Surprisingly tough! Video quality link in review, October 2, 2010

I have had this video camera for over a year, originally purchased to record my dance practices. For $ [...], it has definitely done the job, and with indoor lighting the quality is surprisingly good. The most amazing thing about this camera though, is it is tough. A couple of months ago I dropped it from a height of almost 5ft, which cracked the back casing but the camera still works as well as ever! You can see my Belly Dancing video at [...] to see the video quality after I dropped the camera. The colors are a bit off but for I didn’t really expect much, the colors were not affected by the drop. I am upgrading to another camera though, because this does not do well in the bright sunlight. At noon and other very bright times this camera does not hold details on faces well at all from a distance of more than 12 feet. Still, I am giving this camera a very high rating because it is tough, inexpensive, and more than met my expectations.

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fun little gadget, September 13, 2010

Got it for my 14 year old for his birthday and he loves it! I am surprised at the clarity of pictures and video. He has made lots of “movie” clips and has had a lot of fun with it. It is small enough to take everywhere, but big enough to handle easily.

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Cam corder, December 20, 2010

Received the item, Not real impressed with it, the cover for the batteries does not stay closed, Bought it for my grandaughter for Christmas.

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Good unit with a little solvable problem, February 9, 2008

This unit, like some other Aiptek cameras, has a slight problem with video and sound synchronization. It is fixable, however, by downloading a free firmware upgrade from Aiptek’s website. Go to their website and find Support at the top of the page. Go to E-mail Support and click on the line that says “Do I need a firmware update?”. Firmware is a little bit of information in the camera that makes it perform. They will want your model and serial numbers and will send you the update via e-mail. I got mine back in two days and installed it. Tip: Be sure to press the button on the screen first, then the other button for installation. You will need an SD flash memory card to install the firmware. All is fine now. An average computer user will have no trouble with this at all.

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Deduct one star due to the audio/video sync issue and lack of external mic jack, July 2, 2008

Okay, this camera is pretty much outdated now that Aiptek and others have come out with their various HD cameras, but I got mine at a deep discount a couple of weeks before Christmas ’07, so it was worth it to me.

I already had an Aiptek camera and decided to get this one because each camera has features that the other doesn’t. My first one can be used as a webcam, which the mpvr+cb can’t. The mpvr, however, has A/V in and can be used as a personal video recorder/player, which is a feature my other Aiptek doesn’t have.

I use the older Aiptek mainly as a dashcam in my car, since its shape allows it to sit upright, leaning slightly on the lcd screen. It attaches to the dash with velcro.

I use the MPVR+CB for general video shooting and photo taking, and in places where using/carrying my Mini DV would be difficult. I also use the MPVR to record from other video sources, such as my Mini DV or TV broadcasts, as one might use a TiVo or other DVR. The one downside to this is that the audio and video often end up out of sync when recorded with this camera, so I have to synchronize them myself using video editing software.

Now, if I’d paid several hundred dollars for this camera and it had this issue, I’d return it. But it didn’t cost near that much and I bought it knowing it had this issue and that I’d have to deal with it in editing.

I use this camera, and use it often, due to several factors:

1) it’s small; it can fit in a pocket, purse or small camera bag

2) it has no moving parts; it records to SD cards. The max I’ve tried so far is 4 gigs.

3) it’s very easy to transfer the video to my computer for editing; no firewire or recording to another digital source like I have to do with my Mini DV.

4) the video and picture quality are decent for what this camera cost.

5) it’s got a somewhat usable image stabilizer and slightly less usable night shot mode

It is somewhat limited.

1) Already mentioned the A/V sync problem.

2) It’s got a digital zoom only, which means you’re not going to get good close-ups of something down the street or high up in a tree. If I need a powerful zoom I go to my Mini DV.

3) The Night Shot mode works by slowing down the shutter, which produces an effect that some people don’t like. Probably better to use a flashlight if you’re going to shoot in the dark.

4) It would be great if it had a place to plug in an external microphone as the built-in mic is somewhat limited in range and power

Not much in the way of manual settings. You can change preset white balance settings (auto, sun, 2 types of indoor lighting, shade) and change exposure settings somewhat. You can choose video quality (QVGA (320×240), VGA (640×480) and D1 (720×480).

