Being a big 3-D fan, I was very excited when this product was announced and, because the price was so low, I pre-ordered it right away without having seen any reviews (because no reviews yet existed). I wasn't entirely sure if I was buying a novelty gadget or a truly useful device. To save myself from being disappointed, I expected the former and hoped for the latter. It turns out that the camera is much better than a novelty gadget, but don't expect to throw away your "normal", digital, point-and-shoot camera or your "normal" camcorder. You'll still need those when you want a perfect, printable photo and a lot of extended video. However, when what you want is a 3-D picture or short 3-D video, the Aiptek 3-D camera is a great, practical, and inexpensive option.
The first question I had was: "does it really work?" I'm happy to say that the answer is a big yes! The resolution of the parallax-barrier display is pretty low, but the 3-D effect is really great and the display serves the purpose very well. I expect the Aiptek 3-D photo frame, with its higher resolution, will be much better (it's still backordered as of this writing, so I don't have one yet). Please understand that when I say "low resolution", I'm speaking about the resolution of the built-in display, not the resolution of the actual images/video, which is much higher. 5 megapixels for images (2592 x 1944) and 720p for video (1280 x 720) doesn't sound like much nowadays, but you'll almost certainly NOT want to print the images you take with this camera anyway. Doing so would require you to convert to the Red/Blue (anaglyph) format. This works, but it's far less than ideal. Rather than that, I believe you should expect to only view these images/videos on the camera itself, the corresponding 3-D photo frame, or a new, 3-D TV. When you decide those are your primary viewing vehicles for the content you create with this device, the resolution becomes far more palatable. Indeed, the resolution of the images exceeds the resolution of the camera's display and even the resolution of the 3-D photo frame (800 x 600). For this reason, I think Aiptek was smart to use a relatively low resolution in order to keep the price so low.
The image and video quality is acceptable, but as I said earlier, if won't replace your existing camera for those times when you want very high quality. The image quality is about as good as the very best cameras being put into cell phones (which also don't compete with a dedicated, "regular" camera). I'll reiterate though: the quality is completely acceptable considering you're getting images in full 3-D. Other than the 3-D feature, there aren't a lot of frills: no image stabilization, no optical zoom, no flash, etc. It makes sense though because that's the only way you're going to get 3-D at this amazingly-low price-point. The camera has a tripod mount so, if you really need supplemental light, you can pick up one of those little LED lights that screw into tripod mounts for not very much money. As for video, it does record in 30 FPS, but if the action is moving quickly, it doesn't look like it. It looks like 10 or 15 FPS (it may still be recording 30 frames per second, but I'd guess 2 or 3 of those frames happen to be identical). I've noticed the reduced frame rate is a bit less pronounced if there is more ambient lighting. FYI: I'm using a Transcend, 16 GB, class 10 SD card. That's probably not as fast as a SanDisk class 10 card, but it should be enough to accommodate everything the camera can throw at it. It may sound like I'm speaking only negatively about this camera, but it's definitely not my intention to discourage the purchase of it. I just want you to be clear on what it *doesn't* do so that you have appropriate expectations. In reality, I'm thrilled with the quality of the camera and it exceeded my expectations.
I've quickly learned a trick to taking 3-D video and photos. It has to do with framing the images; I'll try to explain it here, but it's a little difficult to articulate. If what I'm about to say doesn't make sense, just ignore my ramblingsha. First, realize that everything in the image has a position along the Z-axis (the direction toward you and away from you [as opposed to left/right and up/down]). Next, realize that the frame around the screen itself has a position along the Z-axis. What this means is, some parts of the photo appear to come "out" of the screen and more distant objects appear recessed "into" the screen. The frame surrounding the display is somewhere in the middle. If the part of the image that extends out of the screen is cut off by the frame surrounding the display, it can hurt your eyes a little and look a bit confusing. This makes sense; how could an object (the frame) block the view of a subject if that object (the frame) is more distant than the subject? That's a logical paradox that my brain translates into confusion and/or eyes that have a hard time focusing. The trick is to not allow anything "in front" of the frame to be cut off by the frame. If you adhere to this, the 3-D effect looks much more natural. I'm sure I'll continue to learn effective ways to frame 3-D images as I become more experienced. In fact, that's part of the fun!
I'll sum everything up here: The camera is really good and the 3-D effect is outstanding. I believe it to be much more than a gimmick/novelty. To keep the price low, the camera sacrifices some other "standard" features you might be used to, such as optical zoom and a flash. For me, the tradeoff is well worth it: I get to take my own, good-quality, 3-D video/images for under 200 bucks. I'm not sure what I'm more impressed with: the technology or the price. I suppose it's the combination of the two that make this a strongly-recommended "buy" in my book.
[UPDATE: October 20, 2010]
As Reynato U. Barrera kindly pointed out in his review, there is indeed a (buried) firmware update and it does indeed fix the slow frame rate! This is great news. I don't believe Amazon will allow external URLs or I would provide a direct link, but if you go to the Aiptek EU site (use ".eu" instead of ".com") you can find the firmware update within the product page. I purchased the camera in the U.S., but because the camera will let you define the refresh rate (60Hz vs. 50Hz), I wasn't worried about using the firmware I downloaded from the EU site.
