but luckily I was wrong. I bought the MPVR at Target for $128.77 (the lowest price I found). There were only 2 left, so I took that as a good sign. After the initial charge, which took less than the four hours stated in the manual, I was ready to play. I took a few pictures inside my house in low-light conditions, both at 1 and 3 megapixel resolution. I also shot a short video just so I could test it. The following morning I shot another video outside (it was a beautiful day with plenty of sun), and I took pictures in all the available resolutions: VGA, 1, 3, and 6MP. Here's what I think:

For under $150 you get a digital still camera, digital camcorder, MP3 player, voice recorder, and TV-DVD recorder. It's an amazing deal.

-The camera:
While it does tout the camera as being able to take pictures at 6MP resolution, the actual sensor is for 3MP. I was a little thrown off by this, but if you research, you'll find that more megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better quality, and this little camera is a perfect example. The way it achieves the 6MP resolution is by taking them at 3MP and adding in the extra pixels by the use of an algorithm (similar to what happens when you enlarge a picture using any photo-editing software) before the JPEG encoding, so the results are good. The images are crisp and vibrant. The get a little fuzzy when you take them at full zoom (4x optical), but that's nothing a good tripod can't fix. I currently have the resolution set at VGA because it's the perfect size for email attachments.

-The camcorder:
The first video I shot was indoors, at night-time, without engaging the night mode, and in low light. The image was good but a little fuzzy. The one I shot outdoors was beautiful. The colors were brilliant, and there was very little noise. Also the microphone is really good, and you can adjust the volume settings. You can also zoom in and out while recording video. There are two settings for video: VGA, and the lower-quality less-space consuming QVGA. All video is encoded in MPEG4 so it easily plays on your computer.

-MP3 player:
When you connect the camera to your computer, you'll find an MP3 folder. Just drag and drop your songs there and you're set. The speaker on the camera is pretty good, but it distorts a little if you have it on too loud. The included ear-buds are pretty good, although I'm sure it would sound much better with high-end Bose. You can't fast-forward or rewind a song, but how often do you really do that?

-Voice recorder and TV-DVD recorder:
I haven't used either of these functions yet, but from the sound I heard in the videos, I can probably say the voice recorder is good too. For TV-DVD recording, the camera comes with AV cables so it's just a matter of connecting the camera and hitting record. A 2GB SD card will hold about 2 hours of video.

The MPVR is amazing. It blew me away. And the size is fantastic. It comes with a 2.4" swivel screen, slim rechargeable battery and charger, AV-out/USB combo cable, AV-in cable, and wrist strap. It comes with an internal 16MB flash memory, and a SD/MMC slot accepting cards of up to 2GB. The only draw back that I could find is that the lens is not covered and it does not include a cap. So just be careful not to scratch it. When I first bought the camera I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it, but now that I've fallen in love with it I bought a small compact camera case (BestBuy has good, cheap ones) and a 256MB Kingston SD card. At the manufacturer's website, www.aiptek.com, you'll find extra accessories such as an AC adapter for the camera, extra batteries, tripods, and a wireless remote.

This camera does seem too good to be true, but I can assure you, you won't be disappointed.

This is a great buy. I was hopefull when I bought this, and I was not let down. In addition to the MPVR Aipteck camcorder, I also bought a 2GB memory card and the A/C adapter off of the Aiptek website. It takes great movies in the bright sunlight. It also does a good job of taking movies in lower light situations indoors. In addition, this camcorder takes high quality still pictures (which breaks the stereotype that multi-functional units short change you on one or the other features)and does a great job doing so. My test for the video quality was set on VGA quality, during the day. I played them back on a 55 inch TV and the picture was great, every bit as good if not better than a VHS tape. The manual is very detailed. It is necessary to follow the manual to the letter when installing the software. The software is fair, but I prefer to edit my pictures with Microsoft picture it. I can't say enough good things about this item. The price, options, and quality are unbeatable. When you want to transfer movies off of the camera onto your computer you have to switch the camera to disk mode, it is a easy process but not spelled out in the manual. Hooking the camcorder up to the TV is easy also, hook up the video and sound cable to the A/V in and the other side into the camcorder change the input setting on your TV and your in business. The only drawback is the digital zoom it has 4x zoom but I would never take it past 2x due to the drop in quality.

A very compact, neat little swiss army knife of a camera.
Does good videos in day light.
Night shots either video or still shots - Not at all good.
When would I use it?
I would throw one in my (shirt) pocket, and shoot those shots when I didn't take my expensive rather cumbersome camcorder.

I like its audio, very nice LCD, and a well built body. Also, I like the simplicity of the camera ready to shoot as soon as you flip the screen.

It certainly has the WOW factor. I bought two of these as gifts.
I paid $150 plus taxes at Target.



This is most certainly a secondary on-the-go camcorder with still capability.

For serious shots, I would still use my Casio or Olympus Camedia digital cameras and a Canon Optura 600 or similar.

For the price, form, and function, this little camera does admirably.

Ok, let's clear up the issues up front on this little video camera. It's not a pro-quality camera/camcorder. But it's pretty good. I was cautious about buying this Aiptek at first because of some of the reviews that I had read and video reviews that I have watched. But I ordered it, and for what I want it for (mostly sending video and posting video online) it seems to be just the thing. Here's my opinion on this thing.
br /
br /-Video quality (not bad for internet or typical viewing)
br /-Audio capture quality in video clips (again - pretty good)
br /-TV recording (Works ok - quality comparable to average cable broadcast in VGA mode)
br /-MP3 player (Good - but the included earbuds really REALLY have poor sound quality) You'll need to add your own earphones.
br /Photos (Pretty good) About average for 3.1 megapixels (not close to the advertised 6mp max resolution based on my first-hand side-by-side comparason with the Aiptek vs another name brand true 6mp camera.
br /Voice recorder (Haven't tried it) Really don't need this feature - but based on video audio recording quality, I'm sure it's reasonably good.
br /
br /My final word on this thing - This thing is pretty cool, but don't compare it to a more expensive dedicated video camera.
br /
br /Note - I gave it four stars because the quality is good, but not great. Also because they include rediculously cheap earbuds. But it's not bad at all for the price.
br /
br /Also note - you will want a memory card for this one. The built in memory will only hold seconds of video. I purchased a 2 gig memory card which holds about 2 hours of video.

