Toshiba Camileo S20 Full-HD Camcorder Bundle - Silver/Black

by Toshiba

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 0.7 x 4.2 inches ; 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B003DZ122O
• Item model number: PA3792U-1CAM
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #70 in Camera & Photo > Camcorders
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 14, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Life’s too good to let a single second pass you by. So don’t.
Our Camileo^™ line of compact, HD camcorders has what you need, and what you’ll find nowhere else. Thin, lightweight, go-anywhere designs. In-demand yet simple-to-use features that capture life, right when it happens, with high-definition video and stills. Effortless uploads and sharing. All at a price that makes them easy to take home—and bring everywhere.

The S20 fits in every pocket!
At 2/3” thin and 3.5 oz this tiny video camera is about the same size as a Smartphone and can virtually go wherever you do. Don’t sacrifice size for power!

High Definition made easy.
The Camileo^™ S20 camcorder supports 1080p. Full High Definition Video and 4x digital zoom and video stabilization*. The S20 also doubles as a 5 Megapixel digital still camera. The S20 has 4 different recording modes: Macro mode for close up shots, motion detection mode for surveillance, slow motion for sports and time elapse mode.

Don’t be constrained by a device’s built in memory!
The S20 takes SD/SDHC memory cards up to 32GB (not included) for virtually unlimited recording time. Each 32GB card will record an estimated 5 additional hours** at 1080p or 12 hours at the lowest setting giving you great flexibility with recording time. The S20 also charges with an included USB 2.0 cable so you won’t need to bring extra cables or power adapters on your travels.

Capture, Edit, Share.
Previewing, watching or sharing your videos doesn’t get any easier. The Camileo^™ S20 is equipped with a large 3” diagonal swiveling LCD monitor for previewing and controlling your videos and pictures. Share your memories with your family and friends with the one-touch YouTube^™ button or watch them directly on your favorite HD TV with the included HDMI^™ cable.

*4 x digital zoom and video stabilization work on 720p or below.
** All numbers are approximate from SDcard.org. Actual storage will depend on size of data and compression used.

Product Description

The S20 fits in every pocket.At 2/3 thin and 3.5 oz this tiny video camera is about the same size as a Smartphone and can go wherever you do. Don’t sacrifice size for power! High Definition made easy. The Camileo S20 sports 1920x1080p Full High Definition Video, 4x digital zoom, and video stabilization in 720p mode. The S20 also doubles as a 5 Megapixel still digital camera. The S20 has 4 different recording modes: Macro mode for close up shots, motion detection mode for surveillance, slow motion for sports, and time elapse mode. Don’t be constrained by a device’s built in memory.The S20 takes SD/SDHC memory cards up to 32GB (not included) for extended recording time. Each 32GB card will record an estimated 5 hours at 1080p. The S20 can also charge with a standard USB 2.0 cable so you won’t need to bring extra cables or power adapters on your travels. Capture, Edit, Share. Previewing, watching and sharing your videos doesn’t get any easier. Camileo S20 is equipped with a large 3swiveling LCD for previewing and controlling your videos and pictures. Share your memories with your family and friends with the one-touch YouTube button or watch them directly on your screen with the included HDMI cable.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

350 of 352 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Pocket Video Recorder, June 11, 2010

By 

G. T. Olson "GTO" (The Duke City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toshiba Camileo S20 Full-HD Camcorder Bundle - Silver/Black (Camera)

The whole premise behind pocket video recorders is small size and portability assures accessibility and more spontaneous use when compared to a full size video camera. For the size and ease of use, however, you make some sacrifices. I did a fair amount of research into this product class to find a pocket video camera that was loaded with features and had the fewest trade offs when stacked up against a full size video recorder. I pulled the trigger on this product and absolutely love it. Here's the highlights:

1) Size. This thing is small. It's only a few millimeters bigger than the Flip and Kodak offerings. It's sized just right to hand hold comfortably, but not too big that it takes up too much valuable purse or bag real estate. It also comes with a very nice cordura carrying case! It's only about 4 oz. and some reviews have criticized the Camileo for a "plasticy" feel. Not so, this unit feels solid yet light. True the body is made of plastic, but the weight trade off is worth it, and who cares as long as it's solid. Plus a lighter plastic unit is much more likely to survive the inevitable drop than a heavier metal one (lighter and more pliable).

