VuPoint DV-M5056-VP - Camcorder with digital voice recorder - 5.0 Mpix - supported memory: MMC, SD - flash card Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm sure all of us have been curious on just how good a pocket camcorder could be. The answer is: not that good. I'll start off by saying I don't own this, but I have used it to film a school project, which equates to use in a variety of conditions. The camera is nice and compact, and has great battery life (it uses 4 AAAs). It has 4 functions (video, photo, microphone, and review). The wheel for changing this is right above the battery cage (this'll be important in the ergonomics section). Now, let us start with the review. Let's break it down.

VIDEO (3.5/5)- It can shoot in 320x240 resolution and 640x480 resolution. Very small by today's standards (SD now goes up to 720x480 while HD starts off at 1280x720). I'd give the video quality a 3.5 out of 5 (at top performance). It works great in sunlight and bright light conditions, but it is horrible indoors or darkness. Even with sunlight coming in through the windows, the camera simply could not "see" the people in the room! Use it at daytime, outside only. Another thing to note is that there is no image stabilizer. If your hand is shaking, then it's there to stay.

PHOTO (3/5)- It can take photo stills (at resolutions of 640x480, 1280x690, 1600x1200, 2048x1536, 2592x1944) and is capable of taking flash pictures. There is a self-timer, and I believe that's pretty much it for photo-taking functions (there aren't even any preset functions). Once again, great in sunlight/bright light conditions, but I wouldn't recommend using it under any other conditions. I'd give this function a 3 out of 5.

MICROPHONE (2.5/5)- Ah, the microphone. It would work fine for use as a tape recorder (speaking into it), but not for recording music, lectures, or a speech. It just doesn't cut it. The microphone tends to pick up wind, and sadly it doesn't pick up audio that well. Recorded sounds lost about 50% of their clarity even when the source was only 10 feet away from the camera! For the sake of comparison, the microphone is about as strong as that of a digital camera that can take videos.

DURABILITY/BATTERY LIFE (3/5?) - I haven't dropped this or anything, so I don't know what to say about durability. It does, however, have a great battery life. Even with partially used batteries, the camera withstood 4 hours of constant use.

ERGONOMICS (2/5)- Without a strap, it's rather difficult to use this with only one hand. Although all the buttons are located close to each other, they're not placed in the greatest places. Especially when lacking a strap, you'll probably have to prop this on a tripod or operate it with two hands in order to press the buttons while filming. So, ironically, this pocket camera can't be operated with one hand.

So, this brings me to my overall rating of 3 out of 5. This camera is only useful as a casual camera- maybe for your younger son or daughter who wants a video camera, or for around the home, NOT for vacations or trips to Disneyland. If you want a pocket-sized camera good enough for daily and all-purpose use (is there even one that exists?), I suggest you keep looking.

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Product Description:
The Vupoint 5 MP DVM5056 Digital Video Camcorder shoots stills, videos and can be used as web cam. It has 5.0 megapixel CMOS sensor resolution so the digital video camcorder can also take digital stills or be used as web cam. The large 2.4 TFT LCD color display is for composing and reviewing your images on this bright display. The built-in flash can be used to light your subject or environment. It has 16MB SDRM memory and it also supports memory cards up to 2 GB. The Vupoint 5 MP DVM5056 Digital Video Camcorder shoots stills, videos and can be used as web cam. It has 5.0 megapixel CMOS sensor resolution so the digital video camcorder can also take digital stills or be used as web cam. The large 2.4 TFT LCD color display is for composing and reviewing your images on this bright display. The built-in flash can be used to light your subject or environment. It has 16MB SDRM memory and it also supports memory cards up to 2 GB.

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