Aiptek IS-DV2.4 Flash Media Camcorder
- Recording System: NTSC/PAL
- Recording Media: Flash Media
- Optical Zoom: Without Optical Zoom
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Like Grandpa always said, "You Get What You Pay For"
Pros
screen rotates 360 degrees, easy to use, cheap
Cons
bad video quality, bad sound quality
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
This camera is guaranteed to meet low expectations, but for all others it will certainly disappoint.
I don't mind admitting it...I'm cheap. If I can find something at a lower price, I'm willing to make a sacrifice of quality to save some significant cost. A lot of times that pays off; I have gotten some great bargains that have performed well. This Aiptek ISDV2.4 camcorder, however, would not be one of those.
This camera may seem like a good deal at first, with a price under $90 and a nice listing of features. It features a digital still camera, a digital camcorder, an MP3 player, a voice recorder, and a data storage device. It comes across as a very versatile player. At only one pound, it is extremely light and easy to carry. It features a 2.4 inch LCD monitor. The camera features 512mb of memory to capture videos, with a slot for an additional memory card if desired. Aiptek trumpets the image stabilization that ensures steady shots, even when using the zoom. Videos are recorded in the MPEG4 video format, making the transition into Windows Media Player easy for quick viewing and emailing.
The unit comes across as a great deal. I am sorry to tell you...it is not as it appears. One frustrating trait of this unit is that it uses AA batteries instead of coming with a rechargeable battery. This is a battery hog, especially in camcorder mode; you will want to either get some rechargeable AA batteries or buy a LOT of batteries. When changing the batteries I have found that the battery door is a little hard to put back on. The housing for the camera feels a little flimsy, which makes me extra careful in taking the batteries in and out to ensure that I do not damage the case. if the battery gets low - which seems to be defined as below half strength - the camera will no longer allow you to record. There is also no lens cap for the camera, leaving the real possibility of scratching or damaging the lens.
The quality of the picture is nothing to write home about either. The camera does not perform well at all in dimly or moderately lit areas. You need to be outside or in a very well lit room to get a decent picture. In spite of the image stabilization, I found that even slight movement of the camera makes the video shaky. The slightest tap on the camera comes through on the video as a very loud noise. If you rustle around with it, there's quite a bit of noise on the video, which can get annoying. The night shot feature is simply useless; the video light is pointless and looks like a flashlight. It is hard to make the camera stand upright by itself; it is almost like the flip screen takes it off balance. When filming, the viewing angle is very narrow, so it looks like it would already be halfway zoomed in on a regular camera. The digital zoom feature is not all it is cracked up to be, producing a fuzzy image.
To be fair, it is not all bad news. The screen is 360 degrees rotating, so you can see yourself while filming. The camera takes decent still pictures, as long as you are standing perfectly still. The flash for the still camera works well. You can change the focus of the lens from close up to far away, and it works as intended. The camera is simple and easy to use. It comes with an SD slot, a plug for viewing on your TV, and a USB cable (obviously). The sound quality is better than expected, but still not great. The MP3 player is pretty non-descript, and seems to give fair sound quality consistent with the quality of the sound on the video.
If you are looking for a Cadillac camera at a Chevrolet price, this is not it. This camcorder would probably be good for kids, or for making cheesy videos to post on YouTube or Facebook. But if you want to capture cherished memories, I would urge you to pass on this one.
This camera may seem like a good deal at first, with a price under $90 and a nice listing of features. It features a digital still camera, a digital camcorder, an MP3 player, a voice recorder, and a data storage device. It comes across as a very versatile player. At only one pound, it is extremely light and easy to carry. It features a 2.4 inch LCD monitor. The camera features 512mb of memory to capture videos, with a slot for an additional memory card if desired. Aiptek trumpets the image stabilization that ensures steady shots, even when using the zoom. Videos are recorded in the MPEG4 video format, making the transition into Windows Media Player easy for quick viewing and emailing.
The unit comes across as a great deal. I am sorry to tell you...it is not as it appears. One frustrating trait of this unit is that it uses AA batteries instead of coming with a rechargeable battery. This is a battery hog, especially in camcorder mode; you will want to either get some rechargeable AA batteries or buy a LOT of batteries. When changing the batteries I have found that the battery door is a little hard to put back on. The housing for the camera feels a little flimsy, which makes me extra careful in taking the batteries in and out to ensure that I do not damage the case. if the battery gets low - which seems to be defined as below half strength - the camera will no longer allow you to record. There is also no lens cap for the camera, leaving the real possibility of scratching or damaging the lens.
The quality of the picture is nothing to write home about either. The camera does not perform well at all in dimly or moderately lit areas. You need to be outside or in a very well lit room to get a decent picture. In spite of the image stabilization, I found that even slight movement of the camera makes the video shaky. The slightest tap on the camera comes through on the video as a very loud noise. If you rustle around with it, there's quite a bit of noise on the video, which can get annoying. The night shot feature is simply useless; the video light is pointless and looks like a flashlight. It is hard to make the camera stand upright by itself; it is almost like the flip screen takes it off balance. When filming, the viewing angle is very narrow, so it looks like it would already be halfway zoomed in on a regular camera. The digital zoom feature is not all it is cracked up to be, producing a fuzzy image.
To be fair, it is not all bad news. The screen is 360 degrees rotating, so you can see yourself while filming. The camera takes decent still pictures, as long as you are standing perfectly still. The flash for the still camera works well. You can change the focus of the lens from close up to far away, and it works as intended. The camera is simple and easy to use. It comes with an SD slot, a plug for viewing on your TV, and a USB cable (obviously). The sound quality is better than expected, but still not great. The MP3 player is pretty non-descript, and seems to give fair sound quality consistent with the quality of the sound on the video.
If you are looking for a Cadillac camera at a Chevrolet price, this is not it. This camcorder would probably be good for kids, or for making cheesy videos to post on YouTube or Facebook. But if you want to capture cherished memories, I would urge you to pass on this one.
