Aiptek Pocket DV4500 Camcorder

While a picture is worth a thousand words, even a low-quality video is, in some ways, worth an awful lot of pictures.

There is a relatively new form of digital video camera available almost exclusively on the Internet. There are several brands, led by Mustek and Aiptek.

http://www.mustek.com
http://www.aiptek.com

These sites have reasonably complete specifications for the cameras, so there's no sense repeating that information here.

A search on the Internet for "cheap pocket digital video" will turn up some of the other brands such as Gateway, Nisis, and Bell&Howell. Musteks and Aipteks come from China. I believe they all use the same sensors and chipsets, but are packaged differently. They are astonishing examples of miniaturization.

These cameras do several things besides digital stills and digital video. They are also MP3 players, audio/voice recorders, web cams and file transfer systems.

Other Reviews

epinions.com has reviews for other versions, which can be found by searching for "aiptek dv" or "mustek dv".

The best reviews of similar cameras on the Internet can be found here: http://www.dansdata.com/dv3000.htm
Note that the cameras reviewed by "Dan" are now basic to mid-level models.

Critical Question #1: Is this a toy?

If you're used to expensive cameras, or need pro-quality output, it definitely is. If you have it for portability, as a backup cam, for the multi-functions, to lower the cost of damage, loss or techno-depreciation, as an introduction to digital video, because you're a kid, for emergencies, or for an appropriate business use, then it is not a toy.

One market for these cameras is radio-controlled model aircraft flyers, who mount them on their planes and take pictures and video from the air, then share the images on the Internet.

Let's put it this way: you don't expect a Palm Pilot to match the capabilities of a full-on computer, so there's nothing more or less wrong or right about the performance of these pocket dv cameras.

Critical Question #2: How Good are the Digital Images?

That's fairly easy to answer for the digital stills, which are typical for a 2megapixel digital camera.

The answer for the digital video is more difficult since the only way to see if you'd be satisfied is to see some output for yourself. I was lucky to be able to see the output of a Mustek DV2000, and I felt it was good enough for me to go ahead and get the Aiptek.

Video quality is seriously impaired by slow/cheap memory cards, as described later. The shutter speed varies depending on the resolution, from 10-30fps. www.aiptek.com has a good presentation of the camera's specs, and as could be expected, the shutter speed is slower at the higher resolutions. So you should match the setting to the scene: high resolution and slow shutter for static shots, lower resolution and faster shutter for action.

Optimizing the camera's input forces you into some good practices, such as limiting panning and zooming, choosing proper lighting, using the tripod or some support whenever possible, and using the good audio recording capabilities to advantage. The latter is important because a soundtrack can go a long way toward filling in the visual "holes" in limited video. For example, those satellite video news reports from around the world, or playing a voice report while displaying a photo of a journalist.

Be warned that getting reasonable video quality takes some effort. These cams are like going back to the early days of digital video. If you don't want to make that effort, then put your money toward a more expensive, more capable and more automatic DV camera.

We've played back stills and video to a 27" tv. At this size, the stills are fine. The video is quite definitely not up to what you normally see on tv, but is still watchable. One has to bear in mind that at one point, the image came in through a 1/4" lens. On the computer, the video looks better, but much depends on the computer equipment.

The publicity for the cams claims "tv quality" playback, but that's somewhat untrue. For casual use, and sharing images over the Internet, it's good enough, if not excellent.

Input

These pocket dv cameras take digital video, digital stills, voice/audio via the built-in microphone, MP3 music files via the included usb cable from a computer, any other computer files the same way, or act as a web/pc cam.

Output

Digital stills and video can be played back using the camera's very small color LCD panel. Audio can be played back via the built-in speaker, or the included earphones. Any output can be sent to a computer via the included usb cable, and managed with the generous bundled software.

Stills, video and audio may be played back directly to tv's and vcr's via the bundled cable. Recording output on a vcr is simple, using the camera's controls.

A card reader, (not included) speeds transfers. Once in the computer, you can email the files, watch them on the screen, or copy them to diskette, cd-rom or dvd. You can copy digital stills, video, movies, music etc. onto the camera's memory for later playback.

You can, for instance, copy a picture from the camera to a computer, edit it, copy it back to the camera, then record it to vcr.

Once the files are transferred to a pc, you can do anything you do with any data files. Such as copy them to a cd-rom or dvd for storage or distribution.