2) Video Quality. I don't own another pocket video camera so I can't intelligently comment on the video quality compared to other units. That being said, the video looks fantastic on the big flat screen. I actually use the 720p mode mostly to have the option to zoom and image stabilize (both not available at 1020p), and I cannot tell a difference between the two modes when displayed on 52" flat screen. The video is honestly as good as my three year old full size HD video camera in normal light. In dim light there is a little graininess to the video, but there's an integrated light to help with this and I really don't take many recordings in dark conditions anyway.

3) Ergonomics (including the screen). The fold out screen is awesome and I have no trouble viewing it in direct sunlight. It's great to preview videos and twists around for the ubiquitous self portraits too. The Flip and Kodak models are just little boxes that you hold up facing "out" to record. The Toshiba Camileo S20 feels like a real video camera (albeit a really small one) in your hand. It just feels natural to me to record video in this manner.

4) Features - The built in LED light is a nice touch but it's really only useful in very dark conditions for close up subjects. I think it's main utility is to augment the light in low-light situations like around dusk or in a dim room. Useful under some situations and a good feature to have when you need it. The time lapse and slow motion are really fun. You won't find yourself using them very frequently but capturing a great sunset or cloud movement is pretty cool. Why not have the option? The YouTube upload button is a big "who cares?" for me, but users that are interested in this sort of thing may like it. The digital zoom is smooth and doesn't pixelate stuff too much. I'm also surprised at how much I DON'T use the zoom on this camera. The default capture angle is pretty good. Kid's sporting events are the only time I've found that I've used it a lot, and for this application the digital zoom works fine. If I know I'll need the intensive use of optical zoom ahead of time, I bring my regular HD camcorder anyway. The built in 5MP camera isn't great. That being said, I've yet to see a camcorder with a decent still camera integrated into it. It will do for snapshots, but you won't be using the pics for your holiday cards. I'm not sure why this is, probably something to do with the image processing and metering on still cameras. Anyway, I didn't expect too much here as my regular size HD camcorder takes stills that are pretty bad too. Bottom line with still pics is that we always have a small point and shoot camera with us in our bag or purse anyway, so this isn't an issue for us. Other features are great, like custom white balance (think skiing or other situations with unique light) and ISO settings. Also the battery is removable and one could conceivably get extra batteries to use when chargers aren't available.

5) Price - at $150 this is a steal, especially when compared to the Flip SlideHD Camcorder which is presently $280! The Sony MHS-CM5 bloggie HD Video Camera has optical zoom but is much larger and more expensive. (It also does not image stabilize in HD mode). The Sanyo VPC-CS1 High Definition Camcorder, which also has optical zoom, is big enough at over an inch thick, that I don't really qualify it as a true pocket video camera model. It's also over one hundred dollars more expensive.

6) Extras. Wall charger included, mini-HDMI cord included, mini tripod included, RCA AV cord included, ArcSoft software included (it's actually pretty decent too), nice case included. What's not to like here!

7) Recording Media and Format. One great feature is the SD card format which means that on vacation you can take multiple cards with you rather that a laptop for archiving. The Flip doesn't have removable/changeable media, which for me was an absolute deal breaker. The recorded file format is AVI which I like for video editing applications. Oh also, the lack of an integrated USB connector is actually a big plus for me. I'd rather use a cord to connect to the computer, and the USB mini port doubles as a charger. Our cell phones use this format, so I already have car chargers for this camera! Who want's to struggle with plugging the recorder body directly into the computer - my computer is on the floor in a cabinet. The Arcsoft software is pretty darn intuitive for burning DVDs and uploading to the web. Any minimally computer literate individual will not have an issue and the user manual for the camera and software is really quite good - it was obviously written by a fluent English speaker and not software translated from Japaneses.

