Aiptek DV4500 4MP MPEG4 Pocket Digital Camcorder
By: Aiptek Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 68
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 On: 2008-03-14
I got this camera and it is awesome!! I has great sound, quality, and video.. I dont know about the mp3 player because I could care less about it but the video is really great.
 On: 2007-12-21
This little digital camera, video/audio recorder, MP3 player is a compact, lightweight piece of equipment to take on trips or any type of traveling. Its value makes it expendable should you lose it;it get stolen or damaged in transit. I was amazed at the quality of the voice recording I took while on a tour bus in Jamaica of the tour guide telling a joke. The only thing I miss on this Aiptek model is the extra video recording light that was on an earlier version.
On: 2007-02-07
I bought this for two reasons 1) I didnt have a large budget 2) I wanted a camcorder that was palm-sized and ultra-portable. I was surpised at how tiny it is (VERY ultra-portable) and the controls are simple and easy to learn--perfect for beginners like me! I took it on a trip to Miami and it worked great, though as others have found, it doesnt record very well in low light situations, and the digital zoom is grainy, but hey--you get what you pay for! I first used AA batteries while waiting for my Ni-MHs to power up, and they actualy lasted a long time before I switched to rechargables. I was very happy with my purchase, and would have given this 5 stars, had it survived the trip back to Maui; I had this in my purse stashed under the seat on the plane and I may have kicked my bag around a bit. My Pentax digital camera that was next to it in the bag came through without a problem, while the Aiptek was DOA. So, if youre rough with your stuff, it would be a better idea to spend the bucks for a better, more durable camera. If youre gentle with it and dont have a big budget, this is a great little camera for its little price.
On: 2007-01-11
But you can take some pretty darn good pictures, and very good video.
Definatly NOT in the evening or night time... it needs light- lots of it.
I found it very usefull and fun.
IT NEEDS A MEMORY CARD! it only hold like TWO songs without the memory card, and just a few pics. Just buy a cheap card and you can fit alot more of the various medias you can store.
I really have no complaints for this except that maybe i wish it worked at night.
 On: 2007-01-10
I purchased this for my 10 yr old son. I was surprised at how, well, cheap it appeared. We took it out of the box and turned it on and it would not work at first, then it worked for about 10 minutes, then it never worked again and we had to return it. Amazon was great during the return process and refunded our money quickly. We ended up buying the DGX 5.1 MP from a local store i its place. It has worked well for my son and is holding up to the rigors of youth. Not a professional photography instrument, but a pretty decent unit for him.
On: 2007-01-09
I purchased this for my 10 yr old son. I was surprised at how, well, cheap it appeared. We took it out of the box and turned it on and it would not work at first, then it worked for about 10 minutes, then it never worked again and we had to return it. Amazon was great during the return process and refunded our money quickly. We ended up buying the DGX 5.1 MP from a local store i its place. It has worked well for my son and is holding up to the rigors of youth. Not a professional photography instrument, but a pretty decent unit for him.
 On: 2006-11-24
I purchased 3 of these for christmas presents for the 3 teenagers in my home. The cameras were very well received. The kids LOVED them and recorded and took photos of everything under the sun! They had a B-L-A-S-T with these! However, before a year was up, the door that holds the batteries in the camera broke on every single one of them (I purchased 3 -- thats over $300 down the tubes), even on the "mild child". Too bad the construction wasnt better :o/
On: 2006-11-04
Excellent product for the price. Pictures are not that good, but you cant ask more for this price.
On: 2006-06-14
I got it on sale for $88.00 thinking it would be a great bargain at that price. I feel I was ripped off. The video quality is ghastly when given enough light, and absolutely unusable without. The same goes for the pictures. Even at highest quality - and a lot of image enhancements, the results are mediocre. The audio portion of the video had a very noticeable hum, which I was able to remove with my audio editing software. Otherwise, the audio recording and playback were "acceptable," at best. This device is useful only as an audio recorder/MP3 player, and is not really a bargain.
On: 2006-06-13
I got it on sale for $88.00 thinking it would be a great bargain at that price. I feel I was ripped off. The video quality is ghastly when given enough light, and absolutely unusable without. The same goes for the pictures. Even at highest quality - and a lot of image enhancements, the results are mediocre. The audio portion of the video had a very noticeable hum, which I was able to remove with my audio editing software. Otherwise, the audio recording and playback were "acceptable," at best. This device is useful only as an audio recorder/MP3 player, and is not really a bargain.
On: 2006-05-08
Very happy with this multi function camera for the price. Five stars for Value ...
It records digital video in an a low file size .asf format that was easily read with winamp and media player. I tried to pull the video into Adobe Premiere to edit with no luck but Windows Movie Maker accepts it and allows you to export it out into many workable formats. The video file size is amazingly small. With a 512 MB SD card we took a couple of hours of video. The MP3s I had on the card took up more space.
The camera has about 16 mB of internal memory ... not room for much. Get a big SD card.. they are getting really cheap now.
The quality of the video is OK. Its not a high def video by any means but looks decent on my 17" laptop. There is a setting for 640x480 and its looks good on my big screen. Most of the videos I get of the net are not as good as the quality and size that this little guy puts out. You do need a decent amount of light for this to work well. Also slow smooth motions while recording help to get better quality.
Music plays well on this device. The menu to find songs isnt great. you just have to scroll through songs and find the names. The file names are appended and hard to read. I beleive that is due to screen size. Defeintly not meant to be a music player but is plays mp3s none the less. I took a look at the ipod Nano and it is tiny. But I like this because of all you get for the money. Ipods nanos are just music players with non expandable memory (2 and 4 GB).
The photos are OK.. I noticed alot of artifacts on some photos while others came out smooth.
