Customer Reviews

Aiptek DV3100 3.1MP AVI Digital Camcorder

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I order this camera based on its features, some reviews and doing some research on the net. After a week of exploring its capabilities i found out that its 4 in 1 features are in med level in terms of quality and here it is:

1. as a Digital video(camcorder) - support only up to 10fps as a result the video is not smooth and zoom features are not available.
2. as a Digital camera - 2MP ok, the pictures are fine as long as you pay attention on the lens when taking pictures. no flash, no optical zoom only 2X digital zoom.
3. as a Voice recorder - its a fix sampling rate i don't know what it is. the quality of sound recording is low but you can save more space.
4. as a Web camera - capable only up 20 fps, just good enough for me.

Bonus features: as a removable drive, nice 1.5" LCD display, small in size, can be preview on TV, 2 AA batteries, plus its accesories and software package.

TAKE NOTE: use this camera only during the day or where there is sufficient light coz it has a very poor results in low light condition.

Anyway, who can expect professional results on a less than $150 camera? It's still recommended for enthusiast who's fun of capturing moments. Don't forget to include at least 256MB CF card.

I'm a sucker for cost-effective gadgets, and by those standards, this nifty little 4-in-1 camera is up there with the best of them. First and foremost, you get a 3.1 megapixel digital still camera for a third of the cost of most other products in that category. If it stopped right there, this would still be an amazing deal. However, you also get a palm-sized digital video camera, a digital voice recorder, a USB webcam, and a removable USB storage device. All for $$$ . Now that's a deal I just couldn't pass up.

However, approach this product with eyes wide open, and don't expect it to be the greatest performer in each of its distinct capabilities. For example, as a digital still camera it isn't very tolerant of low light situations. Adequately-lit photos come out fine, but indoor lighting or overcast outdoor shots tend to produce muddy, red-tinged tones. A built-in flash would have overcome this problem, but alas, there is none. So take your shots in well-lit areas and situations, and you'll be fine. Also, the fact that its native image format is lossy JPEG rather than a lossless format such as TIFF is of concern, but probably only to gearheads like me. Most casual digital auteurs won't really care. You can shoot and store roughly 60 digital photos at full quality (2048x1536, Fine Quality) on a 64Mb CompactFlash card (not included, purchased separately. On-board storage is 16Mb.)

Next, as a digital video camera: don't expect it to fulfill all of your home movie needs. At 10 frames-per-second and 320x240 video resolution, it's hardly broadcast quality. However, I find this limited quality just right for shooting, editing, and posting quickie, low-bandwidth web movies. The camera saves movies natively in .AVI format, so usually no conversion or extra steps are required to get your movies out of camera and on the web. As a Mac user, I prefer QuickTime to .AVI, but I found that conversion to .MOV format was quick and easy. You can shoot about 20 minutes of compressed video on a 64Mb CompactFlash card (not included, purchased separately -- internal storage is 16Mb only). The length of your videos is limited only by your available storage space and supply of batteries.

As a digital voice recorder, it features no Cue or Review buttons, so going back and forth over the day's notes can be a pain. The workaround is to keep your notes short; the camera creates a new audio file for each new note you record.

As a webcam, it works quite as most low-end USB webcams do. No real complaints in that department.

The 1.5-inch LCD screen does its job well enough. The fact that it's present at all in a product this low-end is a pleasant surprise. However, it does drain the two AA batteries rather quickly. You can sidestep this issue by using rechargeables, as I do.

PROS: Small, light, handy, packs an amazing amount of features and value for an unbelievably low price.

CONS: Picture quality suffers in low-light situations, no flash, digital video is web-quality only, digital voice recorder has no Cue/Review buttons.

BOTTOM LINE: This nifty litttle gadget is a jack-of-all-digital trades, but master of none. However, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts -- having one device that does all these things makes it a great little toy for the big boys in your family. It won't replace your main digital still camera or digital camcorder, but it makes a great backup unit to either, in situations that don't warrant lugging around the first team. Buy it -- you know you want it.