Getting my MPVR was a happy day - Im still smiling.
Im so glad I purchased this MPVR camera. I tell everyone I can about it. I love the fact that it can do so much with only one device. What a hassle to need to buy an MP3 player AND a camera AND a video recorder. It makes total sense to have them all in one unit... plus much more, as Im sure you've read. ______________________________________________________ I love to go to Costco, or Office Depot and compare my unit to anything they've got. It cant be beat, for even three times the price... ______________________________________________________ I use the video recorder to record movies or TV shows right off the set to watch while traveling, in the gym, or on a friend's TV set. I picked up 2 1 gb SD cards and have lots of room. Can't wait to get a 2 gb card when the price finally comes down. _________________________________________________________ MP3... Yes, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Ipod, but I use it to listen to music, podcasts, etc. You do have to manually put them on the camera, but thats ok. Some audio has to play only from the beginning. It doesn't let you fast forward MP3's. To save battery life, I turn off the screen when listening to audio. ______________________________________________________ Camera: Nice with swivel screen, lots of options, some a bit stupid (like two pictures in one, "frames" , old time color )but the pictures are clear and easy to take. It can even hook up directly to your hp "pictbridge compatible" printer to print direct from the camera. _________________________________________________________ Accessories: So many different accessories come with it or are available. Has a nice combo cable for both USB and AV input on one cable. A different cable is used for input. I got a stand for it and a battery charger and a set of headphones. I have not figured out if you can charge the battery from within the unit. The USB cable also doubles as a power supply, so you can power your camera from your laptop if your battery runs out. I just ordered the optional remote control. Sounds like a cool option. ___________________________________________________________ Camcorder: The main use of the camera is as a video recorder. I love to take it to seminars, meetings and trips. I usually use low quality mode QVGA to get a few hours of video on a 1 MB SD card, but it also has a higher VGA mode. For that I will need the 2 MB card, but the QVGA mode is just fine for me, even when played back on a tv. I guess I can try and use it like a spycam its so small. It can also be used like a tape recorder. __________________________________________________________ To get that much video, it compacts it into MPEG-4 format. It plays back smoothly in the unit, but not always on a PC, due to the MPEG4 decoding codec thingy.. In other words, to download a video file and play it back on your pc, you need a powerful computer processor. ______________________________________________________________ Extras: It's got a low light feature that is useful, and it is a nice size for your pocket. I don't like the design of the accessory plug ins, having to remove a small cover to access them. The software in the unit is ok when you get the feel for it, but it does unfortunately crash sometimes when moving between MP3s. Aiptek.com also includes a bunch of software on disk for the computer, or you can just use it like a big portable hard drive. _______________________________________________________________ Oh , I forgot to mention my favorite feature. The screen is large enough to watch a movie on it comfortably : Thats cool, a pocket movie player ! You can take any movie from your PC, or from the internet, convert it to mpeg4 with the included software, and download it on your camcorder to watch later. ___________________________________________________________ Truthfully, try to find ANY device out there that does what this MPVR does. I dare you!

I mainly bought this for my hobby of flying radio controlled slope sailplanes. I cut a hole the size of the MPVR's body into a very large flying wing & simply slid the MPVR into it, facing forward.

The video is surprisingly good, and with a 2 gigabyte SD card I can record for about an hour and a half, with sound. Even when the glider turns quickly, the video stays smooth & focused. It was also very inexpensive, so I could take a chance on it without worrying that I'd sunk hundreds of dollars into a turkey. Just be sure to use high quality and moderately high speed SD cards (I use a Sandisk II, 2Gig.) Battery life is good too, about an hour using their tiny battery pack (two are provided.)

The one problem I've had with it is that it will not output video to a TV using the supplied cord - it simply goes blank. This means I have to download the video to a computer & make a DVD if I want to view it in any other way than on my TV or its built-in screen. It's not the fault of the cord, either, as I've tried known good ones. This likely isn't a widespread problem, since I haven't seen it mentioned in other reviews.

For the money, I'd say this is the best tapeless camcorder around. You'll have to spend three times as much for a JVC version, and even more for a Sony. If you want zoom, however, try one of the other Aiptek models.

Before purchasing this item I read all the reviews. It was a cheap camera, and what I got was what I paid for. But I just needed a cheap camera. Don't have any preconceived notions that this is some great buy. It is exactly what it is. The picture quality is not great at all, and the pictures I took of people kept coming out a bit blurry. However, the video I took outside in great daylight and even at dusk came out great! There's no anti-jarring technology, so if you move, so will your shot, but I was pleased with the quality of the video I took in the daytime. If you are in a well-lit interior space, you should also have no big problems. There is no optical zoom, so the zoom feature enlarges the objects to fit the screen as opposed to zooming closer to the object. This can cause some objects to become skewed or blurry. For a cheap camera to have around for daytime picnics, outdoor theaters or brief vacation footage, this is a decent camera. If you're looking for Great to excellent quality, keep looking, but fair to good, this is it. Other features include an MP3 player, which I haven't had a chance to use yet, an internal microphone, which is actually pretty good, video/still playback- and the screen shows a very nice picture. That's one of the things I really like about this device. You can take a test shot and quickly play it back. There aren't a bunch of confusing buttons. It's very self-explanatory. This would make a very good starter camera for anyone who is looking for a hobby.

my friend bought an older model similar to this one for $98. and we were both impressed with the camcorder quality alone.
Not mention all the other things it does.
so when he told me about this one being on sale, i jumped on it. even better than his. and actual pvr that you can plug into your tv outs to record your favorite tv shows.
will handle up to a 2gig sd card, gives you about 1.5 hours of record time in high quality.
the mp3 player sounds great too.

I bought this about two months ago so I could record some vacation and paintball videos. This is a great little digital video camera for the price. I added a 1GB SD card so I could get more stuff on it. This is my second Aiptek camera and, by far, the best one I own.

Pros:
- Great video quality.
- Low cost
- Upgradable memory
- Easy to use interface

Cons:
- Picture quality is poor sometimes in "camera" mode
- MP3 and Voice recorder features are pretty useless for every day use.

The most important thing to remember about digital cameras and camcorders is that what fits the needs of some people may not fit the needs of other people. Before buying this item, I read through all of the reviews on Amazon. I noticed many people giving this camera very bad ratings, and that is probably simply because they were expecting something that this camera doesn't have.

First, here's a basic run down of how the camera's features work, which can be found in tons of other Amazon reviews:

CAMERA: Works great. Just what you would expect from any other camera with the same resolution. However, I read one review that said this camera was just as good as the "high end models" from Canon or Olympus. This is simply not true. It is not a "high end model" and should not be regarded as such.

CAMCORDER: This function works, but not as good as a device dedicated to this task alone would. The microphone picks up better and sounds better than I expected, but when the source of the sound is too far away the quality does decrease. When viewed on the camera's own screen, the video looks great. However, when viewed on a TV through the included A/V cable, or on a computer, the video is not exactly the best quality. Also, I found I had to turn the volume of my TV all the way up to hear the sound. However, that could be just my TV as it is getting pretty old. In addition, if you want to take any length of video longer than a minute or so, you will need to expand the memory by buying an SD card.

MP3 PLAYER: All I can say about this function is that it works. It does play MP3s, however it doesn't have added features that dedicated devices may have. For example, you can't sort your MP3s out using directories. You have to have them all in the same folder or the camera won't recognize them. On a side note: the camera's speaker works suprisingly well.

VOICE RECORDER: Again, this feature works. That's about all I can say.

RECORDING FROM TV OR DVD USING A/V CABLE: This feature does work, and fairly well. Like the camcorder feature, the video looks fairly good on the unit's own screen but decreases in quality when viewed on a computer or TV. Again, you will need to buy an SD card if you want to record for extended periods of time. And I wouldn't recommend buying this item to replace your DVR (or your VCR, for that matter) because it simply is not meant to do that.

Now, who needs this product?
If you are looking for a high end camera, a high quality digital camcorder, an MP3 player to replace your iPod, or a DVR replacement DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. This item doesn't offer any of those things. However, if you are looking for a small, affordable camera to replace your outdated film camera, with the added feature of recording video and playing MP3s, this could be the camera for you.

While this camera may not be right for some people, it is perfect for me and I love it.

Updated 10/10/06:

I've been using my camera now for a couple weeks. It's still performing quite well. I only have a couple negatives:

It has locked up on me a couple times. I've found if you push the buttons rapidly, it has the tendancy to occasionally lock up. Since I've learned how it works, I haven't had any problems. Just work with one option at a time, and you'll be fine. If it does lock up and won't shut off with the on/off button, you'll have to remove the battery. Leave the battery out for a few seconds and then reinstall. It should come right back on.

