Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom

by Aiptek

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 3.2 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000FVXZ2E
• Item model number: GO-HD CAMCORDER
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,793 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 19, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer

Aiptek has pushed the envelope yet again, bringing a true HD 720P camcorder into the spotlight with the GO-HD! GO-HD captures true to life, vibrant colors and astonishing High Definition images like you've never seen, right in the palm of your hand. The GO-HD comprises 720P (1280x720 resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio) at 30 frames per second using advanced H.264 technology. And with a 3x Optical Zoom with Auto-Focus you're sure to capture the finest quality and detail in every moment. The GO-HD also functions as a 5-megapixel digital camera with a CMOS sensor and auto focus, giving you even more quality choices on how you want to capture the moment. Replaying your images is a snap as the GO-HD offers virtually unlimited choices and compatibility. You can choose to view your HD images instantly by playing them back on the GO-HD’s 270-degree, swivel-reversible 2.4-inch TFT color LCD display or connect the GO-HD directly to your HDTV, HD monitor, standard TV or PC. Once in a lifetime moments, family events, outings, or just goofing around can now be captured, replayed and re-lived in a whole new way.

Aiktek GO-HD Highlights

1280 x 720 resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio (30/fps) for recording movies The GO-HD camcorder delivers 720P high-definition video quality to provide a whole new high-quality DV experience. One-touch recording allows you to capture stunning HD video clips at 30 frames per second with advanced H.264 technology.

5-megapixel digital camera Equipped with a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor (and auto focus) will help you get the best pictures every time!

3x optical zoom w/auto focus Bring your subject closer to get the best image with the 3x optical zoom with auto focus.

Swivel-reversible, 2.4-inch TFT color LCD display Review and playback your HD video clips and hi-res pictures in real time. The LCD swivels 270 degrees for unlimited video and photo capture.

2-inch Macro Zoom The GO-HD will capture 2-inch close-up pictures or video clips with Macro Zoom.

Night Shot Enhance image quality while capturing photos in darker environments with your GO-HD.

LED lights Built-in LED lights on your GO-HD for video recording in dark/low light situations.

Recharge Battery via USB Conveniently charge your new GO-HD via the USB cable when connected to your PC or use the AC charger cable included. No need to remove battery from camera.

HDTV component output Connect your GO-HD to your HDTV component input ports to display your high-definition video clips and still pictures, sharing them with friends and family.

Removable hard disk and SD/MMC card reader The GO-HD allows you to use up to 8GB of SD card storage to record longer video before having to upload to your PC. (No internal memory).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

136 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I can't decide if I want to keep it or not - Updated: I'm Returning It, June 7, 2007

By 

theDyker (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I've owned this for about a week and am taking it on a trip to do a more complete analysis. I'll post back later. I currently have mixed feelings on this camcorder. It does take good video and is priced right. There are a few negatives to be aware of though which (I guess) are to be expected on such an inexpensive unit:

1. The battery life (for me) is sucking. I will take it on my trip for a better test and if the batteries can't record more than 10 or 15 minutes each it'll go back. If I can get the 30 minutes that it is documented to have, I'll be happy. Note: I do realize that 30 minutes is probably "up time" for the unit whether it is recording or not. The batteries are only 1000Mah and have a loose feel inside the camera too. Will a more robust non-oem battery be coming out?
2. The buttons (to me) were ackwardly positioned causing a "shake" on the camera... and I guess I didn't realize how much my other camcorder's image stabilization must help me. Really needs 2 hands to hold without a shake and I can adjust but really, I think that the design, grip, and button placement could be a ton better.
3. The thing completely froze up on me once and I had to reboot it by removing the battery. I read online there is a firmware update but haven't pursued that yet. And I don't know what the firmware actually fixes.
4. The sound quality is not consistant. Many times I speak as I'm taking the video and mostly it sounded like a towel was over the microphone. The quality of those further away from the camcorder was only marginally better. Almost like the gain is turned up to far or something? I don't know and will test further.
5. No lense cover? Come on Aiptek. That's just cheap and plain dumb. And if I find the lens starts getting micro-scratches over the next week or two it'll go back for certain. It does have a descent carrying case included though. However, the safty loop that you wrap around your wrist so you don't drop the camera STICKS to the velcro on the carrying case whenever you take it out or put it away. This loop will end up being frayed or looking abused shortly because you have to "umph" to rip it off the velcro. This makes me wonder how much real world testing went on before this cam hit the street.