Alkaline batteries didnt last too long. I read somewhere that it is best to use batteries rated for camera use.. NiCad or something. Read other reviews for more info on this.
To use the camera and other functions there is a spin wheel that changes the function from camera to video camera to music..etc. So this device is fairly easy to use.
Web cam I havent tried but did plug it into my computer and monitor myself easily... its is a decent monitor and im sure it does the web cam thing well.
Overall this device is a great value. It does all its functions fairly well and is easy to figure out.
For $99.00 USD you can hardly go wrong. But if you need high quality for any one of the features look for a specialty device.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-03-14
I am a kid who loves to make short movies with my friends and got this for that purpose. This thing ROCKS! Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
SD Card slot (You should get a card),
4 Megapixels,
Very small,
Includes a tiny tripod,
MP3 Player,
Flash Unit,
GREAT:) LCD display ,
Cheaper then other Digital Cameras,
Easy for kids to use
Cons:
Slightly hard to close battery compartment,
The flash uses lots of power,
Not alot of video if you dont have an SD Card,
Difficult to hold perfectly still,
Buttons can be difficult,
Sound could be better
As you can see, this is a good camera. I have seen a lot of reviews that say the digital zoom is no good. If you can keep the camera very still, perhaps witha tripod, then you will not have much of a problem with the zoom. It gets a little blurry, but for most purposes this is OK. The flash does drain the batterys very quickly, so use it sparingly. When I got my camera(Refurbished), I had trouble with the "Right" button and the "Up" button, but if you push them the right way, then they work fine. I havent tried the MP3 player, but it looks cool. Sound in video and audio recorder is fine, but not at all professional quality. This would be a great gift for a kid or an adult, and it is very fun to use. At $100, this gets 5 stars.
On: 2006-03-13
I am a kid who loves to make short movies with my friends and got this for that purpose. This thing ROCKS! Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
SD Card slot (You should get a card),
4 Megapixels,
Very small,
Includes a tiny tripod,
MP3 Player,
Flash Unit,
GREAT:) LCD display ,
Cheaper then other Digital Cameras,
Easy for kids to use
Cons:
Slightly hard to close battery compartment,
The flash uses lots of power,
Not alot of video if you dont have an SD Card,
Difficult to hold perfectly still,
Buttons can be difficult,
Sound could be better
As you can see, this is a good camera. I have seen a lot of reviews that say the digital zoom is no good. If you can keep the camera very still, perhaps witha tripod, then you will not have much of a problem with the zoom. It gets a little blurry, but for most purposes this is OK. The flash does drain the batterys very quickly, so use it sparingly. When I got my camera(Refurbished), I had trouble with the "Right" button and the "Up" button, but if you push them the right way, then they work fine. I havent tried the MP3 player, but it looks cool. Sound in video and audio recorder is fine, but not at all professional quality. This would be a great gift for a kid or an adult, and it is very fun to use. At $100, this gets 5 stars.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-12-25
This camcorder is pretty good. Its perfectly priced, although Amazon has it for a higher price.
Good things:
1. Low price
2. Camcorder/Camera/Voice recorder/MP3 player
3. Very small
4. Easy to use
5. Perfect for kids who dont have that much money!
Bad things:
1. You need to be in at least a medium-lit enviroment to get good footage on camcorder mode.
2. Can only go up to a 512 MB memory card.
3. The Ulead video editing software that comes with it doesnt let you do many cool things, but the picture editing one is great.
You should get this camera if you dont have all that much money to spend!!
 On: 2005-11-30
I am a medium level photographer and this product (a generic piece of photographic equiptment) is my entry level digital camera.In list form I am writing the pros and cons.Starting with the pros:
Pros-
1:)This camera has a handy menu setup thats easy to operate and alot of interesting filtration types.As with all digital cameras its good for bracketing
2:)Its very lightweight and generally stores in much the same way as an old 110 film camera
3:)It is very easy to download pictures through the USB chord using this camera and the download itself is very quick.
4:)The setting wheel is a convenient operational feature
Cons-
1:)In addition to being light this camera is also flimsily built.I have no troubles with the shutter button but the battery door (which also contains the SD card slot ??????)
is only attached with a couple pieces of cheap plastic and is now broken.I have to hold the back on mine together with tape.
2:)The flash unit is usless.It is not much bigger then this computers keys and once youve used it about four times the batteries drain out.
3:)The focusing system is totally distestable.Not only doesnt this have auto or manual focusing but some silly middle ground.The lens either takes close ups or landscapes.Its very easy for pictures to be out of focus.So image quality suffers sometimes as a result.
4:)This is more a swiss army knife then a camera.It is a digital camcorder,an MP3 player,a voice recorder and all but the kitchen sink.The more you overtalk the plumbing the easier it is to stuff up the drain.
As of this writing I have replaced this camera,which I know realize is little more then a silly toy with a professional model.But as a first digital camera for a young child....well this would work good for that a few years ago for a budget minded.Theyre are far better models made today but this is alright.
On: 2005-11-22
I have had my Aiptek DV4500 for about a year. It is handy and does well for a $100 digital camera. Occasionally I find myself disappointed in the poor quality of a photo despite high resolution. But you get what you pay for, and most of my photos are fine for family, hobby, and amateur purposes. Its a nice little audio and video recorder too, but be sure to provide your own lighting when recording video! This is my first digital camera and I am not a gadgets buff, so take my comments for what they are worth.
On: 2005-10-20
i just got this for my 13th birthday and it is one of my fave presents ever!!! It is so awesome and it does everything. If you want to listen to music, take pictures, make videos, and have a webcam, then this is for you!
