Can't Beat the Feature List for the Price

I've had the Aiptek GO-HD for over a year now and still awe in it's features, even though I bought it for $250 when it came out.


The most notable feature is the 720p high-definition movie recording capabilites.  It's real.  It actually records in high def!  It uses a Quicktime h.264 codec to compress the high quality video files onto your SD card.  The videos look amazing on your HDTV when you hook the camera up through the provided HD (component) cables.  They play on your computer too but you need some pretty good computer specs as the files are pretty processor intensive.  The camera also features a pretty robust snapshot feature.

The Video Quality:  The quality is generally good, but moving around too fast can quickly turn the picture into a nausia fest.  For best results (amazing results actually) film as most as possible on a tri-pod.  Your videos will literally look like moving pictures.  People will comment on how amazing it looks if you show them on your HDTV in 720p.  However, this camera suffers majorly when in movement.  Trail videos are nearly pointless as you will get sick from the camera jitter.  There is no noticable imagine stabilizer so it jitters everytime you walk, badly.  Features include things such as: Night mode, LED spot/guide lights, and more.

The Picture Quality:  I actually have a $400 Konica Minolta and this little Aiptek takes richer pictures.  That's a good thing when we go hiking, or anywhere.  I put this sucker in my pocket and take pics and videos on the way.  I know I said it's bad for trail videos, but I stop, hold the camera still and just turn side to side for some panoramas and it turns out great!  The pictures turn out even better.  5 mp, vibrant pictures.  I'm not a pro photographer, but my day job is a graphic artist, so a good picture is important to me!  In addition, it has many settings.  Flash, LED spotlights, light graphs, picture effects, and more!

The Sound Quality:  The sound is good in most cases, but the camera does fall short here in some aspects.  It's mic is mounted on the top so you get a constant shutter sound in the videos as well as somewhat loud zoom motor sound.  I suspect in future versions, this will be fixed.  It's the biggest drawback of the camera by far, however tolerable to people on a budget.   

Battery Life:  Comes with 2 lithium Ion batteries, each lasting around 30 min.  I've never run out of battery as I usually take clips of video, what this camera is really for.  Charge both and take them with you!  It's kind of odd they make this have 2 batteries, but I think it uses a generic battery to cut costs.<br><br>

Summary:  Great camera for the price that does have some flaws, especially the sound.  If you want something that takes good quality pics and high quality video for your pocket, this is definitely it and it's one of the few on the market.