Next, keep your video subject in close--zooming makes things grainy. I alluded to this in my other review. Speaking of grainy, the night vision works in low light, NOT no light. They weren't kidding when they said use a tripod for low light. If you move more than about an inch per second, you'll get streaky video.

Next, it does NOT come with an AC adapter. I wish it did. You can buy the adapter off the Aiptek website. Make sure to buy all the stuff you need in one order, because they'll ding you on the shipping.

Speaking of the Aiptek website, you should buy everything but the camera off of there. Just buy the camera off here. You can buy a refurbished camera with no warranty off their website for $170. It comes with an extra battery and a 2GB memory card, but I decided not to buy a refurbished model because it doesn't have the warranty. If you want a new camera from there with a warranty, now you are talking $200 (with the extra battery and memory card).

Be prepared to be abused, however, because Aiptek will get you for the shipping. I bought $25 worth of stuff, and they charged me $11 for shipping.

The camera case somebody said to buy was too small for my camera. I'm using it to hold my remote control and extra batteries. As for the remote control, it's a toss-up. I think I should have bought (2) spare batteries instead of (1) remote and (1) battery.

Make sure you get a 2GB memory card, the AC adapter, and at least (1) spare battery.

You will want to take your videos and record your videos on the higher quality setting. You can indeed get about (1) hour of recording per GB on the higher quality setting. You can get about (2) hours of recording per GB on the lower quality setting. I burned the lower quality setting to DVD, and the picture is too grainy, and sometimes it makes my cheap $35 DVD player skip trying to read it. The higher resolution is much better.

On the higher setting, you get better-than-VHS (I think they call it Super VHS) viewing. I highly recommend this. Your battery is only going to last between 1.5 to 2 hours on a full charge anyway, so I recommend recording about the length of your battery life as there is no counter or battery % remaining on the screen. If you run out of battery, the camera will just shut off, so plan ahead. It seems like it's been taking me about as long to charge the batteries up as it is to run them down. It's a pretty good rule of thumb, I think.

Make sure to charge your lithium battery all the way up, and then let it run all the way down. Just set your camera to "record" with a 2GB card in there. Set it to the low resolution setting to make sure you don't run out of memory before you run out of battery, and let it run all the way down. Then, charge your battery(s) all the way up again. That is what the manual says to do. It has never been a practice of mine to let lithium batteries go all the way down, but this is what the manual says to do. Travel at your own risk, I guess. It's a good thing they're only $20/each if I'm wrong.

Of course, if you're recording off of TV and you have the AC adapter, you can record as much as you like until you run out of memory.

The only thing I haven't done is to record in extremely cold weather. I assume it will be ok.

I probably won't do another review, as I've covered almost everything here. Good luck, and have fun with this camera. It's well worth the money.



Original Review:

Sometimes you don't always get what you pay for, but this time I think I did. It took a couple hours to charge up the lithium battery, and then I was on my way. Buying an extra memory card is an absolute must unless you only plan on taking a couple pictures. The internal memory will get you 1 to 2 minutes recording time depending on the setting. This camera will allow up to a 2GB card, and for $50, I highly recommend purchasing the 2GB card over the 1GB card for the extra $.

This camera does it all for about $140. Whoever said the picture was bad probably was shaking when they took the pictures. It takes very acceptable videos and still pictures for the money. I even hooked up my color security camera to it. It immediately began to display the video from the security camera when I plugged the included cable into the "AV In" port. If you're using a security camera that has audio, keep it back from the camera and turn the volume down, or you'll get some nasty feedback. The microphone picks up things pretty well.

Also, I had to use a couple of double-ended female RCA-type connectors to hook the cable ends together, as the ends on my security camera and the ends on the AV cable included with the camera are all male. You should be able to buy these at any WalMart or Radio Shack or similar store for a couple bucks a set.

Someone in another review commented on the lens having no cover--that is correct. Just for fun I took one of my red dot 1" scope covers and put it over the camera lens--it is a perfect fit! I bet there are other things on the market that would cover the lens as well. I recommend getting something made from soft rubber (like my red dot cover) if at all possible, but you could use something made from soft plastic if you are careful.

Somebody in another review I read claimed that you will get about 1 hour of video recording time per 1GB. I haven't determined that yet, but depending on the record setting, that sounds like it's accurate.

I took over 50 pictures and about 5 minutes of video plus messed with all the settings, and the battery indicator hasn't moved off of "FULL". I intend to use this camera this fall for deer hunting--up close, that is. The video does get grainy when you zoom way out. I bet if I keep it in my inside pocket of my jacket, the battery will last a long time. If I have to, I'll put a heat pack inside an old sock or something to keep the camera warmer in extremely cold weather. My experience has been that the lithium batteries hold up the best compared to all other battery types in cold weather, but they all get "zapped" when cold.

Speaking of cold, I've had problems in the past with tape camcorders getting condensation in them when moving from one temperature to another. Usually it's the worst when moving from a cold temperature to a warmer one--everything gets fogged up. I'm looking forward to using this camera because there are no moving parts or magnetic tapes.

The controls are easy to use if you have any experience at all with camcorders/digital cameras.

This is a basic, no-frills model which is exactly what I wanted. I was going to buy the Vupoint DV-DM1-VP camera, but it was about $30 more, and it only is memory upgradeable to 1GB instead of 2GB. I bought the camera, a 2GB memory card, an extra lithium battery, the remote control, and the weather-resistant carrying case.

Remember, this a $140 camera, not a $4000 professional video camera. However, I am a tightwad, and I don't believe in paying a lot of money for something just because of the name brand it carries, even tho a lot of name-brand, expensive cameras ARE excellent. This camera does an excellent job (in my opinion) for the money. If there are any additions or corrections that need to be made to this review, I will submit them later after I've used the camera more.

I purchased an Aiptek MPVR to use with a Twenty20 helmet cam while riding motorcycles offroad. It serves that purpose very well. The video quality is dependent on the helmet cam, as the MPVR is only acting as a recording device. The unit is light, compact and not subject to the mechanical failures that can occur with tape or disk based recorders.
br /
br /Since it records on SD memory cards, it is easy to delete files to free up space and there is no need for cables to transfer files to a computer. It uses standard Nokia 8210 batteries, which last for about 1 hour of recording. A 1 gigabyte SD card holds about 45 minutes of video.
br /
br /You can also use the MPVR as a camcorder or a camera, although it's somewhat limited because of its fixed focus and lack of a zoom. For the price, I feel it is a great product.