On: 2005-08-16
Alright, lets get something straight. If you have any expectations of this camera being great, then youre wrong. It isnt great. If you have any intention of high quality pictures, or above average video quality, this isnt for you. Im a kid, and i dont need anything more than this (and i dont have the money for much else anyway). I enjoy it, its easy to share files with my friends, and for my age it is a good product. But, if you can afford something better, get something better.
On: 2005-08-09
The camera itself and the features are fairly decent, but the contruction is abysmal. After about 3 months the power button dissapeared inside the camera. I notice this is not the first report of this, so its most likely a fundamental design flaw. Im wiating for Aiptek to contact me on this, I think they should be responsible.
---Several days after writing this Aiptek contacted me, and gave me an RMA number. After 3-4 weeks they sent me a new camera. There are slight design changes in the newer camera, I cant tell if the power button has changed, but the wheel that makes your selection and the door that hides the memory card have both been improved. I would give this 4 stars now, if I could.
On: 2005-06-20
I gave it 5 stars not because its a great camera, but because its great & handy for the price.
My new pocket Digital video camera (DVD quality) I just got for Fathers day (a week early) I take everywhere. The camera has headphone jacks & a built in speaker. It doubles as an mp3 player & is a great little still camera too. It can also play the role as an external disk drive to hold or transfer any type of files.
The camera is about the size of a pack of U.S. cigarettes which easily fits in any pocket. It encodes video into MPEG4 compression format, the same format used in HDTV broadcasts. So with a 512MB card (not included) if I dont have any stills or music loaded in it, I get 90 minutes of DVD quality recording time on it. The catch is its only 10fps at DVD resolution. But still looks very good. It has several lower resolutions too, including VHS resolution at 30fps for smoother motion. But at that resolution it still looks better than standard VHS tape. No tape noise, grain, jitter, saturation, sync or color dot problems. It has no moving parts except for the buttons & the swing out screen. Everything is recorded digitally onto a memory chip.
Of course most computers are much higher resolution than most TVs. So the slightest flaws or artifacts will be more noticable on the computer than on most TVs. Burn them onto VCD, SVCD, or DVD to play them on your TV. If your graphics card has s-video output or better, just plug that into your TV.
On the lowest video resolution, also 30fps, it looks like those small low bandwidth online streaming videos you can watch on the net, not good at all but usable. If youre planning on sending video on limited bandwidth or file sizes the lowest resolution will be handy.
On that low a setting itll record for hours or until the batteries die, making it great as a hidden spycam or nanny cam. It also is a net cam too.
It takes only 2 AA batteries so you wont have to keep running to the charger with expensive short-lived battery packs. Im using Sony 2600mha newer rechargables I already owned. They lasted till the memory was full with a readout of 80% of battery life still left. So I have no experience on how long ordinary cheap AA batteries would last. The specs say 60 minutes with ordinary AA alkalines. I threw in a pair of 2000mah rechargables I got cheap in a 20 pack from Amazon. It recorded 90 minutes of video with plenty of power left over. When plugged into the USB port, itll use the USB power, not the batteries, averaging a current draw of about 300ma.
The included video editing software is better than software that I already had that cost almost as much as the camera... & its easier to use. It will work for editing any video, not just the ones made by the camera.
The camera & software are specifically designed for XP. But because without the software, if you plug it into the USB port, any computer will recognize it as an external drive. You can tranfer your files off or onto the camera as easy as you can move files from 1 disk, folder, or drive to another. Doing it that way, without the included software you can watch or burn your videos & pix on any computer, even a mac or linux machine. I tried it, it does work. Your computer will need an MPEG4 player to play the video. It will list video as AVI files, but if you ever had MPEG4 files before, it usually lists them as AVIs.
If you have the memory card, the computer will recognize it as 2 drives, the card & the internal memory.
Oh, it also includes jacks to plug it in to your TV, VCR, external burner, or stereo, & play your images, movies, or music without a computer.
Digital cameras need a lot more light than their analog tape or film sisters... this one too. It has a flash for still pictures, which works well, but no built in light for video. For indoors video youll need all your ordinary house lights turned on their highest setting, or be near a good window in the daytime. Outdoors, there was plenty of light even on the cloudiest days even after sunset at dusk. Shortly after that, there wont be enough light.
It also comes with a mini pocket tripod, cheap but useful.
I experimented by duct taping a fairly bright 7-LED flashlight to it to video in a dark nightclub. I still had to get within 3 feet of my subject to get a fairly lit image. In the future I may build an infrared LED illuminator for it & video in Black & white in the dark... yes it has a B&W setting.
No optical zoom, digital zoom only, so any more than a tad of digital zoom,
& your images will look like the lowest resolution settings.
Bottom line, this is not a great camera. Its a cheapie. But for ease, portablity, flexibility, you cant beat it for the price... very handy, you can take it anywhere, & I never leave home without it.
On: 2005-06-08
Im a kid, i wanted a digital camera 4ever but i had to save up the money i saw the aiptek 3500 which i wanted so i bought that it worked great! then the dv 4500 came out so i returned the 3500 and got the 4500 the worst mistake ive ever made. the dv 4500. worked for about three months then the lens broke off i taped it up then it worked 4 about another 2 weeks . then out of the blue the power button broke you can stick a pencil in the spot of the hole if you want to get it to work.
then the battery cover broke off... it does not work the sales people dont help you at all.. i would not RECOMEND getting this camera
a kid ...
On: 2005-04-15
I dont suggest that anyone get this product. I had got this product for Christmas and it worked very well besides the problem that it was too dark the pictures came out good and everything. After about a week the camera broke and it wasnt because i dropped it or anything it was because the turn on button is kinda hard to push and like the button fell through into the camera so now it cant turn on. I still have the camera and im trying to find a way to return it.