I’ve never used the MP3 player since I have a Sansa and a Nano for playing music/podcasts and I also haven’t tried the voice recorder because I have a digital audio recorder for that kind of thing, so I can’t comment on those two features.

Overall, I like this camera, even with its faults. I didn’t pay what Amazon’s charging for it, but if you understand what this camera is(consumer level pocket-sized video camera, digital camera, PVR) and what it isn’t (it isn’t meant to be a super-duper pro level camera–you’re not going to get that at this price point). Before anyone buys a camera or camcorder of any kind they should do some research so they know what to expect. That’s exactly what I did and I’m very happy with this camera.

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Nice little unit but with desynchronization of audio and video, July 22, 2007

By 

D. Edelson (Silicon Valley, CA, USA) – See all my reviews

  

This is a nice little camera with a fabulous set of features. However, still photos I’m finding to have highly irregular lumination with bizarre dark bands across the photos, and in video I see desynchronization of the audio and video by around half a second with image stabilization, or a 1/10th of a second without synchronization. I’m checking with customer support to ascertain if this specific unit is defective or if they’re all like this.

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A lightweight, easy to use, multi-purpose gadget., November 24, 2009

By 

Heath L. Buckmaster “_heath_” (Sacramento, CA USA) – See all my reviews

  

  

  

Customer Video Review Length:: 7:12 Mins

Here’s a quick video review of the Aiptek PenCam Trio HD.

It’s called “trio” because it’s three gadgets in one: Video Camera at 720p 30fps (saves video in MOV format), MP3 Player (drag files to the device via USB), 5MP still camera.

Included in the package: AV cables, USB cable, HDMI cable, Wrist Strap, Headphones, Armband, Sunvisor/stand.

In this review I show you what’s in the package, and an example of the video and still picture abilities of the device.

I am giving this device 4 stars. It takes a lot for me to give a gadget like this 5 stars, because there are inherent weaknesses in something of its size – namely size of screen, and a slight quality sacrifice. But overall, for what it is, it’s a great gadget to play with and carry everywhere!

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words … Not the best choice out there, November 26, 2009

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Bobbie – "Andromeda’s Grandma" (United States) – See all my reviews

  

Customer Video Review Length:: 0:45 Mins

Quick Summary –

Pros: Light, easy to use and carry. Discrete Video Camera. Cords included for connection to HDTV.

Cons: Low Quality Video, Video stores as a .mov file (Quicktime), 100 minutes max, not 2 hours, Low Quality Photos.

A picture IS worth a thousand words. The attached short video shows only one thing – the comparison of video quality between my older Flip Video and the Aiptek using indoor lighting. I chose to compare these two because of the similarities in actual cost.

I held both cameras and shot both very short video clips at the same time for a true comparison. As you can see, there is a distinct quality loss with the Aiptek in the video. While the Aiptek picks up the sound better (it’s louder), there is an edgy harshness to the sound.

The battery is a 2-hour battery under normal conditions. HOWEVER, this camera can only store 100 minutes of video, not the 2 hours mentioned in the description. And, this total of 100 minutes is based on having no pictures or music stored on the camera.

I used the camera to take still photos (Indoors). All of the photos were of small items (for E-bay) and needed to show detail. There was significant loss of detail when using this camera, and the color spectrum was off (whites showed as yellows). I have uploaded one of the photos (in the photo section of the silver Model) to demonstrate the lack of clarity and focus.

The buttons work more smoothly on the Aiptek than the Flip, and it is narrower (although a bit longer than the Flip). While it compares itself to a highlighter, I would suggest that it is closer to the size of two highlighters.

The arm band is well made and fits both my arm and my husband’s arm (with room to spare). Since my husband takes a “large size” blood pressure cuff, I would say that it will fit most sizes! It is also nice to have a stand for a table so that I can take a video of myself for my parents.

The battery is rechargeable and needs to be charged using the USB cord. For 2 hours of use it takes up to 8 hours to charge.