File naming issues come into play, but are not difficult to resolve. For instance, the camera orders shots in numerical order, so you can re-order them by renaming them. The camera recognizes file names of only a certain syntax, which I haven't fully figured out as the manual does not address this subject.

The MP3 function works just as it should, and to my ear, sounds very good. The supplied earbud earphones seem to be a superior construction. It's acutally impressive to listen to music on this thing and consider that it's also a digital still and video camera.

Storage

Beware that cheap/slow MMC cards can't keep up to the video, and will degrade quality while recording and degrade it more on playback. A slow card will also take longer to ready itself for use, and slower to store digital stills.

Unfortunately, the manufacturers of these cameras don't provide recommendations for MMC/SD card specs, and don't provide camera throughput speeds so you can't figure out by yourself what MMC/SD card is appropriate to buy. If you're going to use a cheap/slow MMC/SD card, save your money and buy one of the older/slower/cheaper version of the camera. I bought a Lexar 256Mb high speed SD card, so I know the card will not limit the camera's performance. The 16Mb of built-in memory presumably is well matched to the camera's throughput speed.

How much memory to buy depends on how prolific you are and how long you'll be away from a computer. Most good video clips are only 5-20 seconds anyway. 256Mb will give perhaps half an hour of video plus one or two hundred stills. More comprehensive estimates can be found on the Aiptek website.

Battery Life

The camera takes 2-AA cells. The Aiptek user manual has a chart for battery life, based on regular alkalines. A set is rated for 120 1600x1200 stills, taken at 30-second intervals with the flash used for every second one. Or 600 1600x1200 stills taken at 4-second intervals with no flash. Or 60 minutes of continuous video recording. That is severe usage, but does not include "review" time. So two AA alkalines would be about right to fill up a 256Mb SD card.

The only reasonable alternative to buying tons of batteries is to buy a NiMH battery charger and cells. Ordinary rechargeable batteries lack the oomph required to power the camera. The flash takes up to about 10 seconds to recharge between uses.

The camera gets power through the usb cable when connected to a computer. If you were really clever and didn't mind risking damaging the camera, you could figure out how to feed 5v into it through the usb port, and use some larger power source. I believe the model aircraft people are doing this to save weight, and getting power from whatever source is in the planes to power the on-board radio equipment.

Build Quality

The Aiptek DV4500 is better constructed than something you'd class as a "toy". The quality looks appropriate for a $140 gadget. If you shake mine, something inside the fold-out screen rattles, but this has caused no problem. Compared directly with a Mustek DV3500, the Aiptek looks more solid. But that may be misleading.

The included cables look like quality jobs, although the tripod is a bit on the silly side.

Durability

There are no moving parts, so theoretically the cams should be very durable. But much depends on how well the switches age, abuse, and the quality of the circuitry etc. The Mustek DV3500 we know of has been dropped several feet onto concrete without only some scratches. This is the second Mustek that person has owned, and he's had no problems with either of them.

Software

The camera is compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP. There is some compatibility with Mac's. There is no direct compatibility with Windows NT since NT lacks USB support.

There is a generous set of software bundled with the camera. These include the camera driver, PC camera software, and Ulead programs for managing and editing stills and video clips. My impression is that getting exposures etc. correct is more difficult with a digital camera than 35mm. One quickly learns the advantages of deleting bad shots and using editing software to correct flaws.

Controls

The control system uses a combination of external switches and screen menus. Although the basic functions are a cinch, the cameras have a fair amount of fine-tuning that can take a while to learn, or keep the technically adept interested for some time. There is much more to using a video camera than a still camera. Learn how to use all the options before a special event or your first results will fall far short of the camera's capabilities.

(The Musteks have a control pad normally covered by the screen. I would guess the Mustek would be more awkward as far as what you have to do with your fingers. I don' t know which would take longer to get used to. The Mustek also has a nice blue LED that shows on the front when doing video. The Aiptek has a tiny led on the back, so it's more discreet.)

Other Features

- 10-second self timer, to put yourself in a still
- auto shutoff that can be programmed for one to 5 minutes, to put yourself in a video
- white balance options for stills
- photo effects such as sepia
- display icon shutoff for tv/vcr playback
- "beep" enabling/disabling
- exposure metering frame control
- exposure control for dim/bright lighting
- flash
- lens adjustment for closeups (12") or distant
- case, handstrap, tripod

Advantages

Obviously, the size and price. The camera makes it easy to have a dv with you all the time, like carrying a Palm computer instead of a full computer. The camera is the size of a computer mouse, and this portability makes a huge difference. You can be taking video within seconds of seeing something of interest.