I am completely satisfied with the purchase of this camera. The videos may not be top notch, but I've had a great time capturing spontaneous moments with the camera handy in my purse. The quality of the stills really surprised me though, in natural light, the images came out crisp and clear. The only fault I would find with this camera is the lack of flash, which could have been very useful in the low light situations. Therefore, I advise to those that are interested in this camera to just wait another month or so for the pocket DV4, which is already out in Europe. It is Aiptek's new camera in the pocket DV line and IT HAS A FLASH! (they finally took their customer's advice, or complaints rather).... I hope this has been helpful!

P.S.: If you're interested in learning more about the new aiptek camera or seeing some sample pics and videos for this one go to fireboxdotcom, it's a really helpful site

I got it as a gift about a year ago and have overall really enjoyed it. I would rate it 4.5 if I could.

Though a lot of people may say it doesn't take good still photos, I have gotten some exceptional near professional results.
The quality of the photo depends on the light. Low light and indoor settings can result in grainy or semi grainy photos, but that is mainly because it doesn't have a flash. It is best used outdoors in partially sunny to cloudy days or times that are not blindingly bright such as noon time with full sun. Taking photos in full sunny days in the sunlight can sometimes be overexposed, but that happens to any camera I think.

Macro shots- it doesn't zoom in very far, but if you are clever, you can compensate by using a magnifying lens. I have taken a number of excellent photos of flowers, butterflies, and other insects and plants that way.

Some drawbacks are with it having an auto white balence. Yellow and orange seems to get dulled a little and white can sometimes end up being 255 brightness. Sunsets tend to loose intensity because of this feature. Though I think these can happen with any camera with an auto white balence.

But then again for it being a cheap camera, am quite amazed with the quality.

I've found it to take better pictures than the newer PocketDV 5700. The shutter speed is ok. It is faster than the PocketDV 5700 which made me able to take better shots of moving objects such as my cat than the newer model.

The video and audio feature on this camera are not its main features. Battery life is varryable. Can be very short to fairly long. I've found it helpful to turn off the lcd switch and close the camera door between shots. Sometimes I can prolong the battery life over a week.

If you want something cheap that can take good photos along with some patience and a good editing program such as paintshop pro or photoshop, then this is a good deal.

Eventually though you may want to save up for a higher end camera. But this will do in the mean time.

This camera is perhaps one of the best investments I've ever made. Born to a society of instant gratification, it gives me just that and more, showing me what pictures I took, and allowing me to easily delete bad shots and keep only the ones i want. I never really was much of a shutter bug, but when I bought this (along with a 256mb CF memory card), I've suddenly found myself just that, bringing it with me everywhere from boating on the Hudson River, to trips to fairs and those god awful family occations where it's handy to have the excuse of being "camera guy" to keep from socializing with inebriated relations.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a technological miracle in itself, but like others have said, if you're in good lighting and have a semi-steady arm it can work wonders. The pictures it takes are phenominal, and though the initial memory it comes with isn't that much, for a mere fifty dollars more you can boost it up dramatically (and the same goes for its speed). The only real drawbacks are the light levels required and the battery life, which while it isn't long, can be readily rectified with either a good set of energizer rechargables or a nifty 12 pack of AA's from the dollar store.

As far as the service from Target goes, I went with the standard free shipping package, and not only did they deliver on time, UPS managed to get it to me a day early. The US Post office that handled my CF Card on the other hand...Well, let's just say my post man will not be getting a fruit basket this holiday season, but that's really beside the point eh? I really loved that to order it you didn't even need to give out your credit card number, but could merely pick up a nifty little gift card from one of their stores. (Good for those of us who fear identity theft, or perhaps even our own credit rating.)

If you wish to introduce yourself to digital video (or, for that matter, digital still photography) and have budget considerations then this is the camera for you. Or, if you wish to have a small / light weight DV/still shot camera to use (sometimes) in place of your larger camera then this is an ideal choice.

The "native" still shot resolution is 2 mega-pixels (also with a 3.1 Mega pixel setting, interpolated) and produces quite pleasing and satisfactory images taken in natural (outdoor) light (no flash).

The video quality (10 frames per second) is good (all things considered), however, it is unfair to compare this camera's video quality with the excellent results produced by cameras priced hundreds of dollars higher. You can use this camera in places and situations where you would not dare to endanger your high-end camera.