On: 2005-03-29
This camera is pretty good. The M PEG 4 files are false!! Its in only AVI. Theyre lying. Which means the movies are low. The camera taking pictures were impressive. My thing that sucks the most is that the LCD is poor. When it is dark outside or their is low lighting you can see crap. SO how can you tell if the camera is in the right aim?!!? I mean it doesnt make sense. THe software that comes with it SUCKS!!! I prefer Windows Movie Maker 2.1 And plus if you want to record movies and resave from editing software make sure you get a IEEE345 CORD it connects the DV to the computer. I think the pictures are awesome but the filiming sucks so far. But Ive made prety good movies with it so far. I suggest getting a camera for those adults. Teenagers like me will love it. And I do. Only downside is the LCD screen and the frames......
On: 2005-03-26
I got this product as a gift in the middle of December and it has not let me down once. I have been able to make so many short and some long movies with this camcorder. The quality of the video isnt great, but its okay. The lighting isnt the best, but it doesnt bother me. The mp3 player is awesome. Its helped me whenever I get bored in class. The 4500 is easy for me to hook up to the computer. People say they have troubles, but come on people! You put the USB side into the computer and the other into the camcorder. An infant could use this. This camera is awesome. Its been my life for the past 3 months.
On: 2005-03-17
I bought this camera b/c a family member had a good experience with an Aiptek 3.1 megapixel palm camcorder. Unfortunately, this one does not have the same quality. One of my biggest beefs is that the controls are kind of flimsy. Also, when I tried to take the cover off a panel with the A/V output, headphone jack,etc., it snapped right off. Whoops! Still pictures turn out ok, though nowhere near the level of those taken by my Canon Digital Elph (I expected as much,considering the price difference in these products). The mp3 player seems to work ok and the quality is decent. Video quality is unfortunately very poor and quite choppy, even at the highest resolution setting. It looks like some kind of stop-action animation and is suitable only for short clips to post to the web. The files produced are quite large in size (not MPEG-4s as advertised), but can be reduced to smaller wmvs with other software. I pretty much figured I would keep this as almost a disposable camera. For the price, if something happens to it, I wont be too upset. It will be the toy to bring along on a hiking trip, a geocaching quest, an archaeological dig, or a canoe excursion down the river. This would probably be a fun toy for the kids. For serious camcorder use, not recommended. It is very true that you get what you pay for in this case. I will be keeping my very old JVC VHS-C camcorder for the time being for real video applications, but Ill still use this for times when it doesnt matter as much...
On: 2005-02-20
If you are a kid, which I am, you will love this camera. I like to skate, so I made some little skate movies with this thing and it works great. I mean its not pixely or anything. It works fine and it records smoothly. That means that when you kickflip it gets the whole thing and doesnt cut the whole flip because the camera isnt fast enough. I love this camera.
On: 2005-02-13
<br />
I returned the Aiptek camera after 3 weeks. This camera does loaded with a lot of features but none of them works well. <br />
Camera: outdoor photos ok but indoor photo is too dark even with the flash. <br />
Camcorder: MPEG4 movie is disappointing even at 640x480. Indoor movie is too dark. <br />
MP3 player: you cannot FF to the next song while playing. You have to stop and then FF. Very annoying.<br />
Audio recorder: works fine.<br />
Webcam: Same problem as camera/camcorder mode. Too dark. The lens of this camera is too small.<br />
On: 2005-02-01
I was very excited to get this camera the other day. I had to buy a new one because a mustek one I bought offline was pretty crappy. Though this camera is a great camera every picture is focused unlike the other one I had and it takes extraordinary photos. Though I was contemplating to keep my other one because this one has such a small LCD and doesnt swivel like the other one. It does have better filters than the other one though they are just black and white and sepia they are still better than all the other ones. One big problem Ive found with mine is that to open the connectivity area its like you have to break off the plastic you dont but it feels like it maybe in a newer model they will have fixed that.
On: 2005-01-30
I believe this camara is a very decent camara for the first time camara holder. It has many good features like a still shot and recorder. You can even use the voice recorder to speak your mind. Also, the mp3 player can play clear, crisp sound. However, the mp3 player does not play WMA. Also, depending on your scenary, pictures come out dark in some instances. Although, I still strongly suggest that you purchace this device.
On: 2005-01-27
If youre a gadget person, youll love this. If youre looking to film the next "Titanic", dont buy it. Its great fun, easy to use but it is not an $800 camcorder. I suggest rechargeable batteries though, it goes through the regular pretty quick -- especially if you play with it as much as I do. The video can be dark indoors so turn on the lights!!
On: 2005-01-25
A pretty competent little camera, especially for the price. Decent (not great) pictures and video, but beware! This camera advertises itself as recording "MPEG-4" video. The files are NOT standard MPEG-4 files. They are Windows Media Player (.ASF) files that cannot be opened by any QuickTime compatible applications. VLC is the only Macintosh application that can play back the video files. Even Windows Media Player cannot play back the files until you install the proprietary codecs on your Windows computer.
If youre looking for compatibility and industry-standard video, stay away from this camera.
On: 2005-01-22
THIS CAmERA ROCKS!!! BUY ONE!!! Im 13 AND I LOVE IT!!! WOOT WOOT!!!<br />
HECKA GOOD PICKS AND VIDEO!!! YOU HAVE TO BUY THE mEmORY CARD THO... IT STILL ROCKS!!!
On: 2005-01-20
I like this little device a lot. Its really useful for somebody like me who travels a lot, and needs something inexpensive, portable, and with lots of features. Im sure more expensive devices of his type are better, but thats why they cost more money. This product is great for the money, and works quite well for a casual user.
