Wootalyzer's Pricing Post! - The price of today's woot item is saved here for future reference
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Toshiba CAMILEO 1080p Camcorder
$44.99 + $5 Standard OR $8 Two-Day OR $11 One-Day Shipping
Condition: New

*DISCLAIMER* Wootalyzer! is in no way affiliated with Woot!, and this post may not always be here!

Here is a product unboxing. good bang for the buck. The fact that it can take digital pictures too is nice.

A previous wooter left a disappointed comment over on Amazon.

amazon reviews arent exactly glowing: 3 stars from 4 reviews. they warn of bad zoom, dosent work while charging, and is rather slippery to handle.

Well digital zoom would suck over optical.

Here is a sample video I've seen a few videos recorded on youtube and overall I wasn't greatly impressed. But this is still way better than what I'd expect out of a 50 dollar camera

Check out this near miss accident caught with this camera
don't forget to change the video to 1080p to fully observe the quality of this camera


I also came back to get you The User Manual

marziah wrote:A previous wooter left a disappointed comment over on Amazon.

I'm not that previous wooter but I'd leave a disappointed comment too. I've got an RMA in because it kept failing (it stops turning on, sometimes needs the battery popped because it freezes quite a bit, can't take long stretches of video without freezing, ugh) and I need to get around to sending the device in.

In short: I wouldn't waste my time. I felt bad that I didn't get the samsung instead that had sold around the time this was sold before. I should have known not to trust Toshiba.

CAUTION!!

You probably don't want to buy this.

The last time this came around I bought two of them. Thought I scored big time since I needed a couple for my video stuff. Now I feel like I was duped.

Here's the deal: I've done a lot of looking in to these trying to fix the problems I have and there are no solutions except "get a replacement and hope that one works for a while".

First off, there is a power button issue present on the majority of these things. Not an issue like "I have to press the button extra hard to get it to turn on", but more of an issue like "I have to pull the battery out for 60 seconds before I want to turn it on... Every time." Needless to say, this makes quick captures next to impossible. At first this only presented on one of my cameras, and now it happens on both without fail (or maybe I should say, extra-fail.)

Secondly, a big selling point for these was that they could also be used as streaming webcams. I'm sure they can, and I'm sure they function fantastically when they do. Unfortunately my computers (multiple Windows XP machines) only recognize the cameras (both of them) as storage and a CD drive (What's the Features??). All of my searches for proper drivers have led to squat, and Toshiba support has been less than helpful.

On the plus side, I've gotten some pretty decent video from these, even in lowlight (you can see an example of my crappy video work with these at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pejkK9KApbo There is some artifacting in the video, but that is due to my editor program and not the cameras.)

Take all that in and make of it what you will, but know that you are likely to hit some issues.

I would assume not at this price but I have to ask (because I'm curious). Does this device have hdmi input?

wizel603 wrote:I would assume not at this price but I have to ask (because I'm curious). Does this device have hdmi input?

input? I don't think so--the specs say it has a HDMI C (mini) output though.

wizel603 wrote:I would assume not at this price but I have to ask (because I'm curious). Does this device have hdmi input?

The manual I posted above mentions this coming with a mini hdmi cable that looks like this:

I'm pretty sure that's just for output though.

Edit: Curses, therealrjn beat my by "a few seconds" that's what I get for trying to find helpful pictures.

CowboyDann wrote:The manual I posted above mentions this coming with a mini hdmi cable that looks like this:

I'm pretty sure that's just for output though.

Edit: Curses, therealrjn beat my by "a few seconds" that's what I get for trying to find helpful pictures.

Sometimes you just can't be first.

well, a spare battery is around $25 so I guess you could charge two and keep one spare. Would be nice if it came with a charger tho.

CowboyDann wrote:
Check out this near miss accident caught with this camera
don't forget to change the video to 1080p to fully observe the quality of this camera

Wow I could almost smell the burning rubber--jerk was asking for it though going too fast for traffic conditions. I've noticed something...everybody in front of me in traffic is an |diot and everybody behind me is a maniac. ;)

Meh. In for one. Can't beat the price.

I was going to stay out of this tonight, but I'm burned out from work and need a break. I'll pick up loose ends:
Last regular woot in April (see sdc100's comments for example)
http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=4951886
Last 2 woot-offs since:
april
http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=4972748
May
http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5010726

and a few videos:
light test


bumper mount (no, I'm not kidding)


Trusted reviews:


Jamaica:


Daytime--short:


back to work

Does anyone know how close this can take pictures and still be in focus?

aoviss wrote:Does anyone know how close this can take pictures and still be in focus?