[/UPDATE]
After getting over the excitement of a 3D camcorder to support my 3DTV, the disappointment began. There were few, if any, instances where the camera was shooting in the promised 30 Frames Per Seconds. Normally the camera would dip down to 15fps and at that point, I stopped taking the camera with me everywhere I went.
So why the high rating?
I stumbled upon a video on youtube shot with my camera and the title to the video was "Aiptek 3D video with new Firmware" The video looked great and was running at a steady 30fps. After asking a few questions, I discovered that Aiptek's European website had a downloadable firmware that fixed the framerate. Nothing was available in the US site, so after asking a few people who had the firmware if it was safe, I installed it into my camera, and sure enough, my usability has taken a huge turn for the better. For 200 bucks, and with this firmware, the camera is an awesome introduction to the 3D world.
Buy Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White) Now
I've had the Aiptek HD 3D video camera for about a week and the bottom line is ... its a 3D video camera for $199.
It takes real 3D video at 720p (1280 x 720). When played on my Panasonic VT-25 3D TV, the 3D quality is excellent. The image depth I get is comparable to that of 3D Blu-Ray movies like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and ... well, there aren't a lot of 3D Blu-Ray movies out yet. That being said, there are several things that could be improved'
Image Quality The videos look great when things don't move around too fast. The pictures of my infant grandson are fantastic. The video I took while riding a wooden roller coaster are very jumpy. The frame update rate doesn't look like more than 10 frames per second for the coaster video. I suspect that the JPEG encoder can't keep up with that much change from frame to frame. The built-in 2.4" 3D TFT LCD display has a very limited left/right viewing angle to see the 3D effect. The glasses-less 3D viewing screen is a nice touch, but I probably would have been just as happy with a 2D display.
Ergonomics It's pretty well designed. The lenses are at the top of the unit and you naturally hold the unit from the bottom, so I've never had the problem of putting my fingers over a lens like I do on some cameras. The buttons are easy to reach and control with one hand, except for the thumb-joystick in the middle. It's one of those up/down/left/right to select and push for OK multifunction buttons. Its too easy to push or too hard to move up/down/left/right, so I often push the button when I wanted to move it left. The unit's size is small enough to easily fit in a pocket, and it feels pretty good in my hand ... although I have pretty big hands.
Documentation The Users manual is 12 4" x 6" pages per language (5 languages). The software manual is 3 4" x 6" pages per language (13 languages). The quick start guide is 2-3/4" x 13-1/2" per language (8 languages). It's a little light on the details, but I'm not sure I would have read more instructions if they were available. I would really have appreciated a book of tips on 3D videography. Things like having a foreground, avoiding a foreground that is only partially in frame and how close is too close, would have gotten me up and running with better videos faster.
Reliability The camera hasn't broken yet (I've only had it a week) and it doesn't feed flimsy, but it has locked up three times on the three days I used it for more than a few minutes. Each time I was doing something different (fast forward through a playback, turning on the camera, stopping a recording) and the unit just froze. None of the controls did anything so I had to remove the battery. One time I lost several minutes of video (which I'm sure were my best ever). I certainly hope they make firmware updates available when they work out these last few bugs.
Value for the price It's a 3D video camera for $199! (I think I mentioned that.) What more can I say? Well, you need a SD/SDHC memory card and they don't include one. I used a 2 GB card I had laying around, but that wasn't big enough for a day of home movies. I'd recommend at least 16 GB. You also probably need a spare battery (3.7v 1200 mAh NP-60 Lithium Ion Battery Pack) although I ran out of memory (with the 2 GB card) before the battery was drained so I'm not sure how long it lasts on a charge. The "case" they provide is a velvet sack which protects against dirt and scratches, but not much else. It comes with a pretty nice set of Red/Cyan glasses (plastic frames, not paper) for those without a 3D computer or TV (why would you buy this if you had neither?).
Software I haven't used the software too much, but it seems pretty intuitive. There's no CD to lose, the software is loaded on the camera. When you connect the standard mini-USB port to your computer (through the provided cable or any standard mini-USB cable) for the first time it installs the software. The software lets you organize your clips, merge clips together, convert from the side-by-side format to red/cyan format, upload to Facebook and upload to YouTube. It doesn't seem to have an editor and none of my video editors handled MP4s, so I couldn't shorten the videos to 100 MB for Facebook upload.
Bottom Line: It's a 3D video camera for $199!
Read Best Reviews of Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White) Here
I posted a video at you-tube entitled 'AIPTEK 3D CAMERA TEST Firmware vs. No Firmware' for anyone interested in seeing the difference in this camera's performance after the CORRECT firmware is used to update the camera. Keep in mind that this footage actually looks better, but I compressed it into mpeg format for upload, so some quality was lost, but you can clearly see the improvement between the two test (no firmware vs. firmware).