On: 2005-01-19
This is a GREAT camera if youre not too good with photography. With the whole package you sure get a lot. A mini Tripod, camera, cable to hook up to Audio/Video ports in TV, USB cable, strap, carrying bag, batteries, head phones. The only downside is that it has 16MB of internal Memory. So I just got a SD 512MB card from Amazon for 50 bucks. So I have about 80 MP3S on it and a whole ton of videos, and pictures. Also I would suggest getting some good AA rechargeable batteries, because this thing kills batteries fast. I got a set of 4 AA rechargeable [so when a pair of 2 die, charge them, and in the mean time use the others] and a charger. This is a good camera, 4 mega pixels. But if youre indoors you cant see good in the video. So I would have to suggest taking videos outside. All-in-all this is a good start up camera for possiby young teenagers.
On: 2005-01-10
I havent used this camera outside that much... but indoors the video is very dark. This camera can take alright shots if there is sufficient light (or you can use the flash). THe flash works pretty well indoors, except there isnt any way to really adjust it to my knowledge (auto/on/off). I tried to take some really close-up shoots of random small things..but the flash just made the object come out comepletely white. The video isnt that great, but i guess you could say on par with the video modes built into may other digital cameras. However for the list price, i would take a look at some other cameras and maybe try to find one on-sale that is of better quality (without being much more). My lil bro got a nice canon PowerShot A75 onsale and the quality of his pictures are atleast alot better (not sure about the video). So what im trying to say is that if u really dont need all the other features (mp3 player, etc.) than i would check out others. However for such a small camera it does an alright job and for the sale price i think i got a deal. If you think you will use alot of its features (webcame, mp3 player, voice recorder, etc.) then its probably not that bad of a deal. But if your looking at taking high-quality video clips, you might want to reconsider. I still have to play around a lil more with the video mode outside and see what results i get. All in all it seems like a relatively good deal. The Aiptek DV5300 is out now and is the same price i believe.. so u might want to check that out instead.
On: 2005-01-07
I received this little thing this christmas and was quite happy with all of its features. It takes nice snapshots, plays mp3s really well, and takes good video. I was quite impressed with the Digital Still Camera, and it has a flash that helps a lot. The Mp3 player is nice too, as it is all in one deal/component. It comes with a bunch of stuff like a tri-pod and earphones, and even a carry-with-case. The screen can be easily used to watch previously taken video and photos in the dark.
The video is best in bright light such as outside or in a commercial office building, though as long as you have decent light, your video will come out nice.
I recommend a 512 mb memory card and rechargeable batteries, and you are set. Its worth its price and is a sure thing you will use a lot.
Have Fun!!!
On: 2005-01-05
Heres the litany of failures Ive found in about a couple weeks of owning this "video camera":
1. Malfunctions constantly: the 4500 frequently becomes totally unresponsive to input; wont even turn off! You have to actually disconnnect the batteries to reset the thing. This happened starting from Christmas Day, about 10 minutes after opening it. Do you really think itll be working at all after, say, 6 weeks?
2. Light Sensitivity non-existent: If you plan on using the 4500 as a video cam, a digital camera, or a web cam, then I suggest you move immediately to the surface of the Sun or another medium sized star, because you (it) cant see ANYTHING in normal indoor or low light conditions. I tried to take some pics on new years eve and they were totally dark.
2. Use the built-in strobe you say? Good luck getting it to even charge up more than a couple times per 2 AA batteries.
This thing is a battery leech: it uses 2 AAs, and boy itll use em fast. Better invest in the Eveready Corp. if you plan on actually using this thing.
4. USB Port: first off, the cover to the usb and memory slots is totally cheapo....surely a matter of time before it simply breaks. Secondly, the cover is on the FRONT of the camera (the lense side), and since the provided USB wire is roughly 4 inches long, its nearly impossible to situate the 4500 as a web cam (not that youd see anything anyway without about 4500 watts of light in your room). This is just bad design, plain and simple.
5. Jack of all trades, bad at them all: The 4500 tries to be everything at once...and fails miserably...do one thing and do it right! Again, its bad design to try and cram an mp3 player in with a vid/digital/web cam.
6. Doesnt come with memory: be aware this thing has virtually no built-in memory whatsoever, so youll be buying a card...about 60 more bucks for a 512 MB card, which is the minimum Id recommend.
I could continue here, but let me just finish with a word of caution to the readers: keep your BS filter on high when reading
all these so-called positive reviews, and ask yourself if its a regular guy giving an objective opinion or someone with certain other interests at heart, because theres no way a majority of rational people could give this product a 4 or 5.
On: 2005-01-04
If you are familiar with the video quality of most digital still cameras, you will no doubt like this camera. The quality is slightly better than that of those videos. I enjoy the fact that it is small and easy to use. It is perfect for normal outings that you would like to have video of. In fact, it is smaller than my digital still camera. I carry it everywhere I think there is going to be something I want to capture. I also enjoy that is uses battery power sparingly and allows them to hold a charge. It also does not use battery power when transfering files onto a computer. In short, if you are looking to capture videos with out spending a lot, the DV 4500 is perfect.
On: 2005-01-03
I bought it because I saw a score of 4 stars compared to other comparable models. The truth is that the video recording (the reason I bought it the first place) gets the image corrupted 8 of 10 times I record a movie when using SD cards. Tried several cards that I know that worked on different devices. One thing is lower quality that I can accept, but not being able to record - unacceptable.
On: 2004-12-29
i bought this on HSN for 99.00 just in tine for christmas. it is much better than i even hoped for. i let my 9 and 10 year old grandaughters run around with it all day and they made he cutest videos that we will cherish forever. the sound is great, the video is great, i was shocked. everyone who saw it was amazed and wanted one too! i bought a 1 gigabite card at sams for 70.00 and couldnt be more pleased. i used it as an audio recorder and that worked perfectly. the only drawback i see so far is it does not have a built in light for recording in low light conditions. it is still well worth the price. i might buy another one for other grandkids!