Video stores as a .mov file and needs to be viewed in Quicktime. To even see the file on your Windows computer, you need Quicktime, either downloaded or copied from the included disk. Powerpoint and Windows Movie Maker do not accept .mov, so you need to download a .mov to .wmv converter (free online) if you want to convert movies for use.

Law Enforcement Officers: While the camera is obviously a camera, it is very lightweight for a pocket with a nice pocket clip. The recording light is on the back, which means that it is still a discreet method of recording. It is a 2-step recording process, Pen must be turned on (side button) and the recording started (red button on back.)

I would actually consider this a nice gift for a preteen or another individual who is looking for something handy (and relatively low cost) to carry with them that includes music, digital photography, and Video clips. But, if you want a decent camera or video camera, this is not your best choice.

A solid “OK” with three stars.

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Mediocre performance, November 28, 2009

By 

Matthew K. Morgan (Ruther Glen, VA USA) – See all my reviews

  

  

  

The AipTek PenCam Trio HD is a multi-purpose gadget that includes an HD video camera, a 5MP digital still camera and an MP3 player. After experimenting with this device, I came to the conclusion that it is a mediocre device for imagery but acceptable for audio. I will explain each feature separately, then I will discuss some other things about this device.

First and foremost, this is billed as a pen-sized video camera. It does indeed record video, at a reasonable resolution and frame rate, up to 100 minutes worth. It’s easy to work with, just set the mode, turn on the power and start recording. The audio on the recorded video is loud and clear, but the video itself is very grainy and not of the best quality. Worse, zooming in and out is not smooth AT ALL, being very jumpy and erratic. There is a light that can be turned on to enhance the light balance when recording but it is not enough to rescue the otherwise poor quality. On the plus side, there seems to be some adjustment for jitter built-in so that video recording is not too susceptible to slight movements.

The 5MP camera is very limited in capability. You can turn the flash on and off, zoom in and out, and snap pictures. There are no other adjustments and settings that can be made to improve the picture quality and as a result it is easy to take bad pictures. In fact, my cell phone’s 2MP camera is better at taking decent pictures, and that says quite a lot.

The one redeeming feature of this device is the MP3 player. It does a nice job of audio playback, with decent sound quality and volume control. With 4GB memory it can hold quite a bit of music and audio.

There is no documentation with this device, at all. The print on the box is as close as you will get to having documentation, which is a terrible oversight. It is not good enough to assume that users will automatically know how to use this device, even though it is relatively straightforward. Several things about this gadget are learned through trial and error for the less electronically inclined.

*** UPDATE 11-29-2009: I was told that a mini CD with the manual should come with the gadget. Mine did not. I hope I am an isolated exception…

The screen is actually the biggest complaint I have about this device. It is small in the interest of keeping the overall device small, but it is so small as to be hard to see for some people. I struggle with seeing the image on the screen, and that’s a deterrent for using it.

Another unfortunate design decision is that, in order to hear audio at all, you have to use headphones (this device includes a pair of ear buds in the package). Every other video device I have ever used that allows playback has a speaker, but this one does not. If out and about and you need to review your recordings, take the ear buds with you.

The very best feature of this gadget is the included software that installs when you plug it into a USB port of your computer. Installation takes some time but once installed it is very intuitive, responsive and seems to have packed a lot of features for interacting with the device (sending and receiving). It also facilitates interacting with YouTube so uploads are made easy.

Included in the package are all of the cables needed to interact with the gadget.

The AipTek PenCam Trio HD is a small device trying to be a video camera, digital camera and MP3 player all rolled into one unit. Unfortunately it does not work so well when it comes to its visual functions and actually underperforms some cell phones in these areas. Though a useful tool when on the go and an interesting gift idea, this gadget should be viewed as a starter unit at best and a toy at worst.

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It Actually Works!, September 7, 2010

Being a big 3-D fan, I was very excited when this product was announced and, because the price was so low, I pre-ordered it right away without having seen any reviews (because no reviews yet existed). I wasn’t entirely sure if I was buying a novelty gadget or a truly useful device. To save myself from being disappointed, I expected the former and hoped for the latter. It turns out that the camera is much better than a novelty gadget, but don’t expect to throw away your “normal”, digital, point-and-shoot camera or your “normal” camcorder. You’ll still need those when you want a perfect, printable photo and a lot of extended video. However, when what you want is a 3-D picture or short 3-D video, the Aiptek 3-D camera is a great, practical, and inexpensive option.

