Customer Reviews

Coby 1.44-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Mini Camcorder/Camera CAM3000 (Black)

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

 

 

Managed to snag this camera for $19.99 from J&R, and purchased an 8GB memory card for $14 at the local Target. The instructions indicate the Coby camera accepts up to an 8GB card, which would give it about 2 hours of recording time. When I inserted the 8GB card, the camera froze. It would start up, then freeze, and the only way to turn it off was to remove a battery. I did this 5-6 times, with the same result. I called Coby and was told my camera might be defective and I would have to return it to receive a replacement. It would cost as much as the original price to return, so I declined. The camera worked fine with no card, but with minimal internal storage I got about 20 seconds of recording time. I tried again with a 4GB card, and the camera still froze. I had an old 512MB card around, so I tried it. Lo and behold, the Coby accepted it. It gives me nine minutes, 3 seconds of recording time. Bottom line is that my camera is not defective, but it does not accept 8GB cards as advertised. When working properly, this is an amazing little camera for the price. Very easy to use, acceptable picture quality, decent sound. Not sure the small light on the front would help in any situation, but it's nice to have. USB is true plug-and-play (no installation required) with all my PCs (haven't tried with a Mac.) I'm going to continue to find the largest memory card it will accept, since 9 minutes is not quite what the product promises.

Even though the Coby CAM3000 has a puny 1.3 MP pixels (1280 x 960), I'm pleasantly surprised that the quality of the video looks very descent on my 21" monitor (@ 1680 x 1050 screen resolution); it looks only very slightly pixelated. Considering how affordably priced this mini camcorder is, I'd say it's a real bargain.

- Build Quality

The build quality is really quite good -- this mini camcorder does not look cheap to be sure. Although it has a shiny, not rugged, plastic exterior, it seems to be fairly scratch resistant. All the buttons are firm, not jiggly.

- SD Card Expansion Slot

The mini camcorder has about 20 MB of built-in memory, which is sufficient for only a few seconds of recording (makes me wonder why they even bother including the built-in memory). No problem - it has an SD card expansion slot. I have no trouble getting the mini camcorder to recognize my high-capacity SD card. I'm using a Kingston 8 GB microSDHC Card with an SD card adapter (came with the Kingston package).

- Digital Zoom

This mini camcorder actually has digital zoom-in/out, as opposed to optical zoom (better). The trouble with digital zooming is the image gets pixelated when you zoom in. The zooming is also a little choppy.

- LCD Screen

The display on the LCD screen is very clear. The LCD screen is somewhat smallish, but it's perfectly adequate nonetheless.

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For the price, this mini camcorder produces some very descent 1280 x 960 videos. The quality isn't on par with that from a regular camcorder, of course, but it is more than adequate if you're planning on using your videos on y0utube. It's ultra portable and perfect for some quick and casual takes.

I picked this up after hearing Dick DeBartolo and Leo Laporte review it on the Daily Giz Wiz podcast. It was on a 1-day sale for 20 bucks. Can't beat that! But even at the regular price it's a steal. Surprisingly good video quality for the price - IF you're outdoors. It has a tiny little light on it, but that's useless other than to use up the batteries. But I took some videos of my kids at Halloween outdoors and they came out really great. Just right for uploading to YouTube and sharing with the in-laws in FL.

And for this price I'm not afraid of letting the kids have a go with it. They watch these inane YouTube videos and play around pretending they're making their own. Well, do it for real now!

I love that it can be expanded with a regular SD card too.

Eventually I'd like to get a nice HD handheld camcorder, but this is a nice starter.

I also bought at a lower price from J&R, and am now waiting on my return shipping label... this thing is a piece of junk! All I wanted was YouTube-quality video, and the CAM3000 doesn't deliver. Details follow:

Pros:

Inexpensive.

Small and light.

Fast wake up.

Control buttons seem sturdy.

Incredibly simple to operate.

Impressive 4X digital zoom.

The LCD display is bright.

Video quality is adequate when recording outdoors.

Cons:

Feels like cheap plastic... I fear breaking it when opening the battery compartment, etc. I wouldn't trust a child with it.