On: 2004-12-27
I bought this lil camera for my 12yr old daughter. It is small lightweight and does the trick she used it on aim to talk to her friends as a web cam and video,still, and mp3 player. I am sure I will even use this lil one when I have to. The battery life is pretty good SHE LOVES THIS CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On: 2004-12-27
I bought this for both of my daughters for Christmas. I had read some reviews and thought I would give it a try for the minimal price. They spent the better part of the day recording tons of video clips of the lovely snow and barely used any of the battery strength. It was easy for them to figure out on their own and for the price I wasnt afraid to let them go out and do whatever with it. My girls are 15 and 11 and they just love their camcorders. It is not the quality of a high dollar camera, but it definately does the job and has made them happy. I did put 256 sd cards in each of them and recommend buying the extra memory. Good luck!!!
On: 2004-12-16
Terrible indoor pictures! Needs lots of light. Good luck getting this to work on your PC, and, dont expect any help from the company! Back it goes!
On: 2004-12-14
This is the worst camera I have ever used. I wasnt expecting much at all, but I got nothing. The first thing you should do after purchasing this product is to test the "voice recorder." I like to call it the "noise producer." You cannot understand the playback for the recording you just made. You hear mumbling against static. Try out the flash when taking a photo. It has to charge first; thats just like a one time use camera.<br />
<br />
When youre satisfied with those two features, the next one for testing is the video camera. Wait. It has a video camera? I couldnt tell. I thought the video it was producing was something called the "blur effect." Everything captured by the video recorder was unintelligible.<br />
<br />
Please do not spend money on this. Its not even worthy as a kids toy. Buy them a VideoNow or a Barbie cam.
On: 2004-12-12
I had asked for this present for a birthday gift and got it today. This is more than what I thought I would get. The MP3 player is great as well as the other features. THe picture quality is better than expected because I spent a week reading every review on this product and others from this company. It took me some time to decide on this but when I took it out the package it was well worth the money.
If you do get this as a gift for someone, be sure to atleast include with it a 128 memory card. THey have 64 and 256. But 128 is good for starters. THese cards can be pricey so shop around.
THe complaints about the dark are ignorant ones because this is a problem that all video camcorders face; maybe not to this degree but this is not top of the line. With just average lighting indoors, I did not have to use the flash for pictures. THe video camcorder though cant use the flash so it is dark. BUt the flash indoors is excellent.
The software included is good and wasnt diffucult. The MP3 player was also a bit easier to manuever than I had originally anticipated.
This is excellent for individuals who arent look to lug around larger camcorders, pay more, and give more maintenance. Good Luck With Your Holiday Shopping!!!
On: 2004-12-10
Initially, I purchased the Mustek camera (which was HORRIBLE) but returned it and bought this little camera instead. This Aiptek camera takes good photos and also has a flash, unlike the Mustek. I was surprised by the clarity of the pictures! The video is of good quality. I have yet to use the MP3 function but so far, I have not been disappointed. It is easy to use and travels well. I would only suggest you obtain a memory card to increase the saving capacity. Otherwise, this is ready to go right out the package. FYI, it was on sale at Target for $88.00 and I bought two!! You will not regret it.
On: 2004-12-10
I too bought this $88 camera at Target, and have been mostly pleased. Outdoor movies look great, indoor flash stuff is fine. Indoor movies are pretty dark, but I found you can fix that by 1-turning on all the lights in the room and 2-pointing the cam at the light source for a few seconds to set the white balance. That seems to work most of the time.
A pretty good first movie cam, though you can find much cheaper versions ($59, even a pen-sized movie cam for $15 at aiptek.com) that might do much the same thing.
On: 2004-12-06
i just got this dv4500 this afternoon in Target ($88!)...and i was pretty excited getting it at a great price. But i have a question for the other customers...when u guyz use it indoors, does it really appear dark? i mean, i cant even see anything! of course ill try it outside tomorrow, but i was amazed how poor the video quality is indoors. i tried the camera with flash, & that seemed okay once i replay it. the voice recorder works fine too.
i know a lot of people would say that for 90 bucks i shouldnt expect too much, but come on! at least i wanna see something when i look at the LCD! =(
anywayz, ill post something again when i use it outdoors...
On: 2004-12-06
The DV 4500 has exceeded my expectations. It is certainly a top contender in its class. It is functional, easy to use, and has plenty of features. If you want a better camera, be prepared to pony up another $500-$900.
For the price I got a great little entry level camera. I did not want to spend a whole lot of money on something that I might not use sufficiently. This will be an adequate DV camera for a tryout period.
For those of you who want a superior quality, intermediate or professional level, heavy horsepower camera with more features than you would ever use, pass up this great deal, get a second job, and buy the camera of your dreams.
In my experience . . . The camera does everything that it claims in its specifications. I would not expect anything more. Buy it. Try it. Go out and have some fun.
On: 2004-11-17
I like this camera very much, as it is my first digital camera.
I find the lack of an optical sight limits its use outdoors.
The LCD screen simply washes out in any sunlight. I am going to make a hood of black cloth (like the old time cameras) so I can use it outdoors. I agree with a previous review that the clock
keeps resetting to a default value.
It doesn`t do as good a job as my Sony camcorder, but I carry this one around all of the time, instead of carrying a 6 pound, clumbsy camera.
I`m not sorry I bought it.
Gary
On: 2004-11-06
Great camera, easy to use, for those that have a mac G4 like myself go to www.videolan.org to get a free player for this format (asf), info came from apple.com/uk windows media player will not play it on da mac. For those that are trying to shoot music videos of their kids, get out the flood lights, and you will get a better picture indoors, or spend the big bucks and get a low lux cam, otherwise it works great outdoors, and indoor photos with a flash are fine, this is the next generation of "kodak disc camera" that was out in the 80s using negative film. Cheap small I will be more than happy to take this cam on my next trip. Buy it if you like small cool gadgets that document a moment in time, via video or pics. Dont buy it, if you havent read up on digital cams. Visit your library and get an understanding of light, or go to school and study the "eyeball" same principle. Great little gadget with many options.
