Customer Reviews:
 A Cool Toy September 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After reading reviews, I decided on this camera for my classroom. It's cool and ever-so-easy to use. Being a Mac user, I needed to use Quicktime to view my movies. Working on several different operating systems between school and home, I initially had problems. I found an application, ViddyUp to put my video in a format that moved between computers and between my Quicktime and iMovie. I'm entirely satisfied with the portability, quality, and ease of using this movie camera.... and it's soooo inexpensive!
 I Wanted to Like It..... August 28, 2008
3 out of 3 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.....
 A decent camera for Youtube August 28, 2008
I didn't think that I needed this camera when I got it, as my cellphone & my regular digital camera both take decent video, and I also have a MiniDV camera when I really want to make something nice. But it sounded convenient and easy to use.
For the most part, that is true. Taking a video is easy, with only buttons that you can operate with one hand if necessary. The camera also has a built in USB connector, so you can plug it straight into your computer. The 2GB of included memory is more than enough at the resolution the camera uses.
The form factor is the nicest part, as it easily slips into your pocket. It is very lightweight, and I even put it in my back pocket and sat on it by accident, without any apparent damage.
The biggest problem is the video quality. It is good in a well lit situation, but anything beyond a very bright room or daylight will start to be a problem. Also, the resolution is low enough that it will not look very good when played on a TV, or full screen on a computer. But, for Youtube, it is enough. My only real problem with the video is that it automatically splits everything into individual clips. I would have liked an option to add onto the previous clip, so that it would be possible to do in-camera editing.
All in all, if you want a easy to cary and easy to use camera for making videos that will look good on Youtube, this is a great buy. If you want home movies that will persevere for generations, look elsewhere.
Fun & functional as a toy, emergency backup or when discretion is required August 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
For this price range (under $100) this tiny video camera is a really fun toy that you might give to a teenager, use as an emergency backup, or use when you're just too afraid you might break or lose your better equipment (on a roller coaster, in a kayak on a river, etc.).
Pros:
Very lightweight, portable and compact.
Easy to use.
Files easy to download. I have an Intel Mac and I just plugged it in the USB port and dragged and dropped. No software is required to do this.
Inexpensive.
Neutral
VHS quality at best. Not much more can be expected at this price point.
Cons
Zoom function is very choppy. It's not smooth as you go back and forth and it looks like it's stopping at various increments.
Audio is acceptable at best. It's a very general mic that seems to pick up a lot of ambient noise.
The size and weight of the device can actually make it harder to have a steady picture.
One of the things I try to do with reviews is compare the item to your other options. I own a 6MP Canon S3 point and shoot camera that also shoots VHS quality video. You can currently (2008) get a quality used S3 for about $250 or a Canon S2 with 4MP (which has almost just as good video) for as low as $125. The Canon's video is far superior in all ways. The audio is focused, clear and adequately loud. The zoom is smooth. And you're only limited in length by the size of your SD memory card. If it were me making this purchase, I'd probably go the route of having both a digital camera and a video recording device all in one. It's not that much more expensive and the quality is simply better.
Still, the Vado has its major advantages. It's smaller, more compact and more easily carried around in your pocket. As a result it's a video camera you'll be able to use when discretion is paramount. It's less expensive and thus more expendable - better if you're giving it to a teen. It's far easier to use so it would be great for someone who needs things as simple as possible.
So I recommend the Vado with reservations. Know your needs and what you'd like to get out of your equipment. For some this will be a great item, for others who could use better video and more versatility it will be worth it for them to spend a little more for something like a Canon S2.
 Convenient, easy to use and downloadable on a Mac with MPEG Streamclip August 20, 2008
This is the sort of product that will eventually change how we shoot video forever, though other items like iPhones and such might eventually do it too. I don't know enough about such things to speculate with any authority, however, all I can say is this is sooooo easy to use it makes any kind of tape-based, clunky camcorder virtually obsolete, at least as far as taking the video itself.
If you want high quality, though, it only holds a limited amount of recording time, then you have to download it. If you're on a trip, that means having a laptop handy. Still, you can carry this around to have in a pinch, which you just cannot with a camera.
The only trouble I had initially was how to fully download this on my mac. Fortunately, I paid for a one-on-one Apple service so I can make appointments at an Apple store and be trained -- the best money I ever spent. They recommended something called MPEG Streamclip and I was able to download the video and edit it on iMovie. Well, live and learn.
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