The memory card and USB covers are difficult to open.

Requires 4 AAA batteries- no internal or rechargebale battery.

An additional SD memory card must be purchased; the 32MB memory is good for only a few seconds of video (a 2GB card records 35 minutes of vid.)

Low light/indoor recording is very, very dark... to the point of unrecognizeable video.

Without operator narration, the mike picks up ambient noise ("wind" noises and unknown clicking) very loudly.

The specific reasons for returning this camcorder are that the recorded video is choppy- lots of starting and stopping for no reason- and sound cuts in and out. Some video was even "damaged " (?) and unable to upload to my PC. Basically, it doesn't work as advertised, and I'm not sure I would have kept it even if it had.

I picked up two of these for family members and they love them. Really good value for your $$. Easy to use and decent quality videos. Don't expect HD for $30, but you can't beat it for the price. Will take up to an 8GB SD card which will record over 2 hours of video. Also will take stills. Small size makes it easy to carry around. Do your kids always want to use your expensive video camera to make their own videos? Does that make you nervous? Get them one of these instead. Simple to use, even young kids can operate it and it is fun to see the videos that they make. Putting the videos on YouTube could not be simpler. I took a video and then put the SD card into the card slot on my computer and uploaded directly off the card to YouTube. Easy peasy!

For the price you can't beat the video and picture quality. It has a great zoom but the video quality does degrade the farther you zoom. It has been fun and so easy to use. The batteries ran down much faster than I thought they would, but since they are AAA they are easy to replace. Another complaint is it doesn't have a flash for indoor pics. The light isn't bright enough. But it does seem to do fine for indoor video. Over all I give it a good review. I was willing to take the chance on such a low price. I have not had any problems using it (exept the pics in the low light) or any of the software on my computer. We have had fun connecting the camera directly to the TV.

Just ordered this from Amazon 2 days ago & got it today. Can't speak as to battery life as haven't used it long enough. Literally popped the batteries in & got to shooting. The software is REALLY easy. If you have a printer or camera dock that accepts the SD card you don't even have to use the cables although they are just your standard USB. It also comes with cables to hook up to your TV. It's all very self explanatory & I have tried it all. I'm hardly a computer whiz and I've already made a "movie" and slideshow with the pictures & video I've captured on this little camcorder. Now it's not the sharpest video in the world but I'm just looking for a pocket recorder to put in my purse & keep with me for those moments when you want to capture something & your camcorder is just too bulky. Besides my 5 year old is way too rough on it. This is perfect especially @ $40 no worries about him ruining it. You should buy it & keep it with you for those got to have moments with the kids!

The Coby Snapp 3000 is a nice quick little camera that shoots both still images and video. It's only drawback is that video can't be too quick or there will be some lag. I like that you can upload your video directly to you YouTube account.

General: appearance and material has a cheap feeling. Even though it is a low price, but I expect a little better when other similar model does a better job in this area. Comes with carrying bag and lanyard cable. Very easy to use, switching between video, camera and playback mode.

Video: Quality is nothing comparing to the high price one like the HD version, but good enough for my 8-year old son. Inside recording is terrible. You will need lot of lights. Although the camera comes with a LED to illuminate the area, does not help much.

Picture: This one sucks. Quality is not any better than cheap phone camera, but I am not complaining this. My biggest issue is ... it takes a second of two after you press the button, before capturing. This often creates a blurry pic because the camera moves during this time, which is impossible for a kid, or especially me. In this technology age, no camera should have that large delay, no exception.

This little camera does what it is supposed to do. Picture quality is ok for it being 1.3 mega pixels. Audio quality on the other hand leaves something to be desired. It records audio decently except for the high pitch squeal that is in most of the recordings. I am not sure why it doesn't happen in all of them but the majority it does. One thing I wish was different is the batteries. It uses 4 AAA batteries and really it should come with a rechargeable battery. This is because it shortens the battery life when you use either the built in light or video preview often. This camera is great for beginners who do not want to spend a whole lot and want to try it out. If you plan on using it long term I would suggest spending a little more and getting something better.