Vado HD vs. Sony Webbie PM1 - Outdoor Test (RC)

[asmallwwweb]

Can you please tell me the name (and version) of the software that you used to have 4 media clips on the screen? I could use something like that!

[APrintezis]

@asmallwwweb .. sure, i used CyberLink Power Director - it has been my software of choice for the last few years since i tried most of them (Pinnacle Studio - also pretty good, Corel, Adobe Premier and Roxio).

[asmallwwweb]

@APrintezis Thank you!!! I have a couple of projects that I want to piece together and it looks like I need to invest!

[ussprinceton2004]

how long does it take for you to upload your videos to youtube from the Vado HD for a certain file size? My Vado takes a really long time to upload to the internet. Is this normal? What do you recommend so that my upload time would be faster? Does my computer specifications matter or is it all dependent on my internet connection speed?

[APrintezis]

@ussprinceton2004 .. i doesn't take long (of course it depends on the file size). in general vado files are not more than usual (for avi).. so IT IS YOUR INTERNET SPEED : ) not the camera. Try from work if you have a faster connection and see what happens. You can also run a speed-test on your pc and note your UPLOAD speeds in Mbps. My up-speed from home is 2.5Mbps :( from work (on OC3 connection) it is about 25Mbps for upload (!!) and 150Mbps for download. It makes a huge difference.

[ussprinceton2004]

Are you using the 2nd gen Vado HD? If so, is it compatible with Windows 7, 32 bit operating system? Have you used the built in editing software? If not, what editing software do you use? Can I use Windows movie maker to edit the HD videos of the 2nd gen Vado HD? Is yours still functioning like it should to this day?

[APrintezis]

@ussprinceton2004 .. Yes, i am using the 8GB second gen. Yes, it is plug-and-play compatible with Win 7 x64 and x86 and if for some reason you are missing the plug-in just install Vado central that comes with the camera (in its built-in memory) and you will also get the decoder for the avi files installed as well. I have use(d) all of them but usually stick with PowerDirector x64 Ultra PRO, or Adobe Premier, and sometimes Pinnacle Studio. I have had this for years and yes 100% functional still!

[APrintezis]

@HWuff360 .. the GoPro for sure! : )) but if you want to pay much less than that, i would sure recommend the Vado for its -wide- lens, it is much better for capturing close up action, and it helps with the shaking and vibrations a bit as well.

[JohnBechtel]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[traxxas35]

i was going to get the Vado but i found a sony MHS-PM1 on kijiji for $100! i picked that shit up instantly

[APrintezis]

@traxxas35 .. hahaha .. i like this comment :) and based on your description you seem to have already been using it !! : D

[Myslot2]

Some one said theres no zoom with the vado, is this true????

I'm guessing there must be, even the camera on my old mobile phone has zoom, please tell me the vado has zoom!

[APrintezis]

@Myslot2 .. there is no optical zoom in any Vado model as the lens do not move, but there is digital zoom in all Vado models. based on this fact, i would also argue that no, the Vado does not have (real) zoom .. digital is really low quality.

[poerik]

@Myslot2 vado has no zoom only 2 time digital wich is bad

grtzzz

[arthurleino]

I like my Vado, Oldest kid has a Flip. I think her audio recording is better.

[APrintezis]

@arthurleino .. yeah, that's probably right. the sounds should be better on the flip, as should the image on the vado based on what i have seen.

[JRBugge]

Is it vado 2rd or 3rd?

[TheDutchReviewer]

@JRBugge 2rd

[APrintezis]

@JRBugge .. second gen., 8GB, the only one with the black mate rubbery finish, can't miss it.

[PEYIAKID]

Great test well done, I have to say the Vado HD looks to be the winner on color alone plus the wider view looks better, neither though are true High Def cameras, but as small as a mobile phone (or smaller regarding the Vado) choice for me is obvious.

[PEYIAKID]

Great test well done, I have to say the Vado HD looks to be the winner on color alone plus the wider veiew looks better, neither though are true High Def cameras, but as small as a mobile phone (or smaller regarding the Vado) choice for me is obvious.