The first question I had was: “does it really work?” I’m happy to say that the answer is a big yes! The resolution of the parallax-barrier display is pretty low, but the 3-D effect is really great and the display serves the purpose very well. I expect the Aiptek 3-D photo frame, with its higher resolution, will be much better (it’s still backordered as of this writing, so I don’t have one yet). Please understand that when I say “low resolution”, I’m speaking about the resolution of the built-in display, not the resolution of the actual images/video, which is much higher. 5 megapixels for images (2592 x 1944) and 720p for video (1280 x 720) doesn’t sound like much nowadays, but you’ll almost certainly NOT want to print the images you take with this camera anyway. Doing so would require you to convert to the Red/Blue (anaglyph) format. This works, but it’s far less than ideal. Rather than that, I believe you should expect to only view these images/videos on the camera itself, the corresponding 3-D photo frame, or a new, 3-D TV. When you decide those are your primary viewing vehicles for the content you create with this device, the resolution becomes far more palatable. Indeed, the resolution of the images exceeds the resolution of the camera’s display and even the resolution of the 3-D photo frame (800 x 600). For this reason, I think Aiptek was smart to use a relatively low resolution in order to keep the price so low.

The image and video quality is acceptable, but as I said earlier, if won’t replace your existing camera for those times when you want very high quality. The image quality is about as good as the very best cameras being put into cell phones (which also don’t compete with a dedicated, “regular” camera). I’ll reiterate though: the quality is completely acceptable considering you’re getting images in full 3-D. Other than the 3-D feature, there aren’t a lot of frills: no image stabilization, no optical zoom, no flash, etc. It makes sense though because that’s the only way you’re going to get 3-D at this amazingly-low price-point. The camera has a tripod mount so, if you really need supplemental light, you can pick up one of those little LED lights that screw into tripod mounts for not very much money. As for video, it does record in 30 FPS, but if the action is moving quickly, it doesn’t look like it. It looks like 10 or 15 FPS (it may still be recording 30 frames per second, but I’d guess 2 or 3 of those frames happen to be identical). I’ve noticed the reduced frame rate is a bit less pronounced if there is more ambient lighting. FYI: I’m using a Transcend, 16 GB, class 10 SD card. That’s probably not as fast as a SanDisk class 10 card, but it should be enough to accommodate everything the camera can throw at it. It may sound like I’m speaking only negatively about this camera, but it’s definitely not my intention to discourage the purchase of it. I just want you to be clear on what it *doesn’t* do so that you have appropriate expectations. In reality, I’m thrilled with the quality of the camera and it exceeded my expectations.

I’ve quickly learned a trick to taking 3-D video and photos. It has to do with framing the images; I’ll try to explain it here, but it’s a little difficult to articulate. If what I’m about to say doesn’t make sense, just ignore my ramblings- ha. First, realize that everything in the image has a position along the Z-axis (the direction toward you and away from you [as opposed to left/right and up/down]). Next, realize that the frame around the screen itself has a position along the Z-axis. What this means is, some parts of the photo appear to come “out” of the screen and more distant objects appear recessed “into” the screen. The frame surrounding the display is somewhere in the middle. If the part of the image that extends out of the screen is cut off by the frame surrounding the display, it can hurt your eyes a little and look a bit confusing. This makes sense; how could an object (the frame) block the view of a subject if that object (the frame) is more distant than the subject? That’s a logical paradox that my brain translates into…

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It’s not perfect, but for 9 it’s pretty good, September 1, 2010

I’ve had the Aiptek HD 3D video camera for about a week and the bottom line is … its a 3D video camera for 9.

