens or the sharpest 720p HD video you've ever seen, but it's got some nice features. First, it uses the H.264 movie format that is compatible with the iPod Touch, iPhone, iPod 5G, and the 3G iPod Nano (just be sure to use the camera's web format to ensure you have no further conversion to do for those players - only Apple TV will play the DV1 files without conversion; also, iMovie HD will still need to convert the H.264 files to the iMovie HD format). Any Mac with OS X 10.3 or higher recognizes the camera as a USB device instantly. Second, it can record 480p or 720p input from an external device through it's video input mini-port*. It can upsample 480i content to 720p (although that won't improve the original quality of what you're taping), or you can record to DV1 (480p). It comes with two outputs: a regular AV in/out and an HD out (YPP). *The input recording is like DV-R, but without a timer or programming. For television or old VHS that you want on your computer, the quality is as good as most DV-R.
  
  What you need to know:
  
  The video is best in daylight and bright light, otherwise you'll see noise. It tends to overexpose whites, but there's a +/- exposure adjustment setting, and setting it to -1 permanently is a good idea. Othewise, it has okay contrast and saturation. The auto white balance is actually very good, too. But when you record in 720p, there's compression that can be noticeable on a good HD display. The compression is far less noticible in 480p and in CIF (web format), but there's less resolution. Also, the digital zoom creates jaggies from poor anti-aliasing, which are more evident in HD than in 480p. There's also no shake reduction, but there is a standard tripod mount. There is a "Night" setting that does indoors. low-light, but it increases the video noise considerably. The lens is soft, which is where you can tell you've only spent $1xx dollars, but that doesn't effect TV input, which is plenty sharp (so then you know it's a mediocre lens and not the CMOS chip). And, yes, there can be some "wave" distortion when you pan around too fast (it's not visible on the LCD screen, only on large televisions), because the refresh rates for the sensor are a little bit slow. Is the performance so bad it ruins the camera? No. It's about what you'd expect from a sub-$300 camera in 2007. Which is to say, better than a $200 camera 3 years ago.
  
  For me, the battery life of the Li-Ion battery has been about 60mins of video recording with the LCD on, and 75min-90mins of recording with the LCD off. The manual recommends you charge the camera's battery for about 4 to 8 hrs before its first use, which I did. You can get extra replacement batteries from Aiptek, but it's the same model as for a number of other cameras from Pentax and Fuji, so they only cost between $10 and $20. I like that it charges by USB, so that when it's not connected to the computer in drive mode it can charge. It also comes with a tiny AC to USB power adapter for travelling. It takes about 3hrs for a charge.
  
  The 4x zoom is digital, it works in both photo and video mode, and it's not going to let you either zoom in very far or zoom out very far. I'd say it's a 35mm to 60mm equivalent in 35mm camera focal range. The macro mode is only for 20">12", which isn't too close.
  
  The LCD display pivots out and can rotate around to the front of the camera. It's 4:3 aspect ratio, but when you record in HD, the screen is letterboxed. You can also close the LCD and keep recording to save battery life. This is useful when you're recording TV input.
  
  The inputs (USB and AV) are hidden by a pull-out rubber protective strip that deserves to be treated delicately. It's attached to the camera, and rotates out of the way, but if you think you'll be rough with it enough to snap it at its weakest spot, just pull it out permenantly.
  
  The camera operation is really easy. The menu layout is simple-minded and navigated with a 4 direction joystick. The graphics and icons are pleasing well designed. There's a main menu for the 4 modes: Settings, Camera, My Works (your recordings), and Voice Recorder. Each mode activates that aspect of the camera, and then there's a sub menu for that mode, too. In My Works, you select video shots, photos, or voice notes. The photo sub menu allows for even a photo slideshow. Everything can be operated with your thumb and index finger while holding the camera.
  
  The 5MP camera portion is a lot like a cellphone camera (the LED on the front of the unit is just for flash strobe with photos, not video), and although it can upsample to 8MP, it doesn't improve the quality. For sharpness, its 3MP option is the sweet spot. I wouldn't say this is the cameras strongest talent, but it beats any old MiniDV camera that included a 2MP "photo" option.
  
  There's a top mounted microphone for recording sound, but there's no microphone input if you want to do otherwise. The AV input doesn't allow just audio input from an external microphone. If you want to record an audio overdub, you'll have to do it on your computer. However, the "voice recording" mode for recording audio in WAV format works much like a digital tape recorder. And you can plug in headphones so that the internal speaker doesn't emit your playback to those around you.
  
  It doesn't come with an SD card (you get that seperately) but it does have enough RAM for a few photos and seconds of video. I'd guess about 32MB. It doesn't make much sense to use this with an SD card of less than 2GB. It's about 2GB per 1hr of HD recording. However, it accepts SDHC cards up to 32GB (I suppose they'll be available in the future) and USB 2.0 transfers from the camera to your computer are as fast as they should be.
  
  Overall, it was better than I expected for under $150. The camera is a bit fragile and it really deserves to have well-lit subjects, but it's a good companion device for your daily go-bag or purse beause of its size. It would make a good gift for a tween.
  
  

• Best Deal Around.