This is a great little pocketable camera. I love it. To get the most out of it, it is important to experiment with the various settings. Some tips:
br /
br /- For outdoors, set the exposure to the middle setting, the white balance to sunny (or to prevailing weather, auto works well too.), I turn off image stabilization because it causes a weird distortion warping-like effect especially if you move, and make sure night shot is off. I also use the VGA setting for 640x480 tv resolution. With these settings, my videos look great even on my 42 inch plasma tv. But don't expect high-end results, but very good results, better than I expected for the price and size. By the way, the digital zoom is only ok up to about 1.5, after which it gets much too blurry. Also, make sure to set the lens focus to either long shot or close up, it makes a big difference in sharpness. You can switch it even while shooting.
br /
br /- For indoors, you can use nightshot to help in a somewhat dark room, but make sure to take the exposure down to at least one notch to the left of the middle setting. Night shot helps with making the picture lighter, but it also causes a lot of blurring when things move. Lowering the exposure helps to compensate and lessen the blurring. I found that the middle exposure setting causes too much blurring and is unacceptable. Just turn it down a notch of two from the middle, and you'll get acceptable to good results. Of course adding more light in the room helps. And don't use image stabilization, it distorts the image too much.
br /
br /- For photos, use the same settings and you'll get good results. Some of the photos I took outside on a beautiful day came out stunning, and look fantastic on the plasma tv.
br /
br /Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with it. I also got a 2gb sd card and an extra battery, which I recommend. It's the perfect size and weight to just keep in your pocket to catch those spur of the moment shots, and for the price it can't be beat!

I originally got this camera for the video since I already have an expensive digital camera. My former camera also shot video at 320x240 while this one shot at 640x480 at 30 frames per second so the quality was a little better but still not that great.

I tried to take pictures with this and they were very out of focus even with the stabilization on, the correct focus set and on all the highest settings. The zoom is all digital so it just magnifies the image rather than the camera actually zooming in like in an optical zoom. That means an already low quality image goes to crap in any zoom over 1x.

Overall, I probably wouldn't recomend the camera unless you just use it for video (haven't tried the MP3 or tv recording yet)or if you can't afford a $300 digital camcorder.

I got this camera because it was cheap, and all I needed it to do was record simple things better then
my Digital photo camera. Well.... The movies on my Photo camera are actually better.... so are the photos.

For mac, you need to also download a converter software to allow you to play the movies. The other
functions are just plug and play. (love Mac sometimes) The software is called Flip4Mac WMV Studio. $49
Makes it so all .asf files can be played on Quicktime, and can be imported into iMovie.

My 2001 Dimage-X Shoots video. At night, in my room with just the normal room light, I can see
everything, but it all has a yellow tint to it.

The Aiptek is almost totally black. It Does, however, have a night Shoot setting. This makes the
room clear, and in color, far better then the Dimage-X Photo camera. HOWEVER..... As soon as
something moves in the frame, it's all blurry. It looks like it's using a very long exposure, to get the
night effect. Still objects, and a still camera make things look nice and bright, but move a little
and it gets so blurry, you would swear you were filming ghosts.

There is a 5 second delay from turning the camera ON, to being able to take photos or film.

There is a 2 second delay when it tries to adjust for light conditions (going from sun to shade).

Video seems to be pretty good in my room, in the morning, with the sun shinny through the windows.

The controls are beautiful. Everything is super user friendly and intuitive. The Video button and
photo button are next to each other, and it's as simple as pressing one or the other for shots. No
fumbling through menus to switch over (my photo camera has this problem).

Mic is not very sensitive for the sounds that matter. There is a lot of hiss, and any camera noise
(like rattling or the strap blowing against it) will be over powering to the sound of what you are
trying to record. Actually... strike that.... the mic is garbage. I can walk up to the camera, and
say something in a normal tone of voice, and it sounds like I'm talking through a pillow, but
you will still hear hissss like you got the sensitivity up too high.

All in all, it's not bad for a kick-around camera, but I think that there are better still cameras that do video
for the same price (and are Mac Friendly).
Samsung Digimax i5 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
$185.50 works with Power Mac G3
SD/MMC card slot (up to 1 GB guaranteed) better low light sensitivity then the Aiptek
MPEG-4 VGA 30 frames per second Movie Clip VGA: 640 x 480 pixels AVI (MPEG4) formats. Not
the ASF format in the Aiptek that has to be converted.
But, even with the i5, you need 2 FREE softwares. One: DivX. You can get this on the Quicktime webpage. Two: Xvid for Mac OSX. You get this at xvidmovies.com/mac/ This will allow you to play all the movies you record on this camera in Quicktime, and bring them into iMovie. They will still be AVIs with a Xvid Codac but you will be able to see them. You will have to Export them as Quicktime to give them to your friends. but it's FREE, not $40.

I bought the Aiptek MPVR 6MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 4x Digital Zoom as a gift for a friend that is into computers and electronics. First i have to say that i got the package in perfect condition which made me feel better cause it was my first online shopping in amazon.com, i got it within a week i made my order which was faster than other websites. Well, my friend was surprised to see what such a small item can do. He's been sending me pictures and videos and he says he's already downloaded some songs. The picture quality is really good as well as the video. The Aiptek is easy to use and he can take it everywhere which is the best part. I know it's probably not the best camcorder ever made but with also a camera and mp3 player mode for such a reasonable price what else can i ask for. I wouldn't recomend this for a professional but for those who go on vacations or small trips and want an mp3 for the way back and forth their destination and also to capture all the wonders they see either with a pic or with a "home made" video.

This is a good starting digital video camera. It is certainly worth the price for the quality you get. Great if you are a teenager like me who isn't overly concerned with the high quality shots. Not recommended for use by Speilberg, but if you want to capture the moments that matter for an insignificant sum, this is the camera for you.

I was skeptical of an all-in-one camera at this price, but my purchase allayed all those concerns. As with most relatively low-priced things that claim to 'do it all' I expected a compromise among features and performance.... not so with this little gem.

The still picture quality is great (the only thing that I found to mess up stills is shaking while taking the pic). No, the video isn't like a high-end camcorder, but for the price the video is great, and doesn't seem sensitive to shaking. The flash performance with stills is impressive, taking good pics even in a pitch-black totally dark room.

It's as simple as dirt to use - after a few uses, you can put away the instructions for good.

Although software is provided, you don't need to install any programs - Just use Windows Explorer to transfer pics and movies to your pc just like moving files between folders.

There's nothing to switch when going from still to video mode.

The exposure can be adjusted for various lighting conditions, which I almost never need to do.

This is in addition to being an MP3 player, voice recorder, and micro-VCR to record directly from TV (haven't tried that yet).

Performance, simplicity, inexpensive, compact, and lightweight..... what else is there?

I wish I could score it a 4.5 - I can't give it a 5 because:
- No lens cap included (gasp!), and the lens is right out there so it's easy to smear.
- Zoomed images get fuzzy beyond 1.5 to 2X or so, but that's typical with digital zoom.
- Battery doesn't fit snugly in the charger, so it's easy to jar loose.

If you expect to have hd quality for the price, move along. But if your looking for a camera that wont make you poor for a while then you've found it and your getting a great deal. The quality in the camera is very good,and the mic picks up sound. They dont include a lens cap which is stupid so you might have to shell out for one of those if you want to make sure the lens doesnt scratch. An ac adapter also isnt included which is another downer. Also, get a memory card! Kingston makes pretty good ones. So to reiterate, this is in no way a top of the line video camera, BUT for the price you are getting a very good piece of equipment that you should enjoy. There are a couple of things not included that should be which stops it from getting a full 5 stars, but other than that its still very good.

I just got this a couple days ago. Neat.
The video is actually A LOT better than I thought it would be.
It is weighs very little, feels "too" light? But, what is in this thing anyway? Nothing, no hard drive, no tapes, no moving parts. I bought a 2gb SD card and loaded 100's of MP3's on it (which I appreciate more than I thought I would) and still have room for an hour+ video. This is a perfect LITTLE vid camera. The stills at 3mg are good enough for the web or 4X6 prints. I REALLY like this thing ... fun fun fun ... :-)

I purchased this item for the camcorder only and am pleased with it. I knew that is was not $800.00 electronic equipment, so I found that the video and sound were fine for the price. Having done some research ahead of time, I also purchased two 2gb cards and used an old camera case that I'd had, so I didn't have any of the surprises or accidents that others have had. I didn't have any battery issues, but intend to buy another so I won't have any problems in the future. Software worked easily and the video looks great on my PC. Have yet to burn a DVD.

