Customer Reviews

Coby CAM4000BLK 2.4-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Swivel Camcorder/Camera (Black)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

For $29 you can't go wrong with this camera. I was expecting some flimsy junk that took mediocre videos, but this little camera does a pretty good job.
Extremely easy to use , easy software to setup and use and the camera is sturdy as the ones I've seen selling for over $100. The picture quality is very good and will be more then adequate for day to day use. The only negative is the zoom. Only 4 x zoom so no far off shots. But its good for shots up to maybe 100 feet or so and thats fine with me.
What I love about this camera is it uses 3 AAA batteries. They're suppose to last for 2 hours of video ( might be wrong, check ) . I don't know how many times I was taking video with my old 8MM Sony and the lithium battery went dead and couldn't take any more video. Now I'll take along 3 AAA batteries and not worry about the camera battery . Some people don't like that it uses 3 AAA batteries, don't see why ???
Another great feature that'll save you time if you need to take a video quickly, the camera turns on automatically when you open the view finder. And the view finder rotates.
And this camera uses SD cards for memory and thats great. No more 8 MM film for me anymore. Camera comes with a built in 32MB memory, A/V cables, USB cable, installation CD, 3 AAA batteries , hand strap and a carry case. Its a 3 MP camera. Don't be fooled into thinking that higher MP cameras take better shots. 3MP pictures are just as good as 10 MP pictures when you want small pictures up to 8 x 12. anything larger then a higher MP camera is better.
Coby has a winner here.

After searching and reviewing many different cameras, we liked this one best, but were concerned about the low price. After using it for a month, we are very satisfied, and would recommend to anyone just getting started.

We bought this for our 11 year old son. He likes the ease of uploading videos onto YouTube, but complained that there isn't a built in light. However, for his purposes, we think the camera is good enough. Remember to purchase a memory card!

OK. This is not a high end camera. It will never be used by CNN! That is OK. This is a good camera for the average home user. It at a bargain price, and it has some great features for the price. If you need a good hand-held video camera and you do not have money to burn, this does the trick. As married seniors on a fixed income budget, this camera fits my own and our needs at a price we can afford!

great camera for the price. The batteries seem to last forever in it. Alot longer than my digital camera, thats for sure. Picture quality is really pretty good. Fairly good zoom, although not real good for extremely up close. With the extra 8G chip I have 7 1/2 hrs of record time. One set of batteries will probably last for half that time at least. The bad side of it is that it has no flash for just the camera and no light either for movies. You have to be in the light. You need half way decent light if you are inside. Outside the house I haven't any problems with lighting, only at night. It's my first video camera and I have had a lot of fun with it so far.. Glad I bought it.

I have a video review posted on youtube. The hyperlink is listed at the bottom.
I will try to post more videos with this cam in different conditions to show it's performance.

Why only 3 stars?

1) The arcsoft media impression 2 software included is totally worthless not to mention I emailed them 2 days ago via their tech support avenues and have yet to hear back from them. The software locks up and crashes every time you try to use it. I tried uninstalling and re-installing but that only led to the same results. It says it is compatible with windows 7 though I have doubts about this. Besides after viewing what I could of the software it doesn't have much to offer that Windows MovieMaker can't top.

2) There is no mount for a tripod

3) The sound quality after about 4 feet away at normal vocal level isn't very good

4) Once the batteries get down to 1 bar the flash is dissabled in photograph mode

5) For the most part zoom is useless as it degrades the picture quite a bit

6) No input for an external microphone

Overall though I would recommend this cam for an inexpensive alternative for risky outings and youtube postings. If it gets damaged or lost at least you aren't out a lot of money. Good starter cam or gift for the kids maybe.

You can see videos made with this cam at my youtube in the link below.
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I wasn't expecting much, considering the price, yet I was still underwhelmed. I'm inexperienced, so I naively thought technology versus price had moved further along than this, but the video quality reminds me of an old mobile phone or web cam of 10 years ago. I find it inadequate even as a "starter" for a child.

1. video quality is very low/grainy
2. video is dark unless you are outdoors in bright sunlight, and then direct sunlight will also be a problem.
3. audio is extremely poor and weak
4. clumsy design

I BOUGHT THIS CAMCORDER FOR THE PRICE AND COMPACTABILITY. SO FAR IT'S JUST RIGHT FOR TRIPS, VACATIONS AND HOME PICTURES/VIDEOS. NOT THE GREATEST BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE HD, BUT VIDEO IS NOT THAT BAD. FOR THE CHEAP PRICE(UNDER $45)IT'S WORTH IT. COMES WITH ONLY 1 MIN. OF MEMORY SO YOU NEED TO BUY AN SD CARD UP TO 8GB TO GET MORE VIDEO TIME(7.5 HRS). COBY HAS DECENT PRODUCTS THAT I PURCHASED OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THIS CAMCORDER FOR AMATEURS IS JUST RIGHT.

For the price of the camera it does the job....make sure you record with lots of light and buy a memory card!!

It does not work the best if you are trying to take shots outside in bright sunlight, or shot that are far away but for the price i am very happy with it and will keep it handy at work too.