  
  By A316O8WZ4DUGKX on 2007-11-22
  Bought one of these for my brother and his wife and after seeing how well it works I think I'll get one for myself. Video plays without noticeable artifacts on a 42" plasma and the images move smoothly. I was amazed to see such solid compression in only 2GB/hr. Uses standard Quicktime files! Hallelujah! Charges with USB and accepts SD memory up to 32GB. Indoor performance is nothing to shout about but certainly useable (no camera this size can really impress in low light). The sound is rather poor, as the other reviews suggest, but I can live with it. The build quality and control layout are not great but explain the low price. The moral of the story here is that you can bring it along most anywhere without a fuss. And when it comes to memorable moments, any shot is better than no shot, right?. I think I'll keep one of these tucked away in a pocket from now on. A steal for this price.
  
  

• Fun, easy to use, cheap and good video quality

  
  By A2N4E0RILLFQML on 2008-04-29
  I own an expensive Sony HD camera that takes great video and decent sound. But I hardly ever used it. After taking trips to Hong Kong and Costa Rica wit the Sony, and coming back with almost no footage, because the camera was too bulky and expensive to want to carry around, I decided I needed to look into something better suited for my needs. The Aiptek is something I use all the time. I purchased this camera so I could take quick videos of my son, or anything else I wanted to post to YouTube or Vimeo. I did some research by going to Vimeo and searching for Aiptek A-HD. I found some great clips that showed me exactly what the camera can do in HD.
  
  The Good
  Picture quality is very good. It doesn't beat my Sony, but it will beat just about any camera you could have purchased for under $2k 5 years ago.
  
  The camera couldn't be much simpler. Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (White) is obviously the easiest camera to use, but the Aiptek is not going to stump anyone.
  
  Fast upload. Unlike the long time my Sony took to bring video in from DV, the Aiptek is super fast at transferring those movies onto my machine.
  
  Good use of space. I have a 4 gig card in mine, and it looks like I can get a little over 2 hours at full 720. Cards are so cheap now that I think I should have just got an 8 gig that should cover 4 hours.
  
  Small and light. I take this camera everywhere. I hardly ever shot video with my Sony, but this thing I use all the time.
  
  All cables included. This was a nice surprise for such a cheap camera, especially in a time of 1 game controller in $400 game system. The box included USB to mini USB, power cord, and even cords to hook up to the TV for normal and HD TV. No HDMI.
  
  The Bad
  Sound quality. The microphone is not great, and it's set to the rear. It feels like Aiptek set this up so that the person shooting the video could narrate the shot. But the lack of a external mic jack does limit the use of this camera.
  
  No optical zoom. The camera does have a 2X digital zoom, but that's not ideal. The slightly more expensive Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom has 3X optical zoom if yo
  
  Construction. With a low price comes low quality material. When I got my camera in the box, the "camera" button had already fallen off. Not wanting to deal with returning the camera through Amazon, I just superglued the thing back on and it's worked fine since. The camera feels sturdy enough when you hold it, but it does feel a little cheap in the buttons.
  
  No stabilization. Since this is a cheap camera it does not come with any built in stabilization, so your shots can come out a little shaky if you're not steady handed.
  
  As a digital camera the Aiptek works about as well as most inexpensive point and shoot models. The pictures are acceptable, and the built in flash does a good job exposing details.
  
  Like most people will say, this is a great camera for the money. If you're someone who wants to take serious videos and need things like stabilization and external mic jacks, this isn't for you. But if you're someone who would like a good camera to shoot everyday events so you can post them online or save them to disk, this is a camera you should be happy with for a couple of years.
  
  It does fit the need for travel as well. It's small enough to throw in my cargo pant pocket, and cheap enough that if lost or damaged, it wouldn't ruin my vacation.
  
  I do think it's likely that I'll outgrow this camera as I want to do more video. I'm waiting to see the Sony HDR-TG1 4MP High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Super Steady Shot Zoom (4GB Memory Stick Included), which is about 6 times the price, but looks to be amazing. Maybe a Christmas present for myself.
  
  This camera would also be great for teens to start shooting footage beyond their camera phones. I'll likely just hand mine over to my son when I upgrade.
  
  When you transfer files to your computer they come in Quicktime, which works great for me since I'm on a Mac. This is perfect for iMovie.
  
  
  
  
  

• beware verry bad sound recording

  
  By ATHM03C83LXXA on 2007-11-07
  first this is a fun little camers at a great price the major drawback is the sound recording it easly gets overloaded and distorted so forget about recording the kids band concert the sound is so bad all you hear is a big mess
  
  

• WOW. HD Beaches. XBOX 360 720P compatible. No more bulky tapes and chargers (or tape drag warnings in Cancun from humidity.)

  
  By A2UDNE6Y47HGHX on 2008-02-07
  I uploaded a 10 sec 320x240 video of a projector screen for example.
  
  XBOX 360 720P compatible. Reads it (my CD/DVD with mov files xfered worked too) right from the game DVD drive or USB port. Havent checked other HD Players like Blueray. PS3 owners, let us know please.
  