[reegg96]

i dont care about the color or what .. i just look camcorder that can shoot sharp quality. if i care about color. i can do some color correction lol

[APrintezis]

@reegg96 .. that is indeed true, but when you have to "stitch" 20-30 little 30 second clips together to make a decent video, it is A PAIN to color correct them all ! If you are one of those people that shoot for 5-10 minutes straight on the other hand, then sure - no problem. But also, even very good video authoring/editing software (unless of profession grade) WILL unfortunately drop the quality and sharpness of the image when you "enhance" is digitally.

[APrintezis]

@MarvinHardy100 .. yes i do, what's up?

[KelliroxxoTV]

webbie def has more real color, while vado has a higher color in yellow....i like the vibrate color better on the vado BUT i could always just add the color effect on song vegass...hmmm

[reegg96]

@KelliroxxoTV i agree with u. better find camera that can take video very sharper

[Tinfoilpain]

If you make your eyes crossed you can see the top one in sort of 3d.

[ItsKawaiiCookie]

so happy im getting vado

[KingPhact]

Love the colors of the Vado

[felttoaster]

The Sony has better Contrast and Brightness while the Vado has better Colours. IMO Contrast is alot better then colours but it depends on the circumstances

[APrintezis]

@felttoaster IF by "better" you mean higher, then think that when it comes to contrast at least the vado is way up there! .. too much almost! If by better you mean that you like it more, then sure, it's a personal preference.

[tallguysd]

The Sony win hands down I can lay it flat on my hat and shoot videos of my planes as i fly! try that with the Vado!

[tallguysd]

I have a Sony PM1 that I shoot all my flying videos with you can get them now for $89.00 on amazon the quality is great checkout all my videos if you want to see.

[FuckyewFB]

how do you get that good at something like this ?

[APrintezis]

@FuckyewFB .. you mean the RC? i have crushed several LOL .. but the problem was they they were weak Hobbyzone RTFs .. they will tell you that those are the best to learn with - but that is A LIE and anyone with some experience can vouch for that. When you learn you need three things, power is number one (to get you out of trouble), a basic understanding on how the thing flies is number 2, and a friend that knows how to get you out of that death spiral is number 3 !!! I learned the wrong way :)

[APrintezis]

@FuckyewFB .. email me if you want some suggestions .. there are slow-flying RCs that ANYONE can fly right away and some are really cheap and easy to put together, google GWS Slow Stick if you want .. put a brushless motor on that and you can fly it with one hand behind your back while having a conversation! Awesome first RC .. and i still have that one!

[holladaycubed]

pause it at 0:40 and youll see that the vado looks like a movie on the top left and the sony looks like an ok camera :(

[Emilowiz]

I got Sony Webbie!!! (and it sucks -.- )

[APrintezis]

@Emilowiz LOL .. it's not that bad : ) .. i hope you at least got a good deal on it! how much did it cost you?

[Emilowiz]

@APrintezis 200$ at wallmart in Florida :)

[APrintezis]

@Emilowiz yikes.. the 8GB Vado is $75 through Amazon at this time!

well the good thing is that you probably have 2 weeks or more before you have to return it, so order a Vado, take some side-by-side videos, and see first hand which one you like the most. (hm, this sounds familiar! I also got the Webbie from walmart) : ))

[KatiushaVN4]

Sony = GAY

[APrintezis]

@KatiushaVN4 .. don't be hatin' .. that's such an over-generalization. that little sony webbie took some good videos, it had a swivel lens that was pretty useful and it also doubled as a web camera, neither of which my current 2 cameras can do. i have kept the Vado HD 2nd gen. for its sharpness, color saturation and small size and the Samsung R10 for the 1080 resolution, 60fps, 10x zoom, image stabilization, and the fact that i can use 32GB SD cards.

[FadoDeo4444]

i like a picture that is more saturated.

[APrintezis]

@FadoDeo4444 same here ..

[s3l3o]

Vado hd 3rd generation VS Kodak playsports zx3 --> comparison?

[APrintezis]

@s3l3o i would like to make a comparison but of the newer Kodak PlaySport .. as soon as Kodak sends one to me : )

[iriforos]

Both the PM1 and the CM5 have similar video quality, imo not as good as the Vado HD. The Vado has more wide lens and records crisper images, and the color is more vibrant, and it is even cheaper than either those two models. They need to come out with a version that uses SD cards already.