The recorded sound (mono) is fine (satisfactory) when played through your computer's sound system (one microphone - no input jacks for external mic).

The internal memory only allows for about 3 to 4 minutes of video so a 256 MB (or higher) compact flash card (slot on camera) is highly recommended.

The camera may feel flimsy but this is because of its small size and also because it records on ram instead of digital tape so the camera has no weighty mechanical devices inside of it.

The still shots are best taken at a distance of 5 to 7 feet away from your subject. Distances greater than 7 feet are not as crisp.

Rechargeable ("AA" type) batteries are recommended and armed with a 256 Meg Compact Flash you will be prepared to have a great deal of fun with this amazing device.

Downloading the images is easy using the included proprietary USB cable, or use a compact flash card reader if you have one and have an optional CF card.

This camera, just like every other camera, has its limitations. Nevertheless, it is a great value and is an inexpensive way to introduce yourself to digital video/photography. The included software package (check for software updates and patches on the internet) gives you everything you need to start, right out of the box. It is, in my opinion, the best in its class (under $250 ).

When I was going to buy this camera my thoughts were " Wow, a $100 camera." But the only problem is is that it doesn't have flash. When I read this I thought " Man, still for $100!" So I bought it and the first thing I tried was it in the dark. The pictures are dark but its not like it cannot take any pictures at all in the dark. What I found to my great intrest is that it takes great pictures and movies outside and that the microphone can take in alot of sound. What I noticed is not alot of people talked about the things that come with it. A tripod and USB cord is included so those are some nice things. A problem with them is that the USB cord tends to fall out very easy and that the tripod is very fragile. I recommend this camera for first time movie makes and I suggest "Windows Movie Maker" as a program that is very easy to use and should come along with your computer. I forgot to say that also a TV plug is included but it is horrible quailty on the TV. Another thing is the camera is small than it looks. Its about the size of an average adult's palm. I hope this was usefull to you all =). HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

I don't know what the others complained about but this is just about the best little camera money can buy. I bought it straight from Aiptek and got a free battery charger and 4 extra AA batteries. I started filming right out of the box. Any one can use this. Even inside with the lights on (and my house is pretty dark) the picture was great!! The sound is kinda grainy but who cares for $99!! I plan to take it everywhere. I filmed outside and the picture is outstanding!! I plan to buy another one maybe the MPEG format next!! You can just throw it in your purse or pocket and you are ready to go!! Don't beleive all the naysayers. Get your $100 and order this little gem today!!
The only thing I didn't like is that the cable for the TV output seems to be out of order b/c I can't see the picture clearly on the TV. But on my PC it is great. I plan on emailing Aiptek for a new cable. BEST CAMERA INVENTION!!

I got this camera for Christmas 2005, and I absolutely loved it, mostly because I had always wanted a camera. I am a bit disturbed that it doesn't have flash, but it's a pocket-sized video camera, and video cameras don't need flash. It also doesn't have autofocus, but you really only have to focus it a little bit for close-up or far away. In low light the camera is colorblind and does not detect green, but I just avoid night pictures. I would find a Canon or similar for flash, but this will do well for videos. The microphone is quite good with a good pickup range, but the built-in speaker is terrible. I stuck Lithium AA's into it to create cheaper maintenance, and I reccomend an extra memory card in addition to the built-in memory. It comes with a computer cable, tripod, TV cable, software, camera, and instruction manual. No batteries or CompactFlash card.

First of all many people complain about the memory and the batteries first of all its your fault that you didnt get a bigger memory card in the first place! Bad memory card quality also is not aipteks problem! The batteries can be replaced with Ni-mh If needed and the camera is quite good with 3.1 megapixels playback on that small of a package is nice for the price. Now if you were planning on video taping something important than definetly wait and buy a better Sony camera that uses the mini dv tape. But this is fantastic for what I plan to use it for which is taping my friends and i snowboard so we dont need great quality or sound But want to be able to watch it on the tv which Is the simplest camera to tv I have used Yet! Have not tried the computer software but dont plan to. This is a fantastic Device for the price. I recommend for outdoor use with friends for sports that youll be close as there is no Zoom with the video recording.Four Stars ****