Not very. Also got this in a previous Woot despite the iffy reviews because I didn't need a bells-and-whistles camera, just another CCTV-esque angle for a project. The focusing on this thing is dreadful. You can change the type of filter you want from a few limited options but focus and zoom (all digital, not worth it) are pretty much just out of your control. I tried taking pictures of a piece of paper with bold lettering on it from different distances. Not a single one came out ok.

I have one. It has a tendency to lock up, so at best, you can shoot maybe *(approx) an hour before it decides it doesn't like working. It eats battery power quite a bit as well as the screen stays on while in use. I almost always have to take the battery out for a reset when using this if I want to continue filming. All in all, I'd say, its a mixed bag. For short videos, its probably fine, for longer ones, try applying the money to something else. It'll take a 64gb card if I recall.

Between this and my ipod touch (current gen), which would be better for recording video?

I got a Toshiba Camileo Waterproof from Woot a ~year back and its a trooper.

If you are going to buy a camera like this, one thing that you will want to check to see is whether it has an adjustable audio gain. Most do not, but having a nice HD picture is pointless if the audio sounds like it is coming through a wax-paper covered comb.

acsullivan20 wrote:amazon reviews arent exactly glowing: 3 stars from 4 reviews. they warn of bad zoom, dosent work while charging, and is rather slippery to handle.

A lot of amateur "opinion" reviewers should be ignored due to their lack of understanding the product. This video camera has NO zoom. Yes, it does digital "cropping" which is a sham and is called digital zoom, but most people who know anything about photography ignore this non-feature. To slam the product due to "bad zoom" is pure ignorance.

nanao25 wrote:Between this and my ipod touch (current gen), which would be better for recording video?

Depends on how important it is to you to be able to get the video off the camera without jumping through WiFi hoops or using iTunes. That, and compare frames rates, specs, etc. vs the convenience of only carrying one gadget.

Geeze, gang, this is a $50 point and shoot camera and some people expect it to replace a Bolex. It's for video snapshots and remembering the moment, just like the Flip camera it is trying to compete with.

If you want to shoot your kid competing in the local grade school Olympics with full stereo sound and ginormous zoom, SPENT MORE MONEY and do some RESEARCH!

There ain't no magic fairy dust camera that replaces quality and features with one button marked "epic film" that does all the work for you.

In the hands of a careful users, this camera can make some nice home videos, documentaries, etc. In the hands of a complete novice who never cracked the manual or planned the shot...you'll get the dreck you deserve. Remember, there ain't no free lunch!

PS: How many of you know what the 16 MP "interpolated" still shots means? It means it's five MP and artificially blown up to 16. Another sham.

garyoa1 wrote:Meh. In for one. Can't beat the price.

lol you can get the same price on Ebay.

whatsamattaU wrote:I was going to stay out of this tonight, but I'm burned out from work and need a break. I'll pick up loose ends:
Last regular woot in April (see sdc100's comments for example)
http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=4951886
Last 2 woot-offs since:
april
http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=4972748
May
http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5010726

and a few videos:
light test


back to work

UGH, My Samsung cell phone takes superior HD video to this, and without that nasty 30 fps jitter.
Thanks for the video posts. I will steer clear of this purchase.

All of the Kodak's I own have an audio gain setting as well as an external MIC jack. (Playsport ZX3/ZX5, Playtouch) If that's what you are looking for look @ the Kodaks. The ZX3/ZX5 are built like tanks and are waterproof. The ZX3 is my favorite of the bunch.

I love my Kodak's and I love my FLIP's. To this day I am still quite impressed with the video quality of the Flip Mino HD. They only do 720P and the built in battery only lasts one hour but the quality is superb. (I bought SIX Flips from W00t, gifted four of them.)

Most all of the cameras in this price range suck in low light though.

With that said I have a Toshiba Camileo X200 ($200 CAM) that doesn't do any better than the Kodak's (or really even the Flip) and also sucks in low light.

Based on the sample videos this Camcorder looks pretty comparable to everything else in the 50-ish price range.

-RF

theroseknows wrote:If you are going to buy a camera like this, one thing that you will want to check to see is whether it has an adjustable audio gain. Most do not,

rfonewatt wrote:All of the Kodak's I own have an audio gain setting as well as an external MIC jack. (Playsport ZX3/ZX5, Playtouch) If that's what you are looking for look @ the Kodaks. The ZX3/ZX5 are built like tanks and are waterproof. The ZX3 is my favorite of the bunch.

Wow! I never knew Kodak had some with mic inputs. I can find no mention of it in any reviews. can you direct me to some specs that show there is an input for external mics? All the test simply show how well the built-in mic works. you would think this would be more important to "serious" users.