[grayfire777]

th one on the left looks like your watching through a really good security camera, i personally like the one on the right

[FadoDeo4444]

@grayfire777 the reason for that is because the one on the left has a wide angle lens, security cameras have this because it allows more to be captured as it covers a greater area; invaluable to any security camera.

[APrintezis]

@FadoDeo4444 as far as i know the Vado has the widest lens at f=3.6 mm

[1171skater]

how do u do this?

[APrintezis]

@1171skater you mean the 4 videos on one window? .. that is just the PiP (Picture-in-Picture) feature of most video editing softwares. I used Cyberlink PowerDirector 8 for this one. It is pretty straight forward. :)

[schemmler]

does the vado 3rd gen have an wide angle lens too ? like the 2st and 2nd gen.

sorry for my english :D

[APrintezis]

good question.. yes it does !!

(and that's a VERY good thing)

Both Vado(s) :) have the widest lens available out there.. having said that, the 2nd gen has a little wider lens - the difference is small and only next to each other and when paying attention you can see the difference. but - yes, the 2nd gen is a bit wider.

[APrintezis]

this was filmed with a 2nd gen. Vado HD .. now there is a 3rd gen. out and that is supposed to be better, with motion detection and some manual settings BUT they only make a 4GB version without external memory slot - W H Y ?!?!? anyone else thinks this is simply stupid??

[SynfulPlaya]

no b/c 4gb is enough for what 60 min. do you really need anymore to film one video after ur done with the video store it on ur comp. and delete it from the system

[APrintezis]

well ok, 2nd generation 8GB,

3rd generation -half- that !!

Yes, 4 GB is about 60 minutes of HD+ recording and no, i never film that much on a single shot - but when i go on vacation for the weekend, or for a few days i do have a charger, i do have a couple of batteries, but i don't necessarily carry a laptop with me to store it so i can delete and record more.

I do usually record more than i need so that i can edit later, 8GB was enough for a few days but 4 is only one hour.

[APrintezis]

so now i have to watch the minutes count down so i don't run out .. while this could be easily fixed with a memory card - just like every other pocket camera has !!

I am not asking for optical zoom, or WiFi here .. just an external memory .. every cellphone comes with one .. why not a video recorder ?!?

[prankmypants]

@APrintezis

yep if they stuck a SD slot on there it would be awesome

[APrintezis]

@prankmypants .. i hope they do that -soon-

[iriforos]

@APrintezis the third generation is out and no, they didn't include an SD card slot.

[MauroBautista2]

Vado HD is clearly more crisp and colorful than the Sony Webbie...

[APrintezis]

i also think it is more crisp .. but it does have some issues with high-contrast - but the tradeoff is that you can shoot very vivid and colorful outdoor footage with it.

[RedBullsNY]

should I get sony or vado? I'm gonna be using it for outside soccer videos. whichone is the best with motion? please help!

[APrintezis]

do you need it to take pictures too? is sound very important to you? then get the sony

do you want high detail and high contrast/vibrant colors? do you want to be able to record more than 20 minute segments at a time? then get the vado

[IvanRod182]

you should get the Kodak Zi8 instead it shoots in 720P 60 F/S wich is really good for sports.

[APrintezis]

or, is you want Full HD (1920x1080) Movie recording and a time-lapse feature, check out the Samsung U-10

[IvanRod182]

yeah the Kodak zi8 does that as well

[TwistedAcid]

At the end of the video, I noticed that, while the Vado's colors are more vibrant, the buildings and mountains were just black, while on the Sony, I could clearly see everything. You can also put in more memory in the Sony if needed, while the Vado is like iPods and you're stuck with a certain memory limit. I don't have either, but I'm leaning towards the Sony or Flip.

[APrintezis]

@TwistedAcid .. yes that's exactly the case, you get more vibrant colors but you lose the darker and too bright areas as either black or white! The sony bloggie is also like the webbie - it gets more info from the lower light areas but the colors are less saturated (i guess you cannot have both from a $100 camera) :)) so it is a matter of personal preference.

[centurionl]

the reason why i would buy the sony over the vado is because of the rotating lens on the sony and because you can replace the battery. i've heard complains about the vado's battery screwing up

[APrintezis]

i like the rotating lens too ..

the Vado battery is easy to replace (and inexpensive) .. i have two of them and i have never so far needed to use the second one!