I got mine in the mail last week. The video quality is great, more than sufficent, believe me. And the battery lasts a long time. The energy indicator said the battery was about dead, but i still played mp3s on it for an hour. I still got an extra battery for it which should be arriving in the mail soon. If i'm on a road trip that would be very handy to just switch out the battery and conitnue listening to music. The battery just slides out. You open the cover and slide it out easily, though it's still perfectly secure. There's a charger you place it on. You don't place the whole camera on the charger. This is also handy if, say, you are on a road trip somewhere and want to quickly change the battery. Screen is more than big enough, believe me. Holds up to 2 GB cards which is currently uncommon for cameras at this price (going by the ones i've seen.) Oh yeah and when you record a video your voice or other sounds are recorded great too. It comes in very clear. there's no need at all to shout. that was something i was worried about before i got it. I would recomend buying a few things for it if you've got the money: an extra battery, a case, some cards (i like to have seperate cards for mp3s, pictures, and video, but that's just me.)and well that will get ya set and all of the accesories are very cheap. i would recomnend this camera. don't listen to the negative things about it. even if it does break early USE THE WARRANTY. The warranty lasts a year. and from what i hear aiptek has updated this camera since it's inception.
br /

Good if you just want a mobile Webcam, bad if you are shopping for a camcorder. The video quality is not really better than an average Webcam, the only advantage is that you can put it in your pocket and take it with you, instead of being attached to your PC. But other than that, the picture on TV looks bad, jerky movements, lots of artifacts, etc, the typical quality of a Webcam. Nothing that compares to real video. Oh yes, you can take still pictures, play MP3 files, etc, but gimme a break, you can take better pictures with a cheap digital camera, and you already have some sort of MP3 player, right? Anyway, I bought it as a cheap camcorder, but I was thoroughly disappointed. I wouldn't want to shoot any video on that quality. Plus, they send me a black version, which doesn't look nearly as good as the silver one that Amazon has on the Web site (and I thought I had bought). Also they don't mention that the camera comes with an unusable 128KB memory, so you'll need to buy extra memory (at least 1GB) to use it. Very disappointed.
br /

After reading the good reviews and spending about 2 hours looking at UTube same videos, I went out and purchased one of these units. Well I returned it 9 hours later. Why?

CONS:
The videos I made (outdoors) appeared washed out and the camera frequently went out of focus while filming. It made me sea sick to watch on my PC monitor. The stills were a joke. There is like a 1.5 second delay from when you press the trigger and when the camera actually takes the shot. Needless to say the portrait pictures of my Daughter were a blur most of the time. BTW I was using 6Meg (interpolated) setting so perhaps that had something to do with the still photo problem. The Flash? Oh yeah the flash on my throw away is brighter.

Video indoors is a problem but that's what everyone says.

PRO:
- good for a child learning about picture taking and computers
- good for taking out on the town with friends @ bars
- neat swivel LCD
- It does make videos but I get the impression you can't move around while doing it....
- Like the combo features of the camera,mp3 player or mass storage device.
- the concept of this camera (mpeg4/sd cards) I believe is the future of video. Only if they can marry optics with proper compression you'll have a winner

Sorry for the slam but I've got to tell my side. For $139- $149 I think one can do better...


Cheers,
brian

Wow, all these really great reviews...maybe my Aiptek is the only one that sucks, then. I think not...

People looking for detailed photos with good quality and zoom, DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA. I tried taking so many pictures of temples and mountains and other fairly detailed images and they WERE ALL BLURRY!!! It hurt my head to go through them on my computer - I ended up having to delete them all, which was SUCH A WASTE, because I won't be going back to some of the places again in the near future. I EVEN GOT NAUSEOUS WATCHING THE VIDEOS I RECORDED! I didn't think you get motion sick from watching a 1 minute video...you can if you use the AIPTEK. The only pictures that turned out well are the ones VERY upclose - like IN YOUR FACE upclose. Pictures from far away suck BIG TIME.

Do not buy this camera, unless you're okay with nausea and have 200/200 eyesight.

This is actually for the MPVR+ with 8MP resolution, apparently not available here, but I bought mine at Target for $150.
br /
br /Pros:
br /--Lightweight,Compact, will easily in the smaller size of cases;
br /--Battery lasts about 75 minutes while shooting video on full charge;
br /--Video quality is much better than a webcam or camera phone, shooting 30fps at 640x480;
br /--Holds 90 minutes worth of best quality video on a 2GB card. (My Canon S3 only holds 16+ min. at same quality and size);
br /--Extremely versatile; records TV, voice; plays MP3's and can be used as a webcam.
br /
br /Cons:
br /--With only a digital zoom, this camera tends to reduce quality of zoomed video/pictures;
br /--The nightshot feature, although it works ok for stills, tends to be poor for videos;
br /--The time it takes to power on until the camera starts up is about 7-8 seconds (an eternity if you want to shoot something in a hurry), mostly due to a useless little startup screen;
br /--Some settings are not saved when you turn off the camera, like time stamp, effect, exposure +/- and self timer;
br /--If you want extra batteries (they're not the standard AA or AAA), be prepared to pay up to $20/each.
br /
br /Overall: A great digital camera/video camera for starters; but you'll probably want to upgrade to better features later on.

OK. This won't compare to even an inexpensive digital camera or a miniDV camcorder. But for having something small to carry around, it's great. I particularly like the AV in feature. I can record from a DVD, my miniDV, or cable box right into it in mp4 format. For the Mac users, you will need VirtualHub to convert the files as they're in asf format. But, it goes quickly. Over all, I recommend this product to anyone looking for something to carry around for those quick shots.

I love my camera. I was leery at first because it isn't a "name brand" but I couldn't beat the price for the mega pixels. Another added feature...which I believe the GREATEST....is that it comes with a battery and charger. So no more buying batteries! The battery life is really long too. I just love it. The picture quality is great and the camcorder quality is good too. It also voice records too....I have used this feature many times. I have had my camera for quite some time and I just love it.

after reading lots of reviews, it is true, this little camera has power, remember, this is not the same as a 30gig HD camera but! it indeed is a soldier, very good picture and video, excellent mic, nightshot is nice.
br /
br /I'm satisfied, I got two of them to make commentary videos and catch two angles, Im please and satisfied.

At a $139 price point my expectations weren't too high for this item. I bought it as an extra camera to take along on our family vacation.
br /
br /Unfortunately, the camera took blurry, poor quality stills. Video quality was mediocre at best. At least half of all the pictures I took I deleted because they came out blurry (with or without motion).
br /
br /The camera also behaved very erratically. I experienced all of the following problems (each one multiple times) over a 2 week period of use:
br /
br /* Lock ups. I had to remove the battery and re-insert it, then turn the camera back on to get around the problem.
br /* Unexpected, abrupt shut-downs.
br /* LCD screen "crashes" with garbled video -- like a TV on the fritz. Had to shut down and restart the camera.
br /
br /I never got as far as testing how well it recorded video or played MP3 files. I ultimately returned the unit.

