Buying Sony MHS-PM5 bloggie HD Video Camera (Violet) From Amazon

Stop complaining, this is a good product, May 1, 2010

Several people complained on various internet review boards about how this camera does not deliver very high quality video, etc. I’m a technology enthusiast, computer specialist, amateur photographer and have about 7 or 8 different cameras – so I feel qualified to give a good review.

This is a camcorder meant for internet uploads/sharing, quick shots, etc. This is not what you want to film your wedding with. So don’t expect broadcast quality.

Having said that I think the image quality is VERY good for its size. One huge advantage over Flip/etc… is the swiveling lens. This was the main attraction for me. I’m always embarassed waving a big camera in public. Just don’t like when people stare at me for filming something. This is why Sony bloggie is a great product. You can turn the lens to an angle you like and hold the device like your cellphone. People will actually think you are just playing with your phone.

Let’s get done with my complaints list quickly:

-CMOS sensor – means you get the rolling shutter a.k.a jello effect when panning too fast with the camera (vertical objects appear skewed)

-Smaller lens angle when using 1080p mode. (i.e. picture is too “tele”)… you get a nicer wide angle if using 720p.

That’s about it, image quality -especially in daylight- is very very good for such a camera. I actually prefer to record in 720p 60fps mode, the high frame rate gives it a very smooth motion.

FYI, it’s compatible with Apple’s iMovie. Will take some time to import your videos but once it’s done, editing is super easy!

I hesitated for a long time before buying this camera but I’m glad to say I don’t regret it at all! Very satisfied with my purchase.

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Wonderful Camera, May 15, 2010

By 

George Strayline “W2GSS” (Villas, NJ) – See all my reviews

  

Customer Video Review Length:: 1:05 Mins

When I received the Bloggie I was not expecting anything great and my assumption was based mostly on the reviews I read here on Amazon. Well, I have got to say, “I was blown away by this camera”! I really love it! I was attracted to the Bloggie for various reasons. It has a slide out USB connector, a rotating lens system which not only protects the lens but this feature also gives the user different angles for holding the camera. The Bloggie also uses the standard .MP4 file format which is a whole bunch easier to work with for uploading and storing on your PC. The Bloggie also uses a standard SDHC card or you can use Sony’s own memory stick. The Bloggie also has software built in so you can use it on any PC. The SDHC card you install can also function as a drive while it’s loaded in the camera. The Bloggie also gives the user the option of using it’s built in software to handle video files or you can simply use drag and drop file handling. If needed, file conversion from MP4 to FLV, WMV and other formats is a snap. The Bloggie’s actual video recording format is-(MP4 H-264 AAC). The Bloggie is extremely versatile in every way. Something worth noting, Sony has a much better reputation when it comes to customer and technical support and that was another deciding factor for me. The Bloggie comes supplied with a USB extension cable, video and audio cables, software, hand-strap, manuals and Li-on battery.

As much as I dislike doing comparison reviews, I thought doing so might be important for someone looking to buy a new camera. Anyway, In addition to the Bloggie I also purchased the new Kodak Playsport. In Retrospect, I rated the Kodak Playsport 5 stars two weeks before I received the Bloggie. In comparison to the Kodak the Bloggie is a far better camera. The Bloggie’s color rendition is richer and the video itself looks so much sharper than the Kodak. The Bloggie does not seem to have that annoying gelatin effect when you pan the camera wereas the Kodak gelatin effect is very pronounced. The battery in the Bloggie also lasts longer. I get about 1.5 hours recording time with the Kodak but the Bloggie has given me 6 hours thus far without a charge. I only purchased the Kodak to use outdoors during inclement weather. One of my hobbies is related to monitoring and recording severe storms and so the Kodak seemed fitting since it’s waterproof, other then that, I’ll be using the Bloggie full time. There are so many more reasons why I like the Bloggie, more-so than the Kodak but I’ll spare you the long read.

I’ve read one star reviews were folks have complained about the Bloggie’s audio being poor quality. Mine sounds great! I’ve also read one star reviews about folks not being able to see the display in bright sunlight, well I’ve never known of any product that can be viewed optimally in those conditions. There was another one star review concerning the software, it’s not the software! Boy-O-Boy, The Sony Bloggie deserves a better review, it’s just a great camera!

In a nutshell, I’ll be recommending the Bloggie to my friends and family. The uploaded video was hot in 720/Ȝ and I then converted the .MP4 to an .FLV using a freeware program. I hope it helps.

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Budget camera/camcorder, February 19, 2010

My actual rating is 3.5 stars but I’ve rounded up for now.

First, I read the specs of this before I ordered it so I knew what I was getting myself into. I did not buy this for great recording capabilities and did not expect that. I bought this device to have a easily portable recording device for cheap and it delivers.

The negatives for me so far has been the awful sound recording and the lighting. I did not expect a great mic but the quality of sound recording is far below my expectations. Combine this with the inability to attach an external mic (let me know if there’s a way that I don’t know of) makes this device subpar. The lighting recorded fluctuates quite a bit. Sometimes I would have to set the setting a couple times to get video to appear versus a dark/black screen. Let me note that I was recording in the evenings indoors without much light in the first place. Yes, this isn’t ideal but if it is not able to handle that lighting, setting the device’s settings a couple times should not magically “fix” the issue.

The overall design works well and the navigation is a breeze, similar to other Sony cameras. You can also easily pull this device out of your pocket and start shooting either in camera mode or camcorder mode within seconds. I do feel that they could have utilized the screen space much better; video is displayed on the top of the screen and the bottom of the screen is basically wasted IMO. There are no exposed ports so the unit is nice and sleek. The area that goes over the USB doesn’t completely move out of the way so depending on the USB port you are connecting to you might not be able to plug it in. No worries though, a USB extension is included. Oh, and you can use both SD and the memory stick, yay!

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