[ESclanproductions]

It doesn't matter if the sony webbie has a washed out color cause you can change it in the menu. Just thought I'd let you guys know that. But anyways they both look great.

[LEAFSFANTV]

Would you say the Sony PM1 is a bad camcorder?

[APrintezis]

I would not say that.. i really like sony's swivel lens that are -very- useful if you use it to self-record, and the sound quality is really good. It also takes average quality pictures, you can replace battery and SD card and it doubles as a web camera. It has a pretty unique set of features!!!

[dowblab]

How many hours could you record with the sony and lets say a 16gb card in 720p? How about 1080?

[APrintezis]

When using a 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo at 1080/30fps you can record 340 min.

At 720/30fps you can record 510 min.

At VGA/30fps you can record 990 min.

[dowblab]

ho there

[prankmypants]

i really want a vado, but one thing ive noticed is that the recorded videos sometimes pause breifly for a split second every so often. Ive noticed this seems to be a problem with lots a digital cameras, esp ones found on phones. can anyone explain this. im thinking maybe erratic memory latency causing a slight buffer underun.

[APrintezis]

i ONLY notice this after i post Vado or Canon or Samsung footage on youTube .. the original file never skips or pauses. must be the compression or the download speed or something else. i wouldn't base my purchasing decision on compressed and uploaded youtube files (but yes, it is a good indication) .. as for the pausing - it is not a problem that the original file has and on VIMEO the same files seem to work fine.

[MyDylan23]

VADO VADO VADO!!!

[APrintezis]

heheh .. gotta love the Vado fans !!!

i wonder if a firmware update could make the colors a bit less saturated and the level of the sound recorded a bit more louder !!! that would be great : )

[Scortech]

wow. Sony Webbie looks really washed out,poor in color. Vado HD looks really vivid.sharp with good contrast.

[APrintezis]

my thoughts exactly ..

[ElParcero7]

VADo is Better

[APrintezis]

Samsung came out with a new HD camcorder .. it shoots in 1080p !!

would love to test that one !

AP.

[APrintezis]

i tested one (samsung u10 that is) .. not as good as i first thought, the zoom function is pretty useless and the buttons are hard to use (for some reason they went with some flat metallic touch sensitive surfaces! weird) .. i went with the Samsung CL65 camera with 720p "HD" video function and GPS :)) .. no regrets !!

[MyDylan23]

guess what i just got a vado haha

[Tyler4Now]

The zi8 isnt funky lol. Its a great cam. There was a small issue of shakiness and zoom, but was fixed with the update of firmware 1.06. Everything works great, will post video soon. I want one of those airplanes!

[KatiushaVN4]

Tyler4Now:

You just gotten a new Kodak Zi8???? LOL You were fooled!

[Tyler4Now]

hm.. Actually I didnt, Ive tested some very nice mini hd cams before making my decision, and I get just fine quality. Thanks though

[APrintezis]

I have indeed seen some very nice footage from is at 60 fps !!!

[Tyler4Now]

I just got the Kodak Zi8 and believe me It smokes both of these cameras. Quality, sound and small sleek design is top notch. Pick one up!

[APrintezis]

excellent !!! Pls post a video response !!!

i saw the Zi8 - looks funky, but i would love to see a comparison !!

[APrintezis]

if possible post something at 60 fps outdoors are 720p :) for comparison.

[ngvgnDOTcom]

Zi8 has a sound problem has a buzzing sound. There is a firmware update that lowers the buzzing sound but does not fix the problem.

[Tyler4Now]

Yeah...thats not an issue for me. Ive heard of this buzzing sound before but have not experienced this myself.. I have a friend that had the camera also who has clear sound too. Ive tested my sound and there is no buzzing, at all. Although, there are some headphones that have a more increased bass which will make your video sound like it has a buzzing. I found this to be true on one pair of jvc headphones. I unplugged them and the sound was clear again. No buzzing here!

[APrintezis]

there were also some issues with vertical lines in the picture at 1080 resolution and a weird flickering on the lower part of the video frames .. they may have addressed these issues in the latest firmware, not sure ..

[Venezuela305]

I think the Webbie's colors look more natural. The skin color and grass look better, since the Vadao look exaggerated.