I am a teacher and bought this camera for my classroom. Almost on cue, all four of my cameras stopped working at month 3. I sent them back and Aiptek was nice enough to replace them, but again, on cue, the cameras all stopped working after 3 months.
br /As well, the quality of the photos is not good enough for us to use in our high-quality yearbook because they are slightly blurry. The pictures are good for web use, but not for print quality.
br /It is super cheap and easy to use, but if you spend a little more on a different brand, you will find it worth the extra money. Other brands I purchased have lasted over 2 years now. This is not a brand I will ever purchase again.

...but the quality, which I didn't expect to be great from other reviews, still dissappointed me. The natural light needs to be great, if not, the frame rate and video quality suffer tremendously.

i researched alot on the internet for a hybrid camera/camcorder and all the research lead me to this MPVR by Aiptek. everything that is says it does,it does!the only short coming is the low-light drop off. all my daytime pics and video comeout great. it is about the best hybrid out at the moment and the price is real good considering all the functions it has. very simple to operate as well. am very satified and would buy again.

We needed a camera that would let us take movies of the youngest grandson's 2nd birthday parties. And we wanted something simple.
br /
br /This camera takes great movies! And it was simple to transfer it to DVD to send to my parents.
br /
br /I checked with the stores I trust to by from, then researched the products they had available. This one seemed to be the best for the money, so we bought it and we use it all the time, birthday parties, damage done to property, anything we want video of. This weekend I'll take it on a train trip across country and I know I'll get great shots!
br /
br /Just a hint - buy a couple of memory cards, as big as you can get them for the camera. A one gig card takes 48 minutes of video - this camera is so easy to use that you'll want to take a lot more!
br /
br /Have fun with it, take lots of pictures, videos, sound bites, everything you can think of doing with it. Carry it around and fall in love with how easy it is. Then take it home, download the files and ENJOY! It's really easy to use.

I bought this camcorder strictly for video but wasn't expecting stellar results, just because of the low price. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that not only is the video great, it takes excellent still photos as well. The internal memory is pretty much non-existent for video, but flash cards are very inexpensive these days, so that was easily remedied. The battery is rechargeable, so no wasted money there either. It's small enough to take anywhere without being cumbersome, so I've been snapping photos like a woman possessed since I got the thing. My only complaint is that there's no lens cover. I wrap it in a chamois cloth before putting it in the inexpensive case I bought to fit it, so hopefully I'll be able to avoid any major scratches. All in all, a very impressive product indeed.

This is a decent camera. Videos look amazing on a sunny day, they're ok inside (as long as the nightshot is on), BUT completely worthless outside at night (whether or not the nightshot is on). Videos that have been transferred to PC have high resolution and look very nice. It can zoom in pretty well and without becoming blurry. Pictures are ok - kinda blurry. It can play mp3s which is a nice feature and is quite handy. I wouldn't ask for much more from a cheap, minidigi camera.

I must say that I had been doing some research of my needs to the cameras out there. I am very pleased at my choice of camera. This camera has all the bells and whistles on it. mpegs video still camera. I've been working in the media industry and I have to say you could take this camera and do programs and everything else. It's true that the storage space on the camera is limited and I would also reccomend getting a storage card for the camera. I'm still playing with the features since yesterday but I think it was well worth the price and wait for this camera. More feautures I loved were the ability to tape your favorite movie/programs to watch on a road trip and other such. This unit also has a hook up for a computer that you get with your camera as well as software to plug into your computer. Now I have the XP version of windows and had no problems loading. Still features to play with but for now I would have to say this is a camera that if you want to have a lot of fun with that I'd highly reccomend it.

I purchased this digital camera for my 11-year-old daughter for Christmas and it has been the best gift! In fact, the kids are watching their homemade videos on the TV right now as I write this review. I wanted my daugher to leave my more expensive cameras alone, so I got her one she could play with herself. In fact, I now want to borrow hers! I read a lot of reviews and did some research before making this purchase. I am happy to report that like most of the reviews said, this camera takes great video, awesome pictures and is easy to use! I purchased the adorable little triopod from the manufacturer's Website and that helps to steady the filming.

IF you can manage to get one that works out of the packaging this is not a bad little camera. I take it hiking; kayaking etc. Target has a very laid back return policy...so I had no problem(hassle though it is!)returning this camera till I got one that did not have some kind of glich in function. I go by there often; I liked the idea of the camera so I figured I would try to get a working one! Finally did. I paid $80.00 for it and I would not EVER pay more for this camera! aiptek has the HD version out and it has a nice picture(bought that one first for $150.00)but the sound is SOOOOOO terrible(I sounded like I was in a can when I was only 7 feet away from the camera)I took that back. So....the mpvr(+CB) is a second choice in trying/hoping/waiting to see if and for how long I can enjoy a small and hany camcorder. I have 60 days(store warranty which I am NOT AT ALL shy to use...given how much crap comes out of china)to find out. If you are willing to play 'combat-shopper' and deal with a few duds(?)till you get one that works AND you combine this with AT LEAST one extra battery and a minimum 2 gig sd card(make sure you get a high write speed...like 60 times for the camcorder function)then this may be a happy addition. Treat it like the dog that you love but never forget it might bite you next time you turn around.

This does a lot of different things with pretty good results. In the end I found it a bit on the flimsy side, and being afraid I would quickly break it I sent it back. For the right person I think it's a wonder though.

Almost perfect, but for the price you can't go wrong.

I have the newest MPVR that has an 8 megapixel software conversion camera, with a 5 megapixel sensor. It's great. I only paid $99.00 for it at one of Amazon's suppliers. This camera does everything I need it to, and it does it well. The Aiptek MPVR costs hundreds less than the other name brands and it does more. Some additional features are: 1. Voice Recorder 2. MP3 Player 3. Portable TV VCD/DVD Recorder.

In low lighting conditions however, The Aiptek MPVR does not do well. It says it has the ability to shoot pictures in low lighting conditions, but I don't think it does it well. If the camera had the ability to use the flash strobe as a constant light source, pictures might fair better. Also, there is no way to attach a constant light source to the camera. This is it's only draw back.

Pros:
1. Does a lot for the money
2. 5 Megapixel with a 6, 7 and 8 Megapixel software conversion
3. TV VCD/DVD Recorder
4. Voice Recorder
5. Accepts 2 Gigabyte SD Cards (my version)

Cons:
1. Low light images don't fair well
2. No constant light source for the camera

Summary:
For the price, The Aiptek MPVR is just a great camera and camcorder. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's pretty close. 8 megapixels isn't what make a picture great, it's light, angle, and other considerations, but higher megapixels don't hurt either. The Aiptek MPVR costs hundreds less than the other big name brands, and does more stuff. The big three "S's," Sony, Samsung and Sharp, should watch their proverbial back, Aiptek is coming up.

I bought this camera in July specifically to take on vacation. It's the perfect camera because of its size and weight. It may not be the best quality for stills (the quality is good enough), but the video is great. I have not used the other features of this camera but will probably get around to it.
br /For vacation I visited friends in Wales who fell in love with the camera, so as a thank you gift, I bought another one from Amazon to send to them. At first I was a bit upset because their camera was exactly as pictured, whereas, mine isn't. Mine is black and came in a plain navy box. Their's came in the manufacturer's box. I like my camera so I'm not going to complain.
br /My boss watched my video (which downloaded very easily to my computer without my having to install any softwear) and liked the product. I ordered one for him, and now he and his wife are enjoying it. (Their's is silver and came in the manufacturer's box as well.)
br /There are three more people that I know of who will be ordering this camera...maybe Aiptek and/or Amazon should give me a sales commission!!!!
br /

I am 200% happy with this cam. The software that comes with it is beyond awesome. Every one of my family and friends bought one after seeing and useing mine. Thanks to amazon.com for leading me to this buy,

2 weeks after I bought the camera, it broke down, since then I have sent countless e mails to AIPTEK customer Service....not even once I got an answer.
It's benn a year. you do the math!!