  Very versatile. Cheap flat batteries. Nice after firmware update to 2.002.
  Even CIF mode is sharp for its size. (over 10 hours in that mode). Batteries are 5-10 dollars. 3rd party NP60 wall / auto charger kit is 5. I have 3 batteries now. Mini or regular tripod and remote control (for a low 10.00) are a nice addition. I like using using a monopod on occasion for a more professional scenery sweep.
  
  Drag and drop to computer, or play MOV or JPG right from the cam USB port in any res, including Hi Def 720P, or even view upconverted to 1080P on your XBOX 360. (requires Free XBOX January 2008 Dashboard update)
  
  Records (PVR) NTSC AV in at very good (4hrs on 4gb chip) DVD quality, and you could even use as dub say from one of the nite shots cameras on the fly, running the cord to your shirt pocket that this fits in (when your old cam runs out of tapes!!).
  
  I mounted a 37mm ring adapter (included with the SIMA 2X SLS-20A lens or Sunpak (cheaper) CAL-1040KIT 2X) to the front (2 drops nail glue, so I can pop it off if I have to) to use my cheap SIMA SLS-05 Wide Angle wide angle and 2x SIMA SLS-20A lenses. You could make a 37mm push on friction adapter from the sima rear lens cover also. (check vimeo for clips)
  
  Easy firmware 2.002 update adjusts sound down for better quality, and gets 4x zoom (other tweaks too.)(AIPTEK Oct 22 2007 V2.002 Oct 22 17:48:19)
  
  No Audio Clicks or problems with this memory card. -
  A-Data Turbo SD SDHC 4GB Class 6 Memory Card
  
  Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle
  Xbox 360 Core Console System
  Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive
  
  
  Sima Video Bracket
  Sima ST-10T Mini Tripod
  SIMA SLS-05 Wide Angle Conversion Lens
  Sima 2x Telephoto Lens w/Updated Ring Sizes
  Sima SL-10LX Universal LED Camcorder Light
  
  Sunpak CAL-1040KIT 2.0x Tele-Conversion Lens Kit with 25, 27, 30, 30.5 and 37mm Filter Sizes
  
  Phoenix M-Power small 0.45x magnetic wide angle lens
  
  Global Digital 2 Pack Fuji / Fujifilm NP60 Brand New Equivalent 1200mAh LithiumIon Camera/Camcorder Battery, Long Lasting cell. It meets or exceeds OEM specifications!
  
  
  Brand New Digital Camera & Camcorder Home Travel Charger with Car Adapter For Fuji NP-60, Casio NP-30 Compatible w/ Models:Fuji FinePix 50i / 601 / F401 / F401 Zoom / F410 / F410 Zoom / F601 / M603 / Casio QV-R3 / QV-R4 / HP Photosmart R07 / R507 / R607 /
  
  
  
• Video editing difficult on PC
  By A1RWAW256DR0VX on 2008-02-26
  For the money, I give the hardware 5 stars. I recommend a tripod since cheap cameras don't do good with motion. Video is very nice, but the sound could be better. Because the manufacturer casually forgets to tell you that you won't be able to edit your videos on a PC, I give this camera 2 stars.
  
  Video files are complex - you have the container (.mov, .avi, .wmv, .mpeg), you have the video encoding, and you have the audio encoding. This camera creates Apple Quicktime .mov files encoded with the latest video and audio codecs. My friend was able to play & edit the videos easily on his Mac. However, if you have a PC it's a different story. On a PC, the movies will play using Quicktime or using Windows Media Player if you install the codec on the supplied CD. Editing the movies is much more difficult on the PC. Windows Movie Maker won't even open a Quicktime .mov file. My Sony Vegas video editing software will load the video, but not the sound. After digging around the Aiptek web site, it appears that their more expensive camera comes with a video conversion program. I downloaded this $30 software. It was able to convert the .mov video to Windows .wmv format, but with significant loss in quality. Haven't had as much luck converting it to .avi or .mpeg (lots of different problems happened).
  
  Anyway, I recommend this camera if you use a Mac or if you are o.k. leaving your videos as individual Quicktime .mov files. Too bad the camera doesn't create old-fashion DVD MPEG-2 files. Most manufacturers think their newfangled video decoder is better, but at the expense of being incompatible with most software. For the same money, you might try the Flip Video camera. It's not as high resolution, but at least you can pull the video clips into Windows Movie Maker, combine them, and burn to a DVD.
  
  
• Plastic Fantastic.
  By A2B40GY83NI7NX on 2007-11-02
  I bought the Aiptek A-HD about a week ago. I wasn't expecting too much since I only paid about $100 for the thing. But after using it for a week I have to say I'm stunned. The video qualty is very good even in low light. The pictures are even better. Pictures are sharp and the colors are very accurate. Better than my old Pentax. I have had no problems with the sound as some others I have read. My only complaint is the lack of any image stabilization, the video does tend to bounce around alot. Aiptek has finally produced something here that is not a joke. Kudos to Aiptek! For the money you can't go wrong.
  
