This budget high-definition camcorder aims high: it shoots for full HD with upscaling wizardy. Which means, though resolution is at 1,440 by 1,080 pixels, it can bump up the resolution digitally to 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, the true full HD benchmark.
Looking like a Star Trek phaser (gun), the pocket-sized P30 records H.264 (MPEG-4) video files and interpolated 8-megapixel JPEG photos on SD memory cards.
But let us answer a burning question first: what is the video quality like? It pales in comparison to the serious HD camcorders that cost over $1,000. But the P30 is not really competing in that category: its main rivals are the likes of the Creative Vado and the Flip Mino HD from Cisco Systems.
I viewed my test footage on a 40-inch Samsung LED HDTV and a 19-inch LCD computer monitor. Outdoors, on a sunny day, the Camelio P30 delivers bright colours and clean images, as long as you do not move the device. The footage of Ion Orchard taken from across the road was sharp enough for me to count the glass panels on the building.
However, problems crop up the moment when I move the P30 while recording: The auto-focus is easily stymied, when I zoom or pan across a scene, leading to blurry footage. Indoors under dim lighting, the colours are a little washed-out and fuzzy.
When it gets dark, the P30’s footage comes out grainy – like a television show with poor receptions. What the P30 has going for it: it is a fun gadget for just about anyone who wants to shoot HD video.
Flip the LCD screen out and the camcorder turns on. Press the camera-icon button to shoot digital photos and the video camera-icon button for video.
A simple onscreen menu can be scrolled through to change settings like scene modes or the white balance. The built-in video light is handy when shooting in dim spots, although it does not reduce the video noise significantly.
I particularly enjoy the Negative Film mode that gives a noir, X-rayed effect – like in a horror movie. Kudos to Toshiba for bundling a HDMI cable for convenient connection to a HDTV. Other camcorder makers should take note and follow suit.
By Billy Teo
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Fun and Handy with Toshiba Camileo P30
Looking like a Star Trek phaser (gun), the pocket-sized P30 records H.264 (MPEG-4) video files and interpolated 8-megapixel JPEG photos on SD memory cards.
But let us answer a burning question first: what is the video quality like? It pales in comparison to the serious HD camcorders that cost over $1,000. But the P30 is not really competing in that category: its main rivals are the likes of the Creative Vado and the Flip Mino HD from Cisco Systems.
I viewed my test footage on a 40-inch Samsung LED HDTV and a 19-inch LCD computer monitor. Outdoors, on a sunny day, the Camelio P30 delivers bright colours and clean images, as long as you do not move the device. The footage of Ion Orchard taken from across the road was sharp enough for me to count the glass panels on the building.
However, problems crop up the moment when I move the P30 while recording: The auto-focus is easily stymied, when I zoom or pan across a scene, leading to blurry footage. Indoors under dim lighting, the colours are a little washed-out and fuzzy.
When it gets dark, the P30’s footage comes out grainy – like a television show with poor receptions. What the P30 has going for it: it is a fun gadget for just about anyone who wants to shoot HD video.
Flip the LCD screen out and the camcorder turns on. Press the camera-icon button to shoot digital photos and the video camera-icon button for video.
A simple onscreen menu can be scrolled through to change settings like scene modes or the white balance. The built-in video light is handy when shooting in dim spots, although it does not reduce the video noise significantly.
I particularly enjoy the Negative Film mode that gives a noir, X-rayed effect – like in a horror movie. Kudos to Toshiba for bundling a HDMI cable for convenient connection to a HDTV. Other camcorder makers should take note and follow suit.
By Billy Teo
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