The A-HD+ costs $170 and BestBuy has a special for $150 for the week. The version that has auto focusing and a 3X zoom, the Aiptek Action HD costs $200 at WalMart. Just like the originals, there isn’t a stabilizer and the clips are recorded in the .mov format.
As far as playback capabilities, you should try playing the clips first without downloading the software that came with the camcorder. The computer I’m using has only 512MB of Ram and a 128MB video card so I had no choice but to use the software especially for the 1080 30p and 720 60p clips. It has no problems at all playing back 720 30p clips.
A good percentage of YouTube users shoot their videos using either a cell phone or a digital still camera and most of them produce terrible looking images. They should be getting something like this instead and since it has a 720 30p mode, its also perfect for sites like Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc. Obviously if you have the money, you should get the more expensive HD camcorders such as the soon to be released Sony TG1 which can also fit in your pocket easily although there is no 720p mode. There are other HD camcorders that are in Aiptek’s price range but they only shoot up to 720 30p.
These were shot in automatic mode and I'm showing both good and bad looking shots on purpose.
Set 1
Here is a couple of HD examples shot on different HD settings.
1440X1080 30p
http://www.bigupload.com/files/R3JXTADFFX/FILE0002.MOV.zip.html
1280X720 60p
http://www.bigupload.com/files/JWJMTRVQPL/FILE0003.MOV.zip.html
The imager of the A-HD+ is 5MP but there is also an 8MP photo mode so here is a couple of photo sizes to let you see for yourself if you think it's marketing or not.
http://www.bigupload.com/files/3G4XLYGVDU/FILE0004.JPG.zip.html
8MP
http://www.bigupload.com/files/NLMTAKTSM9/FILE0005.JPG.zip.html
Set 2
Same scenario as the above samples
1280X720 60p
http://www.bigupload.com/files/M8W61OLH2K/FILE0015.MOV.zip.html
1440X1080 30p
http://www.bigupload.com/files/PQ46LABOFE/FILE0016.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/V1OJ459E2O/FILE0017.JPG.zip.html
8MP
http://www.bigupload.com/files/VNEJBJZLCJ/FILE0018.JPG.zip.html
Set 3
Handheld pans
http://www.bigupload.com/files/FL2TK5YIS1/FILE0021.MOV.zip.html
1280X720 60p
http://www.bigupload.com/files/H97LR9O93E/FILE0022.MOV.zip.html
Set 4
720 60p clips and 5MP photos.
http://www.bigupload.com/files/BFRPKE7ZWO/FILE0023.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/VASHHHW99A/FILE0024.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/D9DYUDZT3F/FILE0025.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/89QA5H9WC3/FILE0026.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/P57UIDJJC8/FILE0027.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/QGDQ4HEHFK/FILE0028.JPG.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/Q0790L8FJ8/FILE0029.JPG.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/2PQSN9QI03/FILE0030.MOV.zip.html
The next day.
The handheld shots are in 1280X720 60p and the tripod shots are in 1440X1080. The shakes on the tripod shots were because of the wind.
http://www.bigupload.com/files/S07DZESGAN/FILE0036.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/B1U9JIVM24/FILE0037.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/A0OWXAPUZJ/FILE0038.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/XLQPKEDLF1/FILE0039.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/65RHMUPZE8/FILE0040.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/QZQNINK6PJ/FILE0041.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/C039QLK85X/FILE0042.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/5JUBVKAFPT/FILE0043.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/LEK6CI1527/FILE0044.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/XAJT1GTT20/FILE0045.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/G28X6GA3XW/FILE0046.MOV.zip.html
http://www.bigupload.com/files/J958UFN6WM/FILE0047.MOV.zip.html
Update 1
Here is a lowlight test that I shot with the A-HD on one hand and the A-HD+ on the other hand.
A-HD
http://www.bigupload.com/files/Y7XN7EKK7X/A-HD.rar.html
A-HD+
http://www.bigupload.com/files/34R7N0OQY0/A-HD+.rar.html
Clips T1, T2 and T3 are set to Tungston lighting.
Clips A1 and T1 are set to level 0
Clips A2 and T2 are set to level 2
Clips A3 and T3 are set to level 2 and Night Shot activated.
Is there anybody who tried both an A-HD and an A-HD+ not noticing a difference in the lowlight capabilities?
Update 2
Edited April 25 and 26
Handheld 1440X1080 30p shots
http://www.bigupload.com/files/LE7TPZWGS5/FILE0055.MOV.zip.html
This was shot at the Boston Common on the day that I posted my first set of clips. It’s not the first time I ended up videotaping an event without knowing it was going to be there.
band from Paulo Teixeira on Vimeo.
band from Paulo Teixeira on Vimeo.
They were shot using the camcorder's 1280X720 60p mode
Update 3
Edited April 28
I will post at least 1 or 2 more band videos within the next few to several days.
Update 4
Edited May 4
Band from Paulo Teixeira on Vimeo.
Update 5
Edited May 5
I finally got to upload something to You Tube.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jM4Wp9j0K10
Update 6
Edited May 19
I’ve included outdoor comparison shots with the A-HD on one hand and the A-HD+ on the other hand.
A-HD+
http://www.bigupload.com/files/DYI89WHWZ3/A-HD+.rar.html
A-HD
http://www.bigupload.com/files/SQLBCX78JT/A-HD.rar.html