On: 2004-11-02
Ive read through the reviews and am surprised by people that are expecting to use the DV4500 to get their entry into Sundance. Its an ENTRY level digital camcorder. Thats all. You would have to spend at least 4 times as much on a digital camcorder to get rid of some of the things you are all complaining about (poor sensitivity in low light...graininess, etc). That being said...Ive found it to be a solid piece of gear. Will it replace my miniDV camcorder? No. But for carrying with me...for quick little clips, and for taking places that I wont take my pro gear--its fine. Its handy and easy to use. And I dont have to worry when the kids or friends want to borrow the camera. Heres something else to consider: its better outdoors or with lots of light. The lens is small...you should expect this (Photography 101...the bigger lens=more light=better picture). It IS fixed focus. Get over it (sorry to be blunt, but what did you want for the price?). Sure, theres minor tweaking you can do (normal to macro),but all the same, its pretty much fixed. All in all its not a bad camera, if you go into with realistic expectations. And...to be honest, its a great one to learn on. Its much better to develop your eye and technique on something without a lot of bells or whistles. Hope that helps.
On: 2004-11-01
HEY THERE I JUST GOT THIS CAMERA FROM TARGET AND LET ME TELL YA IT`S JUST GREAT THE PICS ARE GREAT BUT THE VIDEO IS A LITTLE GRAINY AND THE ONLY OTHER PROBLEM IT MIGHT HAVE IS THAT THE DOOR FOR THE USB PORT IS KINDA CHEAPO BUT FOR THE MONEY IT`S A GOOD CAMERA ALOT BETTER THAN A REAL DV CAMCORDER FOR THE MONEY//JSF FROM WISCONSIN ; ]
On: 2004-10-31
HEY THERE I JUST GOT THIS CAMERA FROM TARGET AND LET ME TELL YA IT`S JUST GREAT THE PICS ARE GREAT BUT THE VIDEO IS A LITTLE GRAINY AND THE ONLY OTHER PROBLEM IT MIGHT HAVE IS THAT THE DOOR FOR THE USB PORT IS KINDA CHEAPO BUT FOR THE MONEY IT`S A GOOD CAMERA ALOT BETTER THAN A REAL DV CAMCORDER FOR THE MONEY//JSF FROM WISCONSIN ; ]
On: 2004-10-20
Intially I was excited the day I received this, however that soon faded. I tested only the digital camera and the camcorder. The camcorder function remained grainy no matter what I tried to correct it... this grain was disfiguring to the subject I was recording. It picks up light poorly aswell and the flash just didnt work. Distorted color.... The camera photos turned out nice... but once again without a flash it was hardly worth what I paid. Microphone also barely picked up sound. Difficult to handle, even with my small hands it was a challenge. Im in the process of returning mine.
On: 2004-10-05
Ive read the specifications and I really want to have it and buy it because with that smart thing and so smart I can have take a shot my sweet memories but unfortunetly I can not buy it in Indonesia, anybody has suggestion for how to get/buy that camcoder for me???? dont be hesitate to call me...at +62 81 72817680
by: Anonymous On: 2004-09-01
I bought my Aiptek DV4500 from Target back in June. Without a doubt it is one of the few gadgets I use everyday. I walk everyday during lunch and use it as an MP3 player. I dont leave notes for myself anymore - instead I use it as a voice recorder for reminders.
One of the previous reviewers asked us to post any luck with the 2304x1728 mode. No problems there. The video and still results are by no means profession quality, but then again, I wasnt expecting them to be so. And since I keep it in the truck with me, its always ready to record some interesting things. Now I no longer have to try to describe things I see on the way home or on the way to work - I show them. Last month I recorded a high-speed police chase. Im still waiting for a UFO to show up. :)
Anyway, my biggest complaint so far is that after about 6 or 7 mp3 songs the dv4500 locks up. The power light is still on, but the display is blank and none of the buttons work. Cant even power it off unless the batteries are removed. Im going to contact Aiptek next and see if they have any ideas/fixes/excuses.
On: 2004-08-31
the pics are grainy and blury. photos with flash are really bad quality. the cover for the batteries is flimsy and needs a rubberband to hold it down. the cover to the usb slot is awkward and the button used to take pictures is broken. all of this in 6 weeks.
On: 2004-08-30
the pics are grainy and blury. photos with flash are really bad quality. the cover for the batteries is flimsy and needs a rubberband to hold it down. the cover to the usb slot is awkward and the button used to take pictures is broken. all of this in 6 weeks.
On: 2004-07-26
I was really dissatisfied with the DV4500. Its really only a 2mp camera, even with that, pictures came out grainy and distorted. Mp3 playback was lousy- mine only played back out of one side. The flash never worked properly, pictures were always too bright, and it ate up batteries like nothing. And rechargables didnt have enough juice to fire the flash more than once. To top it all off, the screen stopped working within 90 days of purchase, and is currently in for repair. It was ridiculous, but mine was an early unit. Nonetheless, I would not buy this again.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-18
This camera was great after getting I downloaded tons of Mp3s to it and went out to try it out. This product is great and the software bundle that comes with is a great added bonus and my camera does have 4 megapixels
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-17
I think this Camara is great. It takes Great pictures and Video.
The Audio is clear on the mic and MP3.The MP3s CaN TAKE UP A lot of Room so if your memory is full just delet so MP3s. I got mine from Apitek and they have a sale right now 7-16-04. And u can get the package deal you get the stand Headsets Case 256MB memory Card!and the cables and stuff. THe frist one i got the on button broke so I returned it and this is great.