  
• Excellent entry level HD (you get what you pay for)
  By A2WBDBP5QB6OWV on 2007-11-29
  To begin with, this is -not- a conventional digital camcorder.
  Unless you find it too toy-like as others have found, it seems to be delivering exactly what it promises:
  The lowest cost HD DVR for sale on the market.
  A point-and-shoot eight megapixel digital camera.
  Digital playback device that can show Quicktime media (when storage cards greater than four gigs are used (max 32 gig SDHC) (compatible with Apple products).
  The quality is excellent and the only drawback I've seen so far is that the playback speaker is too small and delivers very nasty tinny audio. Much like the audio from almost any small microspeaker. Use your headphones when watching playback. Much better.
  Of all the video resolutions you can use,(there are three) the smallest (CIF)(352x240) gives you the most bang for the buck in storage....
  A two gig SD card will hold up to 320 minutes of video. That's -five- hours plus! You'll need to recharge the battery at least a couple of times to fill a one or two gig card at that rate.
  The middle resolution is (D1) (720x480) is very close to VGA (slightly wider) and you can only cram 144 minutes full video onto a two gig SD.
  The HD resolution is full true HD (1280x720) and will only record for 60 minutes before filling up that same two gig SD card. However, there are larger cards available now, and I still like have a few extra two gig cards in my pocket.
  Battery life is estimated to be 90 minutes (factory spec) but I haven't pushed that far yet. My other Aiptek, the IS-DV, maxxes out at VGA (640x480)resolution, cannot handle longer than 48 minutes before depleting the battery.
  The difference? The IS-DV is 2 year old design, and Aiptek is pushing the envelope.
  Final verdict?
  This is a very good product, worthy of consideration from both first time buyers and jaded users who are used to far more expensive gadget loaded camcorders.
  It weighs nothing, a cellphone is slightly smaller, and the battery lasts and lasts. It has very few moving parts, and only one mechanical slide switch that operates the macro mode focusing.
  I can't wait to see what's next, Aiptek. Perhaps even smaller? More resolution? Image stabilization?
  
  I'd rate this a nine out of ten, the only fault is that playback speaker.
  And it's not really a deal breaker, in my opinion.
  
  
  
  
  
• Before you Purchase
  By A1GA2UQL62KL0 on 2007-08-29
  4x digital zoom, and led lights . are not incuded in this model. the lens angle wil force you to hold a downward grip. the flash will becoveered, and the record button located on front too small foryour index finger? the camera micseems just a tad lower not a problem as the go is over sensitive?
  
  the Camera has no issues or maulfunctions
  the batter ylife is good over 1 hour plus, Low light is not as powerful as the Go
  but 170.00 at the debut it is a steal for "NEAR DVD QUALITY" it is a h-def came 720P excellent film there are great videos at sites
  here is a Full blown view ENJOY
  go to metacafe look for Aiptek A-HD 720P hi def review
  
  
• 480p not really 720p
  By AOXEUJGDMYLVX on 2007-11-30
  This camera might be able to technically record at 720p but compression is higher and motion is chopy in my tests. The D1 mode yeilds the most balanced video. The lens is fairly slow, F3.0 and is somewhat soft. It's also fixed so it can be difficult to judge focus at times.
  
  low light shooting? I'd say the minimum the sensor and compression can handle would the amount of light in a standard bathroom with two 60 watt bulbs or around 50 lux. Any less light and the compression and sensor noise start to become noticeable.
  
  video in is a nice feature. quality is ok. playback on a computer is poor but on a stardard def tv (tested on 20" memorex) was almost good. It was watchable.
  
  the built in flash is a joke. but it could be used to trigger other cheap ($20) slaves
  
  picture quality is better than most camera phones but the lens is the weak link. they claim the sensor is 5mp so why on earth would you want to interpolate in such a cheap camera? You don't gain anything. if anything there is a loss of quality.
  
  memory: if you have files on the internal memory, you can only access them once the SD card is removed. you have to get the firmware updates via email from tech support. The rear port cover is annoying, record button is small. It should have been placed where the flash is.
  
  I am a DP and photographer by profession. I bought this camera because it is small, shoots on SD, $120 and you can take it anywhere.
  
  
• Not the real deal!
  By A1E3X1FX4YP1IV on 2008-01-26
  I just checked it out at target. To sum it up it's a $120 toy. It just doesn't deliver on a HD level. The HD recording is a blurred mess. On the DV1 setting the video is near the quality of my miniDV camcorder, but it lacks many features. The fixed lens does not focus on close-up objects. Objects two or more feet away appear fine, but at those distances the audio turns tinny. I would not consider this an equal to a miniDV, nor would I really use it to record home videos. I'm giving it one star because if flat-out does not deliver on what it promises.
  
  
• You get what you pay for.
  By AKOEPQ713EWN9 on 2008-01-28
  I picked this unit up over the weekend at my local Best Buy. It was on special for $149.99 which also bundled a small tripod, 1GB Kingston SD Card and a carrying case. Overall this is a pretty good value for the extra $15 - $20.
  
  The camcorder itself comes packaged with a lense-cover, wrist-strap, composite and component video cables, USB cable, instruction booklet and CD-ROM. One note about the CD-ROM for Windows users, you might want to at least install the Windwows Media Player codec that allows you to play the output files in Media Player, as it will only play in Quicktime if you don't. The rest of the software is pretty basic and, in my eyes, pretty worthless.
  
  The device is relatively well put togetether for this price-point with a few exceptions. The plastic is fairly lightweight and cheap feeling. The main issue I have is that the battery doesn't seem to fit snugly into the battery compartment.
  