I have a couple that don't have inputs, but they are still good performers. Thanks!

I bought one last time they were on here for $49...it worked for an hour.
It cost me $9 to send it to Toshiba where they gave me a $118 credit, and it cost me an additional $5 to get the Camileo BW10, which is the waterproof version. It works great! The BW10 is made very well with waterproof covers for all the plug connections.
Good luck!

Read the reviews. I received one as a gift. Toshiba has serious power on issues with this unit. The only way to power-on 95% of the time is to remove the battery and wait 5-10 minutes for a power reset. Common issue with other owners. Nothing against WOOT! but I would not recommend.

acsullivan20 wrote:amazon reviews arent exactly glowing: 3 stars from 4 reviews. they warn of bad zoom, dosent work while charging, and is rather slippery to handle.

How do you charge it?

Does this offer any advantages over video capture on an iPhone 4?

Sure!

You are going to want one of the Kodak Z series if you want external mic inputs.

I don't see one on my PlaySport.

Here is the manual for the Zi10 (Playtouch) which shows the Mic/Headphone jack and full specifications.

http://resources.kodak.com/support/pdf/en/manuals/urg01149/PLAYTOUCH_Zi10_xUG_GLB_en.pdf

Another nice thing about Kodak (Aren't they bankrupt?) is they include quite a few accessories that you wouldn't expect - like the HDMI cable for one.

Here is a video showing an example of the accessories you would get with the Kodak.

Kodak Zi10 Unboxing

Maybe that's why they are bankrupt.

-RF

radi0j0hn wrote:Wow! I never knew Kodak had some with mic inputs. I can find no mention of it in any reviews. can you direct me to some specs that show there is an input for external mics? All the test simply show how well the built-in mic works. you would think this would be more important to "serious" users.

I have a couple that don't have inputs, but they are still good performers. Thanks!

rfonewatt wrote:Sure!

You are going to want one of the Kodak Z series if you want external mic inputs.

I don't see one on my PlaySport.

Here is the manual for the Zi10 (Playtouch) which shows the Mic/Headphone jack and full specifications.

http://resources.kodak.com/support/pdf/en/manuals/urg01149/PLAYTOUCH_Zi10_xUG_GLB_en.pdf

-RF

I own two Kodak Z series as well, a Zx6 and a Zx8. Both are fine in their own repsect and have operated without issue relative to lockups- having to pull battery to reset so far. They also were over 2x the price being featured here at the time of purchase.

In all fairness, lockups can happen on any product, even your Apple or Android. I've had it happen to both of mine several times.

I've used the Camileo featured to record bands in a club. It will do the trick. The video is decent in lower lighting as is the shootability and the audio is fine with variable sensitivity. Any advantages over an Ipod or Iphone questions.. yes, this is like a flip or any other self contained video cam. The zoom on any Apple Iwheteverflavor is rather difficult to use on the fly, you have to tap the screen. Also, you are limited to internal memory space. With this, if you have a power source plugged in, you can shoot video for as long as the SDcard allow in space considerations. Again, you really need to consider that this does lock up, it will shut off after about an hour from a full charge once the battery life becomes critical.

So, while you can replace the video card with more capacity quite easily, you also need to consider that you should be running with an external power source or have access to one while using so you can get more than just a limited time from the battery.

I personally think it shoots better video than the Apple products, but I've also used Apple as a backup if I run into any issues with this.

Its fairly priced, but not without its caveats or woe depending on your experience and tolerance of said event.

I know the waterproof version got much better reviews overall. Essentially, they're the same camera with some casing differences.

I think the lockups are relative to the power use so far as my limited experience with mine has proved, but it can lock up with half the battery left as well.

Its simple to operate, but its also different than your typical one red button Flips or like product.

marziah wrote:A previous wooter left a disappointed comment over on Amazon.

. I appreciate the rating. I was almost in for 3, not now. Thank you.

lntscott wrote:Read the reviews. I received one as a gift. Toshiba has serious power on issues with this unit. The only way to power-on 95% of the time is to remove the battery and wait 5-10 minutes for a power reset. Common issue with other owners. Nothing against WOOT! but I would not recommend.

Another thank you for your honest critique. I don't want to gift problematic electronics to friends & family.

Complete GARBAGE. I just bought 3 of these from Woot, and I would send them all back if I didn't throw all the boxes away. Little did I expect they would not turn off and on reliably. Take out the battery all the time - sometimes that helps, sometimes not. Incredibly unreliable junk from Toshiba. No wonder they are getting rid of them.

A waxed paper covered comb? A cat wouldn't appreciate that for removing fleas and ticks.