Creative Vado Pocket Digital Camcorder-VADO POCKET VIDEO CAM PINK PERP2 HR OF VIDEO RECORDING Y

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on the Mino - Advantage, Mino
+ While the Ultra worked with removable batteries and the Mino has a built-in rechargeable battery, the Creative Vado has a rechargeable battery that is user changeable and can be easily swapped for extended recording - BIG Advantage, Vado
+ The Vado gives you the option of recording in SP for longer record times, and the quality difference is minimal - Advantage, Vado
+ The microphone sensitivity is below average on the Vado and slightly better on the Mino - Advantage, Mino
+ The low light performance is subpar on all three units but slightly better on the Mino - Advantage, Mino
+ Both the Vado and the Mino are easily recharged by USB connection, but the Vado includes an option for quick-charging - Advantage, Vado
+ Both include ports for AV out connections to TVs, but the Mino comes with the cable and the Vado does not - Advantage, Mino
+ The included software is self-contained on both units and seems to work fine, but the Vado requires much less to be installed - Advantage, Vado
+ Ability to zoom seems weak on both, though the Mino does perform slightly better - Advantage, Mino
+ Both have a screw hole for attaching a tri-pod or similar stand, but the Mino's is centered and the Vado's is off-center (on the lower right) - Advantage, Mino
+ In terms of looks, the Vado's body is thinner and wider, and the Mino is slightly thicker but not as wide; the Mino definitely looks slicker, though the black plastic will attract finger-prints; Also, the Vado comes in different colors - Advantage, Mino
+ Nice indicator shows when either unit is capturing video - Draw
+ The buttons on the Vado are real tactile buttons that have nice feedback; The Flip Mino controls are touch sensitive (except for the record button) - This is a matter of preference, and both are nice, but I prefer the real buttons on the Vado; The Mino seems to have a lag when pressing the controls - Advantage, Vado
+ The Vado's screen is slightly larger and wider than the Mino's - Advantage, Vado
+ The built in speaker on the Vado is not nearly as good as the dual speakers on the Mino - Advantage Mino
+ The Price on the Vado is much better (just under $90, depending on color) while the Mino sells for much more (listed for $180, sells for about $150)




Cons
- The USB dongle on the Vado is flexible but has a tab that sticks out from the body, while the Mino has a slick USB connector that tucks into the body and is released via a tab - Advantage, Mino
- Users who want to use a dedicated microphone are provided no jack on these devices for that purpose - Draw
- Neither unit has a headphone jack for checking audio playback on recorded videos - Draw, but the weaker speaker on the Vado makes this hurt the Vado more
- Still has some software issues that will hopefully be fixed with updates - Advantage, Mino
- The Vado requires you to install the XVid codec to use the built-in software - Not a huge deal, Draw
- Not as much support for Mac users in terms of software
- The Vado comes with no carrying case or dongle included, while the Mino comes with a cheap pouch and a dongle - Advantage, Mino
- Vado packaging definitely seems cheap, while the Mino is presented in a box that is reminiscent of the packaging of Zunes and iPods - Advantage, Mino
- The Vado's on screen menus are definitely not as nice, and the Vado Central software is not nearly as good as the Flip Video Muvee software - Advantage, Mino
- Neither of these has slots for any kind of memory card - Draw
- Neither of these will compete with some of the high-definition flash memory camcorders that are on the market, such as the Sanyo Xacti - Draw

Conclusion

I will post some pictures and video samples shortly.

While both of these units are ok, I am in the higher demanding category of users who is only going to be satisfied with the features offered by HI-Def flash camcorders like the Sanyo Xacti. The high price of those units make them prohibitive for now, though the CG9 models are in the ballpark at around $250. Hopefully the price will come down, or competing units will come out to combine the best of both.

But if I have to draw a conclusion, as of now I would say that the Mino is definitely better in terms of quality. But is it better enough to warrant the much higher price than the Vado? I would personally choose the Mino, but I think most people would choose the Vado in most cases. The fact that they made it easy to buy additional or replacement batteries and swap them out yourself is a HUGE plus. And since this is still a point and click camcorder, saving a nice chunk of change doesn't hurt either.

Enjoy!

*****

Note: The sample video was recorded in my friends living room at point blank range (less than 8 feet away from the TV). As you can see, even after turning up the volume up very high the microphone on the Vado still captures audio very faintly. In addition, the video is set to HQ yet is somewhat grainy compared to the Flip Mino.

For a video sample of the Flip Mino, please visit my review of that product. Even though I filmed that sample on the Mino under much more difficult night-time conditions, the video and audio quality is noticeably better. I will eventually update these with more pictures and improved samples.

Creative Vado Pocket Digital Camcorder-VADO POCKET VIDEO CAM PINK PERP2 HR OF VIDEO RECORDING Y

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that you can learn to use fairly quickly, and the price makes it a good deal, but don't expect anything astounding.

Creative Vado Pocket Digital Camcorder-VADO POCKET VIDEO CAM PINK PERP2 HR OF VIDEO RECORDING Y

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that you can learn to use fairly quickly, and the price makes it a good deal, but don't expect anything astounding.