Poor quality camera. The lighting is terrible, no memory space to even give a try without buying san disc. I returned it to amazon. Totally unhappy purchase

I was very disappointed with this product. Maybe if you were takeing a video standing totally still, it would be okay, but most videos you want to take you need to move at least some. Even after trying to move as slow as possible, I got nothing but blur. The sound is definitely not good and neither are the still pictures. I think this is one of those 'you get what you pay for' experiences. I sent mine back.

You should ONLY buy this as a video camera if you intend to make short movies to send by e-mail or post them at youtube. The quality you get is as low as internet-video. Frame-rate is just too low. Also, the resolution for movies is low. I don't need DVD-quality for this price, but this is well below VHS quality.

The camera will not download into my pc. There is a problem with the download port on the camera. I e-mailed the manufacturer and as of yet have not recieved a response.

bought this to get short vid clips of my daughter to post on her page, so i didnt think i would need anything with uber high quality. but didnt realize just how poor the quality was on this one. in low light conditions it is horrendous even with the night shot on, and in good lighting it is barely adequate. wish i hadnt spent the money on this and memory card...should have put out the dough to get something a bit nicer. you get what you pay for.

Good unit in its price range. THe few issues I have had are:

- Control panel is very odd and doesn't work very well.
- Focus on the unit leaves a lot to be desired.
- The microphone is on top of the unit, this causes a poor pickup of the sounds in front of the camera. Works great for narration.

You should not expect miracles from a $120 digital camcorder.
br /
br /It produces better quality video than, say, a camera phone, but the quality is slightly worse than a good old-fashioned VHS camcorder. Outdoor video quality is very good. Indoor and low-light, not so much. Faster moving objects tend to look very pixelated.
br /
br /You will, probably, want to pick up a second battery. The charger takes around 6 hours to charge a battery, and experience shows that the charge will yield 2 to 3 hours of record time.
br /
br /If you are looking for a way to capture the dumb things that your friends do and then post it on youtube, then this camcorder is a good choice. If you want 'high' quality digital video, you may want to invest in a Sony, Panasonic, or Canon camcorder.
br /

Honestly I was expecting the picture quality to be a little better. Inside and in bad lighting it pretty much sucks. But in really bright areas or outside its really good! Of course I dont need to record inside that much, so for me, its great.

This camera is very handy. For me, when I got this, I had jus tlost my ipod so I was able to store music on the camera and play on the go. the picture quality is great, the recording is good as well. Plus its really cheap. Its hard to find something this usefull at such a low price. Grab it as soon as you can!

I had never heard of this brand and was hesitant to buy this product but I was in need of a decent camera/camcorder and the price was too good to refuse. To my suprise the camcorder works great. On high resolution you need to use a a tripod but on standard resolution the photos are great along with the video.
br / I was impressed with the easy to use software for transfering images and mpegs to my computer. All in all I would say this is a great buy for a someone who wants to get great photos and movies at a great price. If I could change anything about it I would only ask they provide for a larger SD card than the two gig it accepts.

I've had a big, bulky Canon Power Shot A60 with 2.0 MP's and have been taking the lovliest photos for about 2 years now and wanted to upgrade and since I've heard so many reviews about the AIPTEK with it's professional quality and affordable price, I couldn't wait to get it.

After three days I've yet to move from still pictures to learn anything else because I can't take a picture of my child without the trail from her movement making her look like she's morphing into some creature. Why is there such a delay between the moment captured and the actual photo? I wasted ten shots at my daughter's Halloween parade today. Every photo is so over exposed there's a picture where she doesn't even look like she has a nose! I've adjusted the resolution, the stabilizer, the exposure. I cannot get that clean, crisp, natural photo that I've acheived effortlessly with the Canon.

I've been taking photo's with a Manual SLR Vivitar with the bulb flashes for ten years before getting my first digital camera, and have had less of a hassle capturing the picture I want with that camera than when using the AIPTEK. The big part of the enjoyment of the digital camera is anyone can take a professional looking photo and enjoy their memories. This product is so frustrating it zaps any enjoyment right out. Perhaps this product has too many things going on with the MP3 and the camcorder and everything that's jammed into it, for it to work at it's best potential ability. Whatever the case, I would not reccomend it if you're serious about your photos.

I got this product for christmas, and after trying it for two days, i'm returning it this weekend. The quality of the video is terrible, the slightest movement and the camera can't keep up. As long as your doing limited movement it can work good, and it would be a good camera to start of a child with, but thats it. The sound never matches up with the lips whether close to the camera or from more than 10 feet away. The still photos are decent, but when the person is moving at all the picture stinks. If your considering this product, just go with a digital camera, its all around better.

I purchased my MPVR as a 2nd camera to use on a family vacation and take video clips. I was delighted in the picture quality and the video's were good although not DVD quality. I used the heck out of it for 7 days. When I got home I could not get it to turn on or off properly so had to return it for warranty repair. I was given no hassle Return to Vendor (RTV) number and sent it off for repair/replacement. It's been about 2 weeks now and I have not received my replacement unit to date.

it works fine, the only problem is that the image drags if motion is medium to high speed. not SDHC compatable so use no bigger than a 2gb card.

this is a very cool camera. All the features work except the tv-dvd recorder and the mp3 player. i am still tring to get the MP3 player to work but it is very hard.(i wrote this review 2 days after i got it so i might figure more stuff out.) for under $150, this camera is the one to get.

I just loved this little, easy to use camera. But, I had to give it away to a PC user. The movie clip files would not load and could not be processed on my Mac computers. Rats. Now I'm back to using my digital camera until I can afford one of those more expensive video cameras.

I would recommend this camera. The record button is a little too small, but other than that it's a nice little camcorder.

I got this camera for Christmas awhile back, and I adored it! This camera takes amazing photos and for a great price, too ! I'd recommend it to anyone. (:

I am thoroughly satisfied. The cam is small, easy to use, and well worth the money. The best features are the quick recovery flash, and the easy menu for the various technologies available on the cam. I also like that the position of the buttons to record and take pictures.

I recently bought this item and has grown to love it. It took a while to get use to it because it's a bit differant from regular Digital cameras but in the end I was happy with the results. It's light weight, and small size was most convenient for concerts and fairs. It fits in at small waist pouch that was also very convinient.

This is a really cool video recorder / still picture camera. I haven't used it for its MP3 features yet. It has a big enough screen, battery life is good (for the size of a cell phone battery), and I was surprised at how much video you can fit on a 1GB flash card. Comes with all the software and cables to hook it up to your computer or a TV. Night video is a little dark but acceptable unless you're trying to make a movie... ;-)

ROCKS!!! I used it to take a video of our band in a dark basement, it it worked great. I wanted a cheap video camera that i could thrash around a little bit, and this one went above and beyond. The features on it are great, the battery lasts, all you need, is at least a 512mb sd card. The only thing that i found that needs work is the nightshot. If your video taping some thing thats moving(a band normally moves quite a bit) it makes everything fuzzy, and really can ruin a video. This is a GREAT video camera, and i would buy it if it costs twice as much.

usually i trust amazon reviewers, but this time i totally got mislead. True, great price, amazing features, tv recording too..wow..I was trying to look at this positively from every angle

In short, horrible picture quality, even worse video, both in outside light. Indoors forget using this piece of crap.
Better hope for very steady heands or be dead if yr trying to shoot anything with this, you get magical mystical effects for the slightest movement, even in video.