On: 2004-07-16
The unit and its menu is very well designed. So very logical and easy to use - completely got it in 5 minutes without even reading the manual.I then discovered, that if I plug it into a PC that had never seen it before (at least on 2000 sp4) I could still see it as a removable drive (no drivers or software installed) and copy and play navtive ASF files from it.... That right there made it a great deal for me as I could see myself a few months later trying to figure how to save a movie on a new pc and not finding the software cds or the manuals. Heres the deal, the video quality is not great by any stretch and pictures are okay for online.... but honestly, its good enough for all my home movies and all the stuff I do I want to put on the web. Another major plus is it uses 2 AA batteries. Ive found Regarable ION to be a problematic on devices that have to be recharged all the time. Its good enough, but dont expect crisp/clear video... but then again, if the video is crisp and clear, it looses personality and eats up crazy amounts of space. The idea for me is to quickly move media to network space, back it up and put it on the web so I can share it. And secure and shareable beat top quality video any day in my book! HTH. Enjoy.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-12
I ordered this camera from this site and it does everything I expected it to do except I found out that this camera is only a 3.1 megapixel camera even though it says 4 on the box and instructions. In the digital camera mode you only have the options of 1, 2, and 3.1 megapixels. Im still pretty mad at how Aiptek lied, but Im getting over it. So if anyone can get their DV4500 to take a picture in 2300x1800(4mp)instead of 2000x1500(3.1mp)please say it in your review. Besides that problem this is a great camera and will be alot of fun, but get some rechargeable batteries first.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-22
The DV4500 is hands down the best money I have ever spent! It has been trouble free and easy to use. Recording video and taking pictures is a one touch operation, and I love being able to take my MP3s with me without a separate player. Using it on Windows XP is also as simple. I can even transfer the pics and video to my Mac.
I read the review from the Guest in Norfolk. I beg to differ. Aiptek does not need to USB 1.1 Drivers on XP! Windows provides the drivers. You only need drivers for the webcam mode to work.
Check out http://www.aiptek.com/support/dv4-faq.htm for some help if you need it.
Thanks for another sensational gadget Aiptek!!
On: 2004-06-20
Ive had my DV4500 for 2 months now, and I continue to enjoy using it. Its big pluses are its portability and ease of use. The controls are well designed, and its a quite versatile little gizmo. I bought it because I wanted an inexpensive still and video camera, but I find I am using it just as much as an mp3 player and voice recorder. The pictures it takes are very good, and there is a built in flash for indoor and low light shooting. The biggest downside (for me) is that it is not compatible with mac computers, only pcs. Also, the video quality drops under low light conditions. I hope Aiptek corrects these deficiencies in future models. It uses standard AA batteries, but consumes them very quickly, so get some rechargeables. But for less than $150, you can have a wonderful camera that you can always have on you, and capture spontaneous moments as you please.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-18
As of this date (June 2004) the Windows XP USB drivers (updated version 1.1 from the Aiptek web site) for this camera seem troublesome. The Aiptek web site does not offer useful troubleshooting for this relatively new model as of yet. Do not buy this newly released camera at this point.
On: 2004-06-02
sir why it is writtern 4 mega pixel in the specs and on the
dv it is 3.1 why this is so?
I am from india please solve this query
raj
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-17
Great videos and pictures. It keeps reseting the date to the default, though.
On: 2004-04-10
i was wondering why dont the local target stores here in ny have this camera? .. im very interested in getting it but theres no one live help on this website to talk to on how to get it .... just ordering it would be foolish on my part ..last time i did get a cam over the internet i was able to talk to some one and get some in fo first .maybe im not looking at something proper any help ?
On: 2004-04-09
I currently own an Aiptek DV2 that records in .AVI format and still photos at up to 2.0mp. This new camera records to MPEG-4 and stills at 4.0mp. I find the overall camera to be great, with great photos. However, I dont much care for the software that comes with it, I would recomend a good full version of Pinnacle Studio 8 that can work with .ASF/.WMV files.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-25
I went through the effort of writing a lengthy review on this camera, but apparently this site cant ensure the comments get posted, or wont bother to post it. Its a great camera -- way better than the previous models which are quite good. I give the camera 5 stars, and this site 3 stars. Doubt I will bother writing a review again. -- annoyed
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-20
Wow!!! I bought both the DV3100 awhile ago. This model says DV4500 on the front and DV 3500 on the bottom sticker. I guess the 4500 is a 4 Megapixel upgrade of the 3500? The 4500 is a about the size of a thick deck of cards which is little thinner and a little longer than the 3100. I was impressed with the 3100 model ... but this one ... it is the Personal Multimedia Gadget of the future! Video and picture quality are very impressive. Video frame rate is good (at last). No, its not professional quality, but the component behind the camera would have to be pretty good to need a better camera for casual purposes. And yes, this camera has a flash, but for still pictures only. There is a battery consumption issue for video flash. The 4500 is much more intuitive to use with a simple dial to select video/ still/ playback/ MP3/ audio recording mode. Menus allow you to select such options as color/ black and white/ sepia tone (old movie) looks for your video.
The only negative comments I have are 1) that the Input/Output panel in the front has a very flimsy door and will probably break off, 2) I would like an AC adaptor ability and 3) the sound recording is only fairly good. (The DV3500 microphone sucks.) This is the most impressive consumer gadget I have ever seen for a price like this.
If you want to stay up-to-date on Aiptek products, go to www.aiptek.com.tw , not www.aiptek.com . For some odd reason (patent rights?), their stuff tends to be available in Europe/ Asia before you can get them in North America.
- a MIT alum
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