Flexibility. Typical current digital cameras lack several of the DV4500's input/output modes such as MP3.

Limitations

- The LCD panel is small, very difficult to see in sunlight, does not fold out beyond 90 degrees, and does not pivot to face forward.
- The 16Mb of internal memory lacks adequate capacity for video or playback of video or music.
- The slow shutter speeds impair panning and zooming.
- The resolution falls far short of current typical digital cameras.
- The 4x digital zoom is limited by today's standards, and there is no optical zoom.
- The flash is not powerful, and obviously due to battery constraints there is no illumination for videos
- The case door covering the cable sockets is a surprisingly flimsy-looking arrangement.
- Use as a pc cam or web phone requires a microphone attached to the computer.

Availability

Most of the people who saw this thing want one. However, you can't just pick one up at your local drugstore. Doing a search on HSN.com or Yahoo Shopping for the camera name will turn up the vendors.

Which Model to Buy

There are currently half a dozen brands of these pocket dv cameras. I suspect they're all based on the same chipsets, sensors etc. Other brands are: Mustek, Gateway, Bell&Howell, Nisis. There are many cheaper versions than the Aiptek DV4500. The best one, just reaching the market, is the Mustek DV5000. Cheaper ones usually have slower shutter speeds and lower resolutions, so they're not as demanding on the MMC/SD card.

Comparing specs between the various cameras can be a challenge requiring a spreadsheet to pinpoint the differences. For instance, the Mustek DV5000 has higher resolution for stills than the Aiptek DV4500, and more internal memory, while the Aiptek has a focusable lens and is much cheaper. The icons on TV/VCR playback that can be turned off with the Aiptek, can't be turned off with the Mustek. I prefer the styling of the Mustek. Coming in the fall is the Mustek DV5500, which adds auto focus and a base station recharger with remote. A flash is a big bonus, which some of them lack. Most have digital zoom, but none have optical zoom.

New to DV?

For many people buying these cameras, it will be their first video camera. Some impressions as one of those:

- You think about photography more of the time, and see the potential for photography in your surroundings in a new light that also includes sound and motion.
- You don't have to worry about wasting scenes because you can just delete them. Or you can reshoot scenes.
- The memory card limits video time, but that's a bonus because you don't go on and on filming boring stuff.
- Panning and zooming are to be avoided.
- It's best to use the included tripod, but usually too much hassle to set it up. Like filming little kids outdoors: forget the tripod. There is no image stabilization, so maybe lean on something or hold something like a rock to steady the camera.
- Then there's your new role as a tv show producer. There's a whole area of subject matter about getting interesting footage, audio overlays, commentaries etc.

What can you do with it

Someone could compile an interesting list of possible uses. I've mentioned people who mount them on radio-controlled model vehicles. You could do a household inventory for insurance. Send video of infants to distant relatives. Film bad drivers. Video real estate transactions. Record lectures or product demonstrations. Use it as an Internet phone. Attach it to your pet or a kite.

Cost

For most people, the camera purchase is only a part of a full system. You also need one or several storage cards, premium rechargeable batteries and charger, and perhaps a card reader. You may also have to upgrade your computer, and you may want to purchase additional or better editing software. Then there's another set of purchases for a color printer. On the plus side, you don't need to buy film anymore.

Problems

The only problem with my Aiptek DV4500 purchase so far is that the cd-rom with the camera driver and bundled software is corrupt, and because it also auto-loads, it hangs pc's. While I've been able to partly work around this problem, such as getting the driver off Aiptek's website, it's still annoying that I can't use some of the software. Despite what looks like good technical support on their website, Aiptek has failed to even acknowledge two emails about this problem. I've tried phoning, but I'm not willing to wait on a phone queue of unstated duration, at my cost, due to their faulty product.

Update after a month of use:
Aiptek has also failed to respond to a snail-mail letter, and an email sent to the company in Taiwan. The camera has developed two more problems: the speaker sounds "scratchy" during playback, and several times now, the camera has hung during playback. In that state, it cannot even be turned off, and can only be reset by opening the battery compartment. I believe this risks losing or corrupting stored files. If it gets much worse, I'm going to have to return it.