  The on-screen interface is fairly basic but easy to navigate using the 5-way, thumb-operated joystick. Other buttons are limited to a dedicated camera key (used to exit any menu or to take a still photograph when in video mode), mode button (used to switch to playback mode), menu button, and the trigger-activated record button. There is also a slide next to the lense for the macro function to make close-up shots clear.
  
  The LCD display is actually quite nice. The colors and well-represented, and the display is fairly bright and easy to see in direct sunlight. The display rotates and can be flipped flat against the body of the camcorder.
  
  The quality of the video is a mixed bag. Video can be recorded in HD, SD or Web-quaity settings. In either case, video taken in well-lit environments works amazingly well for the price of the unit. Video is smooth, color well balanced and contains minimum artifacts and other digital distortion. In anything but well-lit environments though, the results drop off dramatically.
  
  The sound quality of the built-in microphone is, as other reviewers have noted, sub-par. I am working around this by recording seperately using a decent microphone and mixing the audio in post-production.
  
  Speaking of post-production, my main gripe with this camera is that records video files to .MOV format, making it a nightmare for Windows users. If you have a Mac computer, you'll be all good. However, .MOV files are a pain to work with in a Windows environment. I use Adobe Premiere to edit my video, and while it does load these files, it takes forever to "conform" the videos to the project and subsequently causes frequent crashes. If you convert the files before editing, you will not only lose more time but more quality as well. If I needed more motivation to upgrade to a Mac, I think I've found it.
  
  All in all, the Aiptek A-HD camcorder met my expectations of being and affordable, easy to use, HD camcorder.
  
  
• Great for the money for sure!!!!
  By A2CIQEY05SPHTZ on 2007-11-26
  I have spent alot more money on high end sony, sanyo, and canon cameras and none come close to the quality of the pics and video indoors or outdoors as the Aiptek A-HD does.
  Now it is not perfect such as the zoom, well don't use it because the pics and video quality degrade if you use it.
  The pics have very correct color and saturation. But if you are indoors and try to capture little kids moving around they will most likely come out blury. I think they have the shutter speeds set abit slow for this but otherwise great.
  In short I own this for 120.00 and also a Sanyo hd1000 for 710.00 and am very happy with both and will keep them.
  
  
• I like it, but it has it's shortcomings
  By A1AXZ8766COHR6 on 2008-01-27
  It's probably more of a toy or a hobbyist camera, rather than consumer grade camera, and for one major reason - there is no image stabilitzation, so your hand needs to be *really* steady, or you need to use a tripod. Other that that, no complaints. It won't give you razor sharp high definition picture because of the real time compression to the SD card, but it's decent. It has three picture modes: Hi-def, DVD and Web. Most of the time I use DVD quality setting. The picture in this mode is way better than from VCR or even my older digital 8mm Sharp camcorder. It also takes decent photographs, comparable to cheap point-and-shoot cameras. It needs good lightning, but I have successfully filmed inside with not so great lightning conditions and the picture came out better than I expected. Overall, it exceeded my expectations. I like it a lot and I think it has a great value for the price I paid for it (~$150). I give it only three starts because of lack of image stabilization.
  
  
• Good camcorder for the price
  By A31XTBUAI0VQV9 on 2008-02-08
  This is a good camcorder for the price, but its even better with a Phoenix wide angle lens as it makes everything look cleaner and sharper. Its well worth the extra $30 to get the wide angle lens when you purchase this. Also the mic is EXTREMELY sensitive which results in loud audio. Stuffing tissue paper in the mic area reduces the wind noise, but doesn't help much with the loudness. Unless you can muffle the sound with your thumb don't take this into loud areas. Recommend video editing software that can re-encode the audio at a lower db rating. There are newer firmwares available direct for Aiptek for this camcorder, but they don't seem to help much with the audio. Version 2.02 of the firmware does lower the volume, but results in clicking sounds when people talk and you cannot roll back to an older firmware. Hopefully the audio issue will be resolved in future firmwares. If you upgrade the firmware I recommend going no higher than 1.6. This camcorder also has issues with SDHC cards so I recommend sticking to standard SD cards until they fix this in a future firmware.
  
  
• Great camera!
  By A12YGO744EP4T8 on 2008-02-09
  You should know that I am probably the least "tech-y" person on the planet, so I bought this product with some hesitation, especially given that it didn't have stellar reviews.
  
  I've tried it out a few times to video my toddlers, always inside during the daytime. The light was fine, we didn't use any extra special lighting. The HD quality was tremendous on our HD tv (although we had some trouble hooking up the sound - turns out we needed to plug that part into the sound system, not the tv. duh!) I was shocked at the quality of the video.
  
  I thought the microphone did a reasonable job picking up the sound from a couple of yards away from my kids. It was really easy to transfer the files from the camera to my mac laptop... although I have no idea how to edit a movie or make a dvd yet.
  
  I think someone had some concern about no image stabilization, but I had no problems keeping the camera still and the movies didn't come out shaky. You can easily hold it in your right hand, and use the palm of your left hand to help keep it stable. The zoom in and out wasn't exactly smooth when playing back the movie, more jerky, but for $150? Are you kidding?
  
