There is value, there is frugality and then there is throwing money away. I am against buying bad stuff. I am in favor of buying good stuff at a fair or good price.
I've seen this rascal in a circular or two. Off to the side trying to be inconspicuous. $19 for an HD camcorder. Regularly $29.99. These are gonna go quick no matter what I say but I gotta give it a try.
Once again, the name Vivitar is licensed from the original photography company. They have nothing to do with this item. In fact the company does not exist any more.
The Specs
It is small. The LCD display monitor is even smaller at 1.8 inches.
- Video Recording in HD720p, VGA 640x480 and old school 320x240
- Video Format AVI (what flavor of .avi is unknown)
- Lens F/Stop 2.8
- Photos up to 3MB JPEG
- 4X Digital Zoom
- SD type Memory Card up to 16GB
- Runs on 3AAA batteries
My Thoughts?
How can I say this? On the surface it seems like this should be a keeper. The price is right and golly gee it does HD. I've had prior experience with a cheap Vivitar camcorder. Mine worked for maybe a week or so when it gave itself to the hereafter.
Dig deeper my friends.
The camcorder is small. The sensor is even smaller. The shininess of the plastic does not mean it is a quality product. The plastic buttons may be hard to activate.You might not even be able to see the LCD screen in very bright light.
And that is the only way you are going to get a good recording; you will need to be outside. Indoors it is gonna be bad. Grainy at best.
Modern camcorder record in the .mp4 file format for a reason. It ensures a certain level of video quality in an acceptable file size. This device records in .avi video; which is an older video format. You are not going to get the same level of quality.
It won't be crystal clear. It won't have good color rendition. The sensor is so small there is only so much data it can accept. Not to mention a plastic lens. Or the very small lens opening.
A gentleman by the YouTube user name of Carolina Venom has much to say about the little darling. Heed that man's words. If you see a love one in the store with this in their hands lovingly take it away.
Buy It or Not?
Not. You can do better.
Other Posts of Interest
- A Look at Loss Leader Camcorders
- It Is Not Camcorder Buying Time Just Yet
- Monosnap for Image Capture
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