Besides these negatives the fact that I can throw it on my belt and carry it on my trip without feeling encumbured makes me want to use it more before making an ultimate decision as to keep or return. It will really come down to battery life (maybe it will improve as I use the batteries a few more times) and sound quality.

Oh, and it does work with BOTH the A-DATA and Patriot 8G SDHC card that I have.

So I'm giving it 3* for now. Doesn't mean I'll keep it or bring it back... just trying to give a fair review. I'll update my rating (if possible) and the review after a real road test shortly.

UPDATE: 3 WEEKS LATER, AFTER ROAD TEST
----------------------------------
Well I really wanted this little wonder to work. And it did for the first day of my trip. Then it just quit working. The only thing I can figure is that the roads I was on (Tijuana) were very bumpy. It was in the protective case 100% of the time when not in use but the plastic shell housing must be tell-tale of the low build quality on the inside. It just plain stopped working. The screen backlight would come on, but the camera would not initialize. Conclusion: THIS ITEM IS NOT VERY RUGGED AT ALL. It does not hold up to any real use and certainly not the tumbling that my old Canon digital camera (s410) always holds up to. It is a dead clunker now and it is going back to where I purchased... fortunately... with a good return policy. Moral of the story is buy this only from a site that has a descent return policy.

I'm not upset. It was great just throwing the broken cam in the bottom of my laptop bag where it took virtually no room at all. That is the point of a "go anywhere" sized camcorder. I was willing to trade some features for price... but not ruggedness. After all. It is the size itself that makes it something you want to bring anywhere. I'm going to hold off and wait for a similar product that is rugged. It is only a matter of time. It is too bad Apitek didn't built something with more stamina but someone will and I'll be there to buy it when it is out. After all, other than the zoom there are no moving parts in this thing to wear or break. So it must just be bad build quality.

Amazon won't let me change my star rating but if I could, I'd rate it down to 2 stars: more than one star because of price, features, and innovation but no more than that because... well... it has to KEEP working in the real world.

In short, unless you are willing to treat this thing with kid gloves (and I pretty much thought I did) I'd avoid it. The cheap price is tempting, and only spend as much as you can afford to lose because if you read other reviews, you'll also read about the cheap plastic on the outside among other quality issues. I'm here to tell you that what is cheap where you can see it, is evidently even cheaper where you can't.

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Small, HD, and inexpensive, May 27, 2007

By 

M. T. McMullen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

There are three reasons to buy this: 1) size, 2) resolution, and 3) cost. My old camcorder was huge, and the thought of lugging it around on vacation this summer in Europe motivated me to look for a new one. This thing fits in your pants pocket (the use of the SD card keeps it small). I wanted something with hi-def resolution so I don't look at the videos in 5 years on my hi-def TV and think how old-fashioned it seems. And I didn't want to spend a thousand or more dollars. This fit the bill on all counts.

Some problems: 1) There doesn't appear to be any image stabilization, so I've needed to hold on to it with both hands to keep it stable. 2) It deals poorly with movement. I'm not sure if this is the codec or the optics or what, but panning around can introduce some weird artifacts. 3) The zoom is quite noisy. If you're filming some quiet scenes, it's probably better not to zoom. 4) As with most camcorders, it needs light. It does have a built-in LED light, but it doesn't do much. 5) As with most camcorders, the microphone picks up the filmer's voice fine, but not the subject's very well. 6) The battery life is low. It comes with two batteries; you'll need them both. If you keep these limitations in mind, the size, cost, and HD resolution can make it worthwhile. If you can afford it, get the HV20 or another $1000 HD camcorder and many of the above issues will be reduced or eliminated.

A note for Mac users: I couldn't get my Mac to see the camera directly, but a card-reader plugged into the USB port could read the video/still files just fine.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works great for the price!, July 29, 2007

By 

John Hillestad (Ft Lauderdale, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I picked up this camera not expecting anything much... but I was surprised!

The video quality is very good and its pretty much a no brainer to use.

For mac users it works great since its a .mov file . All I had to do was pull the sd card out of the camera and into a reader hooked to the mac and copy the files over... they play with quicktime as is with no further processing. I used quicktime pro to edit what I wanted and all went well. But since these are h2.64 files you will need to use viddy up or divx to send your creations to youtube.

Over all the camera exceeded my expectations. these kind of camera's are really designed for quickie type videos that you want to view on your pc . They are convenient because the file is ready to go with no need for tape conversion then the dreaded compression which take forever... they are ready set go as soon as you copy the file. Also a 1gb sd card yields 30 mins and a 2gb is one hour. the camera comes with TWO batteries.

For the price you really cant go wrong.