  
• High quality video for low price
  By A1FEOGCV10KDM4 on 2007-11-26
  Bought this camera on Black Friday for $120. Excellent buy! Video Quality is impressive for an entry level camcorder. Looks particularly good on an LCD TV with the components hooked up.Very easy to use and simple. View finder does a full 360 spin for recording yourself if need be and can close viewing side up still recording, which can be helpful if you wanted to mount it to say your helmet (which i have yet to do). SD card mem makes transfering to your computer a breeze. USB style charging ala Ipod but also equiped with a separate AC plug which is really a plus. Dont record anything really long so can't judge on the battery life.
  
  Sound quality is medicore at best but acceptable for the price. Camera for still shot pictures a little delayed. Zoom feature useless but again for the price acceptable. Bottom of camera angled so makes mounting on a flat surface impossible.
  
  
  Pros-Great quality for cheap camera
  Super easy to use
  Fully Flipable Viewfinder
  Great for Utube!
  
  Cons-Sound quality
  Camera Delay
  Cant mount on flat surface
  
  ...otherwise highly recommend!
  
  
  
  
  
• AIPTEK HD camera
  By A1Z03NE7IWSG5G on 2008-06-01
  I needed a knock-around HD camera. Something that would fit in a briefcase, while taking video clips better than SD (standard definition) quality. So, I thought I'd take a chance and order an unknown-brand (AIPTEK), but had decent reviews here on Amazon.
  
  Much to my surprise and enjoyment this camera provides what I need. Of course, it's not like having a semi-pro, or pro-quality HD camera, but for a little guy that costs less than 150.00 you can't beat it! I took the camera out for a spin yesterday to shot some scenes with wife & doggie on a field trip. The results are:
  
  * Nice, sharp HD quality video at 720. Not 1080, but who cares! The color is quite decent, and the sharpness for a little camera is terrific. While it can't match a 3 CCD HD, or a larger CMOS chip camera shooting at 1080 it does the job in a compact form factor. I do expect to take this camera with me everywhere. There was a comment here about the plastic housing...it's not that bad. I wouldn't lend it to kids, or drop it on concrete, but it's sturdy enough to survive in a briefcase, or purse if it had a small little protective hard case. Note: Purses and soft briefcase tend to be especially dusty - not a great place to stick electronics IMO.
  
  * The audio is decent. I was shooting some scenes in the car with an open window and it surprisingly filtered out most of the road noise and caught the dialog inside! The mic. is placed on top of the camera. This can cause some noise if you move your hands about the camera while shooting. However, as with any camera there is some accommodation given the ergonomics. On saying that I do wish the record on/off button was larger, and the joystick controlled a tad bigger. Folks with ham-sized fist (like me) might have to fumble around a tad more than say someone with dexterous fingers. Low light conditions came out a tad grainy. But then again, you can't expect the little camera to do everything. One of my new CMOS camera is equally as grainy as the AIPTEK in dark-lit conditions. There is a night-mode selection in the camera, but I have yet to try it out.
  
  * Transfer to Macintosh. All I had to do was hook up the USB cable and the Aiptek was recognized as an external hard drive. I simply transferred all the files into my mac and now they're ready to be edited as .mov files. So, it's a breeze to edit in imovie, as well a Final Cut. Very, very simple.
  
  * Longevity - I don't know. I've had this camera now for three days. If it breaks, I'll just get another one!
  
  So all in all, if you are shooting casual video and don't care too much about semi-pro quality video and audio this little guy will probably fill that niche well. It also shoot stills and has a flash. I haven't really evaluated that, but I would tend to use my dedicated digital still camera for that.
  
  
• Piece of Junk!
  By A2IWQM7T4MPRZU on 2008-06-13
  I read all the reviews and thought I was getting value for a small hand held...WRONG! During vacation the camera froze in camcorder mode, it wouldn't turn off unless you removed the battery, it says its "full" with 4 files (total approx 100MG on a 2G card). I thought it would be good to have a small camcorder that could give HD 720 quality and be a handheld...I was WRONG. Reading reviews on other sites also confirms this. Now I have a nice expensive, plastic paper weight. Don't know about the other "flip model" camcorders, but this one is a bust.
  
  
  
  
• Great little camcorder
  By A1U8B5V2ZV1TXC on 2008-06-25
  I love this camcorder. We took it on a 2-week trip, and used it every day. So easy, great still pics (3, 5, or 8 mp, your choice) and very nice video. Can't comment on hd quality -- haven't hooked ip up to hd tv yet, but have downloaded video to computer to watch, and it looks pretty good. Camera is very small, fits in a pocket. Comes with battery (about 2 hrs record time) and cords for hooking up to pc (downloading content and recharging battery), watching video on tv (reg and hd, separate cords included), and regular ac charger. We picked up an extra battery (about $15) and a 4G video card (none was included w/camera) (about $20). This gave us 4 hours of recording time before recharge and download were necessary -- plenty for our needs. Super easy to use, auto adjusts to most conditions. Didn't do well at night, even on night setting, unless object you were filming was well lit againt dark background. (We tried to film some ducks swimming at night, and just got black.) Camera has a tripod fitting, but we didn't have a tripod with us, so video can be shaky if you don't hold camera still -- not too much of a problem, except when we were on a boat. All in all we were very pleased with this camera, and price is fantastic. Plan to give at least one as a Christmas gift this year. (Be careful when you use zoom, give camera time to self adjust before snapping pic, or it will be blurry.)
  