Criticisms:
A lot has been written in on-line reviews about the confusing menu system. The menu system structure is fairly intuitive and resembles that of most full sized video cameras, but the navigation buttons within the menu tree are not. OK, so I had to remember that when in the menu mode one of the buttons advances, a different one goes up one level, and the record button selects choices. It's really not that hard or big a deal. As much as we find ourselves using this video recorder, we have no issues with remembering navigation buttons and navigation.

I wish . . .
1. there were optical zoom (but I'm willing to live with digital zoom and a much smaller unit - a trade off that's worth it in my opinion. I've found that I don't use zoom all that much anyway.)

2. there were zoom and image stabilization available in 1080p mode. (Most pocket video cameras don't have this either. . . no big deal to me really as I've found 780p mode looks great and saves on recording space on the SD card. The recorders that have the features at 1080p are much larger units and really not honestly classifiable as "pocket" video recorders)

3. this took better still shots, but as I mentioned, no video recorder does this well. If you want to take still photos, use a camera that's made for the job.

In all, I'm very satisfied with this purchase. This unit is small and light and packed with features, some you'll use and others that you may experiment with once in a while, but are nice to have when and if the need arises. Compared to other models referenced and linked in this review, this model has almost every feature but optical zoom, and the ones having this are much larger and not really "pocket" models (and they are a lot more expensive). I expect to get about 2 years out of this product and by then the next generation of pocket video cameras will integrate even more features (wireless transfer, optical zoom, smart phone integration etc. . ). Until then this product is perfect for my needs.

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good buy!, June 11, 2010

By 

Jimina "style on a budget" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toshiba Camileo S20 Full-HD Camcorder Bundle - Silver/Black (Camera)

I was looking for a mini cam that was priced well and a good value. When I took a look at this Toshiba, it only had one review of 5 stars, so after doing a little research on the FlipHD, which is what I was ready to buy, I decided to take a chance on the little-known Toshiba. I'm definitley glad I did. If you're looking for the same high quality from this as you would a mid-full size video camera, you will not find it in any mini cam. Again, they are just too small. If you are looking for something that is well made with a large screen that rotates, good picture quality (especially outdoors!!), reasonable 5x zoom, and a decent price, this is the one for you. The fact that this comes with a case, stand, hdmi cable (some things that you have to buy separately for other minis), etc., is just icing on the cake. I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because in a perfect world, the interior video quality would be sharper. Overall it's a keeper.

91 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Pocket Camcorders out there!, May 18, 2010

By 

Robert M. Matthews "Music Fan" (Atlanta, GA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toshiba Camileo S20 Full-HD Camcorder Bundle - Silver/Black (Camera)

Have friends that have the new Kodak model Z8 and I have had the Flip ultra. My neighbor has the new Sony model PM5. Here's the thing on pockets. You are never going to get great pictures with the 1080 in that small of a package. The Kodak does not hold up for the long haul as friend had two that broke with in three months and my Flip gave up the ghost in about eight months and battery charging was a joke! It may charge and it may not....it was a crap shoot. Neighbor has sent his Sony back three times in five months with problems.Sony takes pictures in low light are just terrible. My little Toshiba just plugs right along. Picture quality at 720 is just fine and low light is certainly acceptable. This little unit is tough and a work horse. If your looking for a pocket camcorder that takes a good picture loads right up with no prblem, another issue I had with the Flip and simply does a good job for a reasonable price.......well the Toshiba is the way to go. It is well made and tough, which seems to be the big issue with pocket models. Sadly, not many reviews on this model but believe me I did my home work and I will admit I did purchase this camcorder simply from my experience with Toshiba. Man, I am so glad I did becuase this little work horse is really the way to go. You want something small that takes good decent movies and is very simple to use and most importantly hold up to much use..........this little guy is perfect. I hope more folks pull the trigger on this little camera and give their remarks as well. If you want high picture quality then don't waste your time with any pocket camcorder regardless of what the company or others tell you. If you want something that is light, small, well made and takes good picutres but nothing on a grand scale.......well this little camcorder is it! Bar none!!!! Oh.......and got it in three days from Amazon with their usually dependable delivery.