[beanielover10]

thanks for making this im getting that for christmas the sony webbie one!!!

[j5ohny58]

Vadoa seems to blow the webbie away :o

[Gearsandwar2]

the webbie is a bit better imo cause it's not so bright

[APrintezis]

the sunset colors didn't help the vado in this test, which tends to increase the saturation and sometimes contrast .. the webbie looks better under these conditions. indoors however, and in 'normal' light conditions, the webbie seems "washed-out", but this can easily be corrected with any decent video editing software.

[TagMandDK]

Wow, that's an awesome view... With the mountains in the background and all...

[back2themusic]

vado: color contrast, wide lens, compact,

removable battery

[evillord1324]

I prefer the Webbie to the Vado because the Vado has a weird green tint.

[ieden5432]

i think the webbie has better lighting

[BERTUZZZZi]

Vado FTW, except for the green tint that all Vados have...

[Rourba]

I like Kodak zi6 because the price is low.

I prefer have Sony Webbie.

[APrintezis]

true, but Zi6 is so bulky !!

[APrintezis]

true, but the Zi6 is so bulky !!

[JoJ0z]

true, but the comment is twice !!

[faizulhamid]

amazing test

[APrintezis]

thanks : )

[iBeAsTNeWs]

Is it possible for you to do a Sony Webbie HD VS Ultra HD Flip VS Vado HD?

[APrintezis]

sorry, i don't have the Flip ..

[APrintezis]

AA batteries is i guess a love-hate thing, it's it definitely good to be able to buy batteries for your gadgets from a store (if you run out -- and you can always use rechargeable -- cheaper and better for environment!), but for this application it makes it kinda big. For cameras, i personally either don't mind AA or even prefer (take the Canon A2000is for example! AA works great there!) .. not so much for a mini-camcorder.

[FlatOut2power]

ok, thanks for replay

[FlatOut2power]

Fantastic comparison!! And what could u say about this comparison : Sony Webbie PM1 vs Kodak ZI6?

Thanks^

[APrintezis]

First i have to say that i do -not- have the ZI6.

What i like about the ZI6:

1) Good video quality

2) Large LCD screen

3) Accepts microSD cards

4) Works on AA !!

What i don't like about the ZI6

1) Works on AA !!

2) It is -not- a pocket size camcorder, it is kinda bulky compared to the Vado, Flip or PM1

[impulsive2urge]

vado looks better.

[APrintezis]

I know there are lots of Mino fans out there.. but imo the Flip is worse than the Sony and the Vado !!

Tiny screen, no user-replaceable battery, half the internal memory of the Vado, no external memory.. it just doesn't add up!!

(of course both the Vado and the Sony came after the Mino so they had that advantage) .. as for the 8GB Mino HD, well that's just huge!! - on the other hand, Flips do? come in pink, silver and other colors!! : ))

[MrTinkertrainTV]

okay so the soy is better than the vado but is it better than the flip mino?

[APrintezis]

definitely :)

[Benjomatic]

To my eye, the vado looks better.

[awkwardkitten]

what? i think that you are using the sony webbie pm1 because the other version of the webbie had 5x optical zoom

[APrintezis]

i used the PM1 for this video (only digital zoom) because -size- was important for what i wanted that camera for and the Vado is comparable to the PM1 only (not the CM1 - although close).

[DarthMartin89]

im actually looking at buying the MHS-CM1 webbie, but im contemplating the Vado HD. Which should i choose? both are the same price, and one of them has better specs but im not sure what would be more suited for me...

[deathray393]

I prefer the Vado HD. Much easier to handle, so your videos are less shaky.

[awkwardkitten]

get the cm1 not the pm1

[DarthMartin89]

I have the cm1 now, i'll be making my next vlog on friday, and be posting it by sunday.

i'll also include a few tests of the camera visuals and a review by next week

thanks a bunch for the opinions guys. the vado was my runner up

[APrintezis]

sounds great - post a reply to this video - would like to watch that !

[APrintezis]

the CM1 is another nice camcorder BUT:

(1) the battery is NOT replaceable and doesn't even last much (MAJOR problem imo)

(2) you can only film 25 minute videos - then it stops

(3) when zoomed-in, the camera keeps trying to re-focus .. esp when panning

Overall, and if you can deal with the limitations of that camera (for the money) it is actually pretty good !!!