I found that, out of the box, the camera's video quality is pretty worthless. I looked closely at the video footage I took before the update and found that although it was indeed 29.97 fps, every frame was simply duplicated 3 or 4 times! Furthermore, there was a lot of OBVIOUS OBNOXIOUS jagged/aliased edges to everything. With the firmware update, I did get a true 29.97 fps (it still seems a little jaggy sometimes, though).
I don't understand how this company is still in business! The firmware update is nowhere to be found on the US site and I can't imagine most people didn't send this thing back after looking at the resulting images prior to the firmware update. Why the heck aren't they updating these things before shipping them out? Mine appears to have been manufactured in October, 2010 (FW version 3607).
If you update the firmware to bring the framerate up to 29.97 fps (and you will probably want to!), MAKE SURE YOU USE THE CORRECT UPDATE FOR YOUR CAMERA'S CURRENT Firmware Version from the Aiptek European site (the camera's current firmware version is found within the menu system of the camera). The download page has several firmware versions along with several instruction manual updates, so don't get confused about which firmware update is appropriate...My first stab at it failed because I had used the wrong update. LUCKILY, my camera didn't recognize it (apparently you can damage the camera permanently if you install the wrong firmware update!). When I used the correct update and installed it according to the accompanying README instructions, everything clicked into place.
I have installed the software (it installs automatically the first time you connect the camera to your PC), but I don't expect to use it much. My Sony Vegas Pro software has a 3D function that works well with this unit's output video (mp4 format). However, the camera's included software is intended to easily convert the compressed side-by-side stereo images/video into red-cyan anaglyph for those viewing on a non-3D TV or monitor (a pair of plastic anaglyph glasses is also included).
I noticed, however, that the video output can not simply be opened using Stereo Movie Maker ('your video has no FourCC code' error), so I have to convert it in Sony first if I want to open it with SMM, but I really have no reason to.
There isn't much onboard memory, so you will need to purchase a SD memory card (I actually use a miniSD card from my cellphone with an SD adapter). It can handle cards up to 32 MB. However, it DOES come with a HDMI cable so you can plug this thing right into your HDTV for viewing in 3D if your TV is 3D-Ready. There is also a nice carrying case, and a strap for carrying, although my pet peeve for that is that the strap attaches to the bottom of the camera, so if you were to try filming with it hanging around your neck, the video would be upside-down (fixable with editing software, I know, but it would have been nice to have it hang right-side up).
I like it for the ease of use (point and shoot), the nifty 3D preview screen (which takes a getting a little used to!), the portability of it, and the quality of the video ONCE THE FIRMWARE HAS BEEN UPDATED. Again, the video quality is NOT fantastic, but it's not bad either. In 3D mode, each eye receives 640 x 720 resolution (the 640 being stretched to double its width to 16:9 aspect ratio--the camera records in half-wide side-by-side format).
As for the 3D preview screen, my particular unit requires that you rotate the camera slightly to the right to get the 3D to work...its awkward having to do that and I think it may be a manufacturing misalignment. Not a biggie--if anyone else has noticed this, please leave a comment.
The 2D mode offers a 1280 x 720 video record/output which is not compressed horizontally. It also looks pretty good, but this is my first camcorder that records at anything higher than standard definition 4:3, so i'm easily impressed at the moment.
Want Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White) Discount?
Those who have been enthusiasts of amateur and home movie making have probably very often thought about making their private productions in 3D. Honestly, up until I started playing with this Aiptek 3D 720p 30fps camcorder, I thought 3D was a far far away possibility. But it isn't: I believe a standard for amateur/home 3D movie making is already a reality and all you have to do is experiment with this super decently priced useful not-so-toy 3D movie making. I did download the firmware from the European site, thanks to a fellow who commented about it here and a slight improvement was achieved. I have read some comments here stating the "imperfections" of the little tool/toy, and I seriously believe they are unfair. The product DOES exactly what it says it does. If you know the imperfections of the tool, you will be able to make really nice 3D movies. My recommendation, though, is to get a video editing program capable of RENDERING a final product with good quality. The video clips produced by the Aiptek are MP4's with anamorphic left and right side views. The 1280-pixel screen is divided in two halves 640-pixel wide each: you still get 720p in height. Your regular 2D editor can do the job. You will need to accept the vision of two very anamorphic pictures. The most important part of it all is, like always, at the rendering point. It seems that this way of handling 3D movies has become a "standard". It does decrease the resolution, but makes 3D possible. You will be able to upload your videos to YouTube without any special processing: simply add the tags "yt3d:enalbe=true yt3d:aspect=16:9" and they will be shown in any form chosen by the viewer: anaglyph, side by side, switch sides, etc. This little tool/toy is a very enjoyable experience. Get yourself the side-by-side viewing glasses: they represent the highest quality method of viewing 3D side-by-side, without any color alteration.
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I recently purchased the Canon Rebel T4i bundle as a Christmas gift for my wife. We had been talking about a camera and she had mentioned the Rebel a few times. She was very surprised when it arrived and has used it in family gatherings and especially for taking pictures of our infant son. She loves it, she is very happy with her gift and I am happy that she is happy.