End result: lots of blurred photos, lots of bad video that too 'asf'- uneditable with virtualdub, Had to scrap all the things I took with this, they were depressing to look at.

For the price it is excellent. I have video'd many baseball games and it works great.

This is a piece of junk. It is not user friendly, it is not compatible with windows XP. Trust me. I spent five hours trying to get it to function and never came close. The software does not download per the manual and if you go to their website and download the software, it makes it worse.

NONE of it works per the manual.

It's a nice little unit, the price is great for what it is. But that's only as long as you don't expect much. I read the other reviews thinking it would be much better than it is. The video quality sucks. It says that it's like 32 frames per second, but it looks like about 5 fps. It's all choppy looking. Spend more and get something better... mine is going on ebay as soon as I get a chance.

I ordered one of these camcorders, it worked for less than a year, rather than go thru the hassle of repairing it thru the mnfr, like an idiot I ordered another one just like it thinking I could save money using same batteries and chips...wrong. Second video camera arrived in april, dead in June. does not recognize the memory chip, says the memory is full in five minutes with a 2 gig chip? no way. emailed tech support, email bounces, called tech support, guess what...sorry we are experiencing a HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS TODAY, ...duh....i guess so. what a waste of money. do not buy this brand. junk.

Reasons not to buy this camcorder:
br /The battery that came with this product does not hold a charge overnight. I contacted the mfg.on their website, but so far, no response.
br /The built in memory only holds 1 (ONE) minute of recording. But that doesn't matter because that 1 minute uses up all the battery.
br /The camcorder does not come with a case. Nor does it come with a view finder other than the screen. The user's manual print is very small.
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br /So far I have had to purchase a case, more memory,and another battery, at an additional cost of approx. $60.00.
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br /Unless I hear from the mfg. I will be returning the camcorder and the accesories.
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br /
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I bought one of these little camcorders for my son and was so impressed with all the functions and the quality it has that I purchased a SECOND ONE! Terrific price for all you get! Highly recommend this!

My husband bought this for my birthday almost 1 1/2 years ago. The camera took blurry pictures and the video is only able to record is you stand still and not walk around. Otherwise the movie becomes distorted.

This camera is amazing!
i just bought one about a week ago and and i must say i love it. i exceeded my expectations, when buying i was thinking "$150?...what kind of camera is this?"..but now im saying "For $150, i got a sweet deal!!". the camra has Mp3, Video recording, Voice recording, Digital photo camera, all built in one! This is an excelentcamera for that price.

For $120 this a great value. If you need a simple generic video recorder for those not-so-important moments where a camera might not be enough, this is perfect. Not to mention you get a camera, MP3 player, and voice recorder too. Just make sure you have some expandable memory for it.

I Love this camera its small size is perfect. Its a 6 in 1 camera meaning it does more than one thing. Its a Camcorder, Camera, Voice recorder, MP3 player, TV VCR DVD Recorder,

Lets face it this camera is a piece of junk. Obviously I wouldn't expect this camera to give me high quality recordings, but it would be nice to be able to see what you record. If you try to record in anything other than very sunny and bright conditions, the recording doesn't look very good, and often times it is very grainy. As far as taking pictures goes, the shutter is so slow that even a person with the most steady hand can't get a good picture. I have tried recording instead with my parents kodak digital camera. The video (and audio) is many times better than this aiptek. Honestly try a cheap kodak digital camera that has video function on it, it actually takes very nice video. Maybe it is because kodak records in the .mov format, I don't know, but don't waste your money on this thing.

I always wanted a camera that could take great pics and record. This camera has it all. I recommend this camera to anyone who wants a camera that does it all. The pics come out great as does the video. This camera is great!!!

I only had it for a few hours and after that I knew I would be returning it. Its video quality is quite horrible, just better than a videophone and average of a webcam. I should have expected it from something this small and this inexpensive. But honestly, I prepared myself for something at least better than what this camera is. It's quality will not be any better unless your outside, and if you like me and spend the majority of the time hosting parties and wanted something small to capture the fun, this would not do. You basically need spotlights in the room if you want to capture something on film instead of a shadow. This also is a pain for Mac users. It says it's able to import files, and yes it can, but in ASF format. Now you can play it in VLC, but think you'll be able to convert it, think again. It converts just fine, except without audio. I've tried converting the video into several different formats and all of them come out without audio. So, Mac users, pick something else. It is being returned, for certain.

i would definetely recommend. i like how u can record stuff off of tv nice little way to make it digital pictures. i dont like the shutter speed of still pictures though. seems a little slow, i click to take a picture and about a sec or so later it takes the picture. everything else is great, better for camcorder use or recording of of tv.

GOOD CAMRA GET A MEMORY CARD AND YOU ARE SET WITH A GOOD CAMRE AND VIDIO RECORDER. ITS SIMPLE AND WORKS WELL.

I figured what the heck for the money how could I go wrong. The package came in perfect shape, no damage. First impressions were that this thing even feels cheap. After powering it up the LCD screen was shattered internally. Packed it up and sent it back, took a long time to get my money refunded.

It needs a carrying case! We were on our honeymoon and it fell from our safe, and since it doesn't come with a case, it smashed to smithereens. Goodbye honeymoon videos. We'll just tell our kids it was fun, but if you had included a stupid case it wouldn't have happened. :-/

Aiptek MPVR 8MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 4x Digital ZoomGREAT, THIS IS A BRILLIANT CAMCORDER, THAT CAN BE USED BY REMOTE CONTROL,IT'S LIGHT EASY TO CARRY.

This thing is a piece of junk, it is of very poor construction, you can not even delete any photo's or your movies without hooking it up to your computer if you wanted to take movies or pictures of something else, say if you were to go camping or some other activity that takes you away from your computer, whats up with that [...]! Oh, now I see the problem, it's made in China. This is a real piece of junk, don't waste your money, just buy anything thats not made in China!

We bought this for an upcoming cruise, only to discover when I TRIED to become familiar with the operation, the LCD Monitor would not display. I phoned the Company (they do NOT have an 800#). Aiptek uses Reps working out of their home to give you authorization to return defective products. This 'idiot' I was stuck with kept me on a prepaid calling card for 18 minutes, while he answered 2 other calls AND his front doorbell!! The whole damn transaction should have taken 2 minutes tops. Did I complain to the company? - Yes I did via their site E-Mail, when I inquired why we had not received a replacement, AFTER we returned from the cruise. Did I receive a Company reply? - not in this millennium TOO DATE! We finally received the replacement Aiptek 2 days ago after sending in on April 18. To take almost a month to send a replacement from CA to 'next door, AZ is "BS"! I truly hope this replacement is satisfactory, as my buying of their products is a ONE SHOT-ter!

I can not evaluate mine as the LCD was broken and never turned on. I shipped it back to Amazon.

This Play Mp3, record videos, play there in your tv....

And is VERY CHEAP!!!!