Creative Vado Camcorder Reviewby Kaitlyn ChantryPublished on Sep 5, 2008 11:28 AM
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Ease of Use (10.00)
The sole reason for the Vado's existence is centered upon ease of use. It's a tiny handheld device that plugs straight into your computer. In fact, the Vado is easier to use than an iPod, a Play Station Portable, or most cell phones. If you want to record video, simply push the most visible button. There's no such thing as an easy mode on the Vado—the whole camcorder is one big easy mode. Aside from the unremarkable 2x digital zoom, all adjustments are made automatically. During playback, it's easy as can be to delete clips or cycle through the ones you've recorded.
When the time comes to share your vids, just pull out the USB extension and plug it right into your computer. The necessary software is built right into the camcorder, although the Mac portion of the casual market will have to make do with viewing their videos in QuickTime. For Windows users, the software is relatively straightforward, though maybe not quite as accessible as the software on the Flip.
Handling (4.50)
Holding the Vado is nothing like holding a traditional camcorder. There is no hand strap or grip—just the body of the Vado itself. It feels like shooting pics with a Blackberry Pearl or watching video on an iPod. (Measuring 100 x 55 x 16mm, the Vado is about the same size as both, though thicker.) This has been the standard for ultra-compacts since the CVS One-Time Use camcorder hit shelves in 2005. With no flip-out LCD view screen, manufacturers can't design for a more comfortable "pistol grip" like you might see on other ultra-compact camcorders (such as the now discontinued Sony NSC-GC1 Net Sharing Cam or the higher end Sanyo Xacti series). So, this is about as comfortable to hold as you might expect from a cell phone—or the competition.
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With a flip-out LCD, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 handles very differently.
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The Creative Vado is tiny—and is held differently from most camcorders. |
As with the Flip, it seems the most comfortable way to hold the Vado is to place your index and middle fingers across the face of the camcorder, just below the lens. The ring and pinky fingers support the Vado from underneath, while the thumb operates the buttons. Of course, there are a few other options as well: move the ring finger up to support the bottom with just your pinky, slide your middle finger down to grip the Vado like a lobster claw, use the Gameboy technique with eight fingers on the front and two thumbs on the back, or wrap your hand around the body like a soda can.
Any method you choose for holding it, your fingers will come into contact with the Vado's strange, rubberized surface. The plastic is hard and soft at the same time: harder than a pen grip, but softer than... well, most plastic. Presumably, the surface is meant to be non-slip and resist scratches and fingerprints. In practice, this is quite true, especially compared to the black, shiny surface of our Flip Mino, which was greasier than a pan of bacon ten minutes out of the box. But the Vado's ineffable resilient surface is a big sacrifice in style; the plastic feels chinsy and doesn't look nearly as sexy as the glossy black Mino. (It doesn't help that the shade selected for the pink model screams Barbie more than the earthier pinks of most personal electronics.) Still, the Vado is less likely to slip out of your hand while you're recording—a feature quite important for a camcorder that could easily drop through a sewer grate if it falls out of your hand.
The four-way directional pad is a clone of last year's Flip Ultra, though the up and down buttons (used for zoom while recording and for volume control during playback) offer a muddy tactile response. The rest of the buttons give a nice solid click when pressed and are highly responsive. Overall, the control scheme feels good and is easy to use, though it's not as sleek as the touch-sensitive face of the Flip Mino.
The Vado's directional pad and playback controls
Menu (6.50)
There is no menu interface on the Vado. There is onscreen text to indicate when you're recording and how long the current clip is. The display also tells you approximately how much battery is remaining and, during playback, there is a sound meter and a number to indicate which clip is playing.
The lack of menu system is to be expected considering the Vado comes with no manual controls or options to speak of. There is only one way to record video, so there's no reason to navigate through menus. You'll find the same choice has been made on the Vado's competition, including the Flip.
Portability (10.50)
You can't get much more portable than the Creative Vado. Measuring just 100 x 55 x 16-mm (3.9 x 2.2 x 0.6-inches) and weighing just 84 grams (2.96 ounces), the Vado is certainly one of the lightest camcorders on the market. It's smaller and lighter even than the Flip Mino—light enough that you could easily miss it in your pocket or purse.
Aside from being incredibly light and small, the Vado has the robust feel of most kids' toys; though the plastic feels cheap, it's a camcorder we wouldn't be afraid to throw around. The surface is resilient to scratches and smudges and the internal flash memory is a media format known to roll with the punches. With no tapes, discs, memory cards, or batteries to lug about, it's hard to imagine a camcorder that's more portable.
LCD and Viewfinder (3.00)
The Vado is equipped with a 2-inch, 4:3 LCD screen, with an impressive resolution of 153,600 pixels. It's a mystery why anyone would need that kind of LCD on a camcorder that records such low quality, standard definition video. It does mean that the LCD is an accurate representation of the muddy, overexposed, low resolution videos you'll be recording.
Battery Life (14.50)
We tested the life of the Vado's lithium-ion battery by recording continuously until the juice was drained. As it turns out, the battery life is much longer than the expected capacity of the internal flash memory. So, unless you plan to record, then delete several videos, your battery will probably do just fine.
The Vado's total battery life was 145 minutes and 15 seconds (2 hours, 25 minutes, and 15 seconds). This is a great performance, though it does fall just shy of the 154 minutes that the Flip Mino lasted. The one advantage of the Vado is that its lithium ion battery is removable (and therefore replaceable), whereas the Flip Mino comes equipped with a non-removable internal battery. If you really wanted to, you could purchase a spare battery for the Vado or replace it if it ever starts holding less charge.
The Vado's battery is removable, just like in most cell phones.
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