[APrintezis]

basically - if you NEED an optical zoom, you NEED to be able to take some (even low res) pictures and you NEED or would like to be able to use it as a web-cam, get the Sony CM1 .. but, no extra batteries (no long trips/hiking/etc with this one), no videos longer than 25 minutes (this may or may not be a problem) and when the camera refocuses you will hear a buzzing noise. - Get this one from a store so that you may be able to return it (is my suggestion - just in case) :)

[Benjomatic]

When you say no videos longer than 25 minutes on the Sony, do you mean continuous footage? Or in total due to memory constraints? Continuous footage wouldn't be an issue. I'm pretty much set on the Vado despite the sorta crappy sound. It's between that and the Flip Ultra HD.

[APrintezis]

Continuous - after 25 minutes it will stop .. even if you still have free memory. Now, this is probably not a huge problem - how often do you really film a 25+ minute segment?! But if you are filming an entire event - then you have to keep an eye on the camera (it will not warn you or anything - it simply stops) so you may miss a little bit.

True .. Vado's sound almost SUCKS .. it's so low !! I hope they fix that with a firmware update soon ..

[APrintezis]

With the vado you lose the extra features that the sony has, you get something smaller, wide angle lens, no focus problems (but you lose the zoom and autofocus too), and no extra memory (just 8GB - which again may or may not be a problem.

[APrintezis]

One more thing i have noticed recently is that the Vado HD doesn't capture sound as loud as the Sony Webbie, my Canon Powershot, or other cameras/camcorders. This is ok when outdoors or at concerts or on windy days, but i cannot record people when talking either away from the Vado or quietly .. and that's sometimes a problem.

Could this be fixed with a firmware update??? I don't see why not !

(maybe the amped colors could be fixed the same way too)

[rho070]

Nice video! The Vado HD has a blue tinge on the top left and right corners, see the top video just after 0:25. I have seen this on numerous other videos on YouTube and with my own Vado HD. Has anyone else realised this?

[APrintezis]

Yes, that's true - it happens when filming a bright sky (i believe it's because it amps the colors a bit) when the center becomes over-exposed and usually white .. the corners turn like that ..

[satsang69]

Wow, great job. And thanks for the detailed write up on the side. Yes, the colors on the Vado look more vibrant and there seems to be more detail. But the Vado takes on some green tints periodically. I've seen it in other test clips. Skin tone looked more natural with the Webbie.

[APrintezis]

Albeit a bit amped, i do like Vado's colors .. and (as i have just added to the write-up on the side) it captures significantly more detail - even compared to the Canon A2000is (of comparable price to the Vado and Webbie) or the more expensive Canon Powershot SX200is !!!!

[KageNoAku]

Hmmmm, I MIGHT have done better getting a Webbie, but I'm mostly satisfied with my Vado though.

So the webbie actually records @ 1080 (it would be 1080i, if that high though, dood).

They were about the same price, weren't they?

[APrintezis]

The listed price of the Vado HD is higher than then listed price of the Sony Webbie. But if you shop around a bit and buy it online they are both about the same price.

The Webbie records at 1080p (i believe it is not interlaced) but the frame resolution is just too high for the computer screen (even a large one). 1080 is a plus, but not a very useful feature. Especially without image stabilization, you may prefer to record videos at 720 and even after that, just watch them at half-size.

[KageNoAku]

I can't believe it is 1080p though, since even $500, and $1000 cameras aren't 1080p (they're 720p).

You must not have a large screen, my monitor is 1920x1080, so 1080 and 720 resolutions are good for me.

[APrintezis]

I am surprised too that the sony is 1080p (and not 1080i) but if you do a google search with keywords "sony webbie 1080" most pages that come up mention 1080p !!! (if you mean that you don't believe the fact that it is 1080 - then it is :) and so is the other webbie, the CM1) - but it's not a huge plus imo.

I have a couple of computer screens and i have also used an HDTV (with better results).. it's not the resolution that is the problem (for me) it is the apparent "shaky-ness" ..

[KageNoAku]

I guess it is just a half arsed 1080p, just like how the 720p is a bit half arsed.