It takes real 3D video at 720p (1280 x 720). When played on my Panasonic VT-25 3D TV, the 3D quality is excellent. The image depth I get is comparable to that of 3D Blu-Ray movies like “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and … well, there aren’t a lot of 3D Blu-Ray movies out yet. That being said, there are several things that could be improved’

Image Quality – The videos look great when things don’t move around too fast. The pictures of my infant grandson are fantastic. The video I took while riding a wooden roller coaster are very jumpy. The frame update rate doesn’t look like more than 10 frames per second for the coaster video. I suspect that the JPEG encoder can’t keep up with that much change from frame to frame. The built-in 2.4″ 3D TFT LCD display has a very limited left/right viewing angle to see the 3D effect. The glasses-less 3D viewing screen is a nice touch, but I probably would have been just as happy with a 2D display.

Ergonomics – It’s pretty well designed. The lenses are at the top of the unit and you naturally hold the unit from the bottom, so I’ve never had the problem of putting my fingers over a lens like I do on some cameras. The buttons are easy to reach and control with one hand, except for the thumb-joystick in the middle. It’s one of those up/down/left/right to select and push for OK multifunction buttons. Its too easy to push or too hard to move up/down/left/right, so I often push the button when I wanted to move it left. The unit’s size is small enough to easily fit in a pocket, and it feels pretty good in my hand … although I have pretty big hands.

Documentation – The Users manual is 12 4″ x 6″ pages per language (5 languages). The software manual is 3 4″ x 6″ pages per language (13 languages). The quick start guide is 2-3/4″ x 13-1/2″ per language (8 languages). It’s a little light on the details, but I’m not sure I would have read more instructions if they were available. I would really have appreciated a book of tips on 3D videography. Things like having a foreground, avoiding a foreground that is only partially in frame and how close is too close, would have gotten me up and running with better videos faster.

Reliability – The camera hasn’t broken yet (I’ve only had it a week) and it doesn’t feed flimsy, but it has locked up three times on the three days I used it for more than a few minutes. Each time I was doing something different (fast forward through a playback, turning on the camera, stopping a recording) and the unit just froze. None of the controls did anything so I had to remove the battery. One time I lost several minutes of video (which I’m sure were my best ever). I certainly hope they make firmware updates available when they work out these last few bugs.

Value for the price – It’s a 3D video camera for 9! (I think I mentioned that.) What more can I say? Well, you need a SD/SDHC memory card and they don’t include one. I used a 2 GB card I had laying around, but that wasn’t big enough for a day of home movies. I’d recommend at least 16 GB. You also probably need a spare battery (3.7v 1200 mAh NP-60 Lithium Ion Battery Pack) although I ran out of memory (with the 2 GB card) before the battery was drained so I’m not sure how long it lasts on a charge. The “case” they provide is a velvet sack which protects against dirt and scratches, but not much else. It comes with a pretty nice set of Red/Cyan glasses (plastic frames, not paper) for those without a 3D computer or TV (why would you buy this if you had neither?).

Software – I haven’t used the software too much, but it seems pretty intuitive. There’s no CD to lose, the software is loaded on the camera. When you connect the standard mini-USB port to your computer (through the provided cable or any standard mini-USB cable) for the first time it installs the software. The software lets you organize your clips, merge clips together, convert from the side-by-side format to red/cyan format, upload to Facebook and upload to YouTube. It doesn’t seem to have an editor and none of my video editors handled MP4s, so I couldn’t shorten the videos to 100 MB for Facebook upload.

Bottom Line: It’s a 3D video camera for 9!

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Better with the Mystery Firmware Update, October 8, 2010

By 

Reynato U. Barrera (Austin, Texas USA) – See all my reviews

  

After getting over the excitement of a 3D camcorder to support my 3DTV, the disappointment began. There were few, if any, instances where the camera was shooting in the promised 30 Frames Per Seconds. Normally the camera would dip down to 15fps and at that point, I stopped taking the camera with me everywhere I went.

So why the high rating?

I stumbled upon a video on youtube shot with my camera and the title to the video was “Aiptek 3D video with new Firmware” The video looked great and was running at a steady 30fps. After asking a few questions, I discovered that Aiptek’s European website had a downloadable firmware that fixed the framerate. Nothing was available in the US site, so after asking a few people who had the firmware if it was safe, I installed it into my camera, and sure enough, my usability has taken a huge turn for the better. For 200 bucks, and with this firmware, the camera is an awesome introduction to the 3D world.

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