  
• My first camcorder
  By A36GRAHYOYVIH8 on 2008-07-11
  The Aiptek HD Camcorder is a terrific unit at a very reasonable price. Video and still pictures are of excellent quality, the unit is small enough to carry anywhere, built-in menus and functions are very intuitive, and I now have some excellent video of my grandchildren.
  
  
• Junk
  By AFB3NDT2ZW9J4 on 2008-09-03
  This junk broke within months of getting it. I was so careful with this camera, but it just stopped working. The joystick part broke and now I can not change modes or play back video clips.
  
  Just wanted to add that Aiptek gives you the run around and doesn't seem to want to honor the warranty. When called they said we need a return number. They sent us an email to replay to for the number. They never responded back with the number.
  
  When/if we ever get the number to return the camera we pay to ship the camera to them. They won't send a replacement for 5 weeks after they receive my camera.
  
  
• Beautiful Videos
  By A34PAZQ73SL163 on 2008-03-26
  I got this locally right after Christmas from a big box store. I wanted to use the recorder to make videos for the purposes of internet upload. Unfortunately, the sites I post at cannot take high resolution recordings. Regardless, I've found that a laptop camera is better for me as it allows me to read off the screen without the burden of having to have notes in my hands. Yet the Aiptek was an excellent deal anyway. I really like the videos I've captured with it and the display screen is a wonderful feature. Further, the digital pictures are miles better than the ones I normally take with my 2006 Fuji camera.
  
  I read that one reviewer said that he had a problem with this software. Frankly, I have not experienced any difficulties. I even saved the pictures I uploaded to a disc and gave them to a friend. She, in turn, didn't have any problems opening them up on her Apple so I'm not sure exactly why he had those sync obstacles. I ended up buying a 4 GB card which gives me all the memory I need to complete my minimalist endeavors. Overall, this is a very good buy in lieu of its low price.
  
  
  
• Fun!
  By A1PPEZ1QKYA5LY on 2008-04-24
  Yeah, the audio isn't so great, but for the price it can't be beat for the "fun" factor.
  
  Where the camera suffers the most (besides not having an optical zoom) is at action shots - I've taken this camera out snowboarding a few times - there's a noticeable "wavy" effect on the video when panning fast or if there are many moving objects. But honestly, not that much of a deal breaker for what it is.
  
  With an 8gb SD card, you can get over 4 hours of HD footage (FYI - the battery only lasts around 1 hour)
  
  Still shots with the camera are really nice.
  
  Editing the footage with iMovie '08 is a breeze.
  
  
• Nice for the price
  By ABQMB8GEWQYZW on 2008-04-24
  I bought the Aiptek A-HD 720P 5MP CMOS High Definition Camcorder about a month ago, and unfortunately, haven't used it quite as much as I'd envisioned. Still, the few times that I have used it, the open, point, and shoot simplicity, the image quality, and the ease of exporting to my Macbook Pro have certainly been well worth the price.
  
  For under $150, this is a fairly impressive little camera. It works pretty well in fairly low light conditions, the audio quality is quite good, and the picture quality, while probably leaving a bit to be desired if the unit cost several hundred more, is quite good, particularly when rendered in native resolution. Manipulating and exporting the resulting video and still image files is straightforward, and the file sizes it produces can be very reasonable once converted for web delivery.
  
  With the limited opportunity I've had to use it, I can't really comment on overall battery longevity, but I can relate that after fully charging the unit via the USB interface to my Macbook, it sat around for a couple of weeks before the next use, at which point it performed as advertised, and I probably had it on for well over 45 minutes total shooting and reviewing video items, without the battery indicating it was about to give up the ghost. Looking at the numbers, however, lead me to believe that with a 4GB card in the slot, you'd probably run out of battery before you ran out of storage space for whatever you are shooting.
  
  Overall, very light weight and easy to control, with excellent preview via the screen.
  
  The only negatives to report are a slight shutter delay from the time you press the button until the camera actually captures a still image - almost a full second or so. Kind of limits the unit for 'action stills' applications. Also, in a 'busy' close up environment, the autofocus has an annoying tendency to base focus on all sorts of things except what you're shooting, but this only occurs at ranges of 3 feet or less.
  
  Generally, I'd say that I'm satisfied with the product!
  
  
• Broke in 2 weeks
  By A25DJMYJC9JGMC on 2008-05-03
  I got the camera for vacation and It is very easy to use and the photos and video came out very well. I didnt have a problem so much with the sound. Out of nowhere the middle joystick button broke. It moves up down, right left fine but it wont push in anymore and click like it used to. I can still use it but I have to ave very light pressure on the joystock or else it will think im clicking down allthe time. PITA. Thats the only bad flaw that I have with it. The zoom in and out flickers somtimes and you cant hold the camera still at all if its zoomed in but what do you expect for under 150 bucks.
  
  
• The PERFECT little camera
  By A1OSM3Y13NJLJ5 on 2008-07-07
  I recently purchased the Aiptek A-HD 720P. I thought it would be a good idea to experiment with it before I wrote a review. Here are my thoughts...
  
  I love this camera. I thought, for the money, I would get a decent camera that I could just throw in my bag and go, and get a fairly OK picture out of it. It exceeded my expectations and then some. First of all, it is really the coolest looking gadget. The perfect size to take anywhere, and fairly sturdy. I read some other reviews talking about the camera's frailty - if you're not throwing it around the room and are generally careful with it (which should be standard for any electronic gadget), you'll be fine. Also, this camera is SO easy to use. Basically, open the screen, take off the lens cap, hit record and go.
  
  The picture quality is VERY good. In low light, it tends to be a bit grainy, but I fully expected that. In good lighting (especially anything outdoors in daylight hours) the picture is beautiful - on my PC AND on my 42" Hi-Def TV. It's hard to believe that I am getting a crystal clear Hi-Def picture out of this little inexpensive camera.
  
  Sound quality is pretty OK. Not nearly as bad as some others have said. The mic is on top of the camera, so if you're recording and speaking, you come in loud and clear. Everyone else is medium, but audible.
  
  I also love that this camera hooks up to my Hi-Def cable box so that I can upload TV shows on to the camera, then ultimately to my iPod. It is a fanstastic feature.
  
  As far as uploading to my computer, I had no real issues. I had to play around with what program would play back video the best. I ultimately went with the software that came with the camera. The videos can also be converted to iTunes compatible (took a while with my PC to convert, but once it was done, it looked great).
  
  The camera also takes very good still pictures and has a flash (FYI - the flash is only used for still pictures - does not function for video). Also, very straightforward and easy to upload pics.
  
  All in all, 2 thumbs up for Aiptek. I highly recommend this camera to someone, like myself, who wanted a nice, easy to use, small-sized, inexpensive HD camera that can literally be taken anywhere.
  
  
• Great camera for the money, not many downfalls!!!
  By A3TCKBHXY6DYY6 on 2008-08-28
  I have spent a lot more money on high end sony, sanyo, and canon cameras and none come close to the quality of the pics and video indoors or outdoors as the Aiptek A-HD does.
  Now it is not perfect such as the zoom, well don't use it because the pics and video quality degrade if you use it.
  The pics have very correct color and saturation. But if you are indoors and try to capture little kids moving around they will most likely come out blurry. I think they have the shutter speeds set a bit slow for this but otherwise great.
  In short I own this for 120.00 and also a Sanyo hd1000 for 710.00 and am very happy with both and will keep them.
  
  UPDATE: I have recently purchased a Kodak V1253 that surpasses this camera big time for pictures and even the video is better. The stereo sound is also an improvement.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A5O80LO8DJKB0 on 2008-02-19
  I recieved this camera for Christmas. I was kind of skeptical because of the brand name, but it turned out to be my favorite little toy. I carried it everywhere and recorded several clips.
  
  
  The Good: Long Battery Life. USB Charging. Indoor Video/Picture Quality. Ready to record once the screen opens. Easily fits in back pocket. Easy to hold. Flip screen
  
  The Bad: Low light/nightime video quality. Zoom Feature is irrelevant. No shortcut to view photos/videos. Choppy Video when watching on PC
  
  
  This camera is great for capturing those everyday, not-so-great moments in life. I wouldnt suggest this camcorder if you are seriously trying to capture important events.
  
  
  
• very handy with multiple disadvantages.
  By A1SZR885IHXT4W on 2008-03-23
  I got mine from circuit city because it is advertised as an HD video Camcorder and after I got it... I realized that sound quality is very poor the the picture quality is excellent. every time you move your hand you hear more of your own movement and breathing or rustling than of the target your are trying to capture. the mic is on top of the camera. no external mic input. must buys a tripod cause this camera does not stand up on it's own because of it's unusual shape. This camcorder doesn't have video light for recording in dark environment. other than that upgrade the firmware or else you will be stuck with the 2x zoom cause the upgrade has 4x zoom. due to the mic issue (for video mode) I have used it mainly as a high resolution digital camera with HD quality pic when set at 8 megapixel setting. good luck... and ps... buy extra batterys and 4gig SD card if your intent to video or take lots of pic. internal memory is very small. goodluck.
  
  until they have improved the sound quality, night video light and a better zoom power. I'd hold off and buy a typical cam corder with a weaker digital camera feature.
  
  

• Aiptek Lithium Rechargeable Battery for IS DV Digital, GO-HD and A-HD camcorders
• Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 12
• Corel VideoStudio Pro X2
• Aiptek ZPT-PM18 1800 mAh Ploymer Battery with Special Battery Cover
• Roxio Creator 2009

• Sandisk 4GB Secure Digital SD HC Memory Card (SDSDB-4096, BULK, No Reader)
• Transcend TS8GSDHC6 8GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
• Transcend TS4GSDHC6 4GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
• Aiptek Lithium Rechargeable Battery for IS DV Digital, GO-HD and A-HD camcorders
• Sandisk 8GB SD Memory Card (SDSDB-8192, Bulk Package)