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Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs Mustek) - 5/14/2005 4:12 AM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		Was at Sprawlmart today and saw this camera for $97.57. It's fairly small, runs on two AAs, and when I picked it up it felt VERY light even with batteries installed. I'm no wiz at this stuff but it seemed to have many of the same features I read about on the Mustek that others on here use. I'm curious how it compares video quality wise to the Mustek, and more importantly if it is smaller in dimensions or lighter than the Mustek. Randall says the Mustek with battery and memory card is roughly 4.5oz. Anybody have the weight of this Aiptek set up the same way? It *might* be slightly bigger than the Mustek but I've only seen pictures of Musteks so I can't compare. I have to watch both weight and size concerns for the kind of electric fliers I'll be putting it on so I need this info. Also, it appears it turns ON and OFF automaticly when you open the LCD door. Does the Mustek do the same thing and how did you get around this because I'll need to keep the door closed to streamline it for wind concerns.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/14/2005 12:43 PM   
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Status: offline 		I have an Aiptek Pocket DV 3100 digital camcorder/webcam. To get around the camera turning off when you close the screen, I cut off that little nipple thingy that activates the switch. Look on the inside of the screen and there should be a little protrusion there. Opposite it, you will see the little hole it goes into when the screen is closed. By cutting it off, the turn-off switch can not be depressed so the cam will not turn off automatically. The cam will still function as normal. The only difference is the lack of auto-shutoff. You must remember to turn the cam off manually.

BTW I install this camcorder in my Avistar with absolutely no problems. The plane still flies great. Here is a pic. You can see the box I made and installed behind the main wing. Cam slides in there and is held in with rubberbands.



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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/14/2005 2:23 PM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		Thanks for the info. Sitll trying to track down the weight and dimensions of this camera setup with battery/card to compare it to the Mustek. Anybody checking into it at Sprawlmart...don't confuse it with another Aiptek camera up there that is much bigger than this one, though looks very similar.


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/19/2005 4:08 AM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		Well, was up at Sprawlmart again today to pick up some AA Engergizer 2500ma Nimhs for my TX. You can't beat the price at $17 for eight of them and these are the highest MA rated AAs I can find, off the shelf anyway. Everything else is 2000ma or less. Stopped by Radio Shack for an 8 AA holder and plan to wire it up to my Piranha charger with a custom program so I can charge them without having to buy an AA Nima charger. The Piranha will do a better job than a cheap Sprawlmart charger as well. Anyway, while up at Sprawlmart I checked on that Aiptek pocket digital video recorder. There are two Aipteks up there so don't confuse model numbers, this one is small. $97 price tag. Here's the facts and am wondering how it compares in both SIZE and features to the Mustek...

Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M, 5 Mega Pixel, 30 frames per second, MPEG-4 Video, Digital Voice Recorder, Video Conferencing & TV/VCR Output, USB Port 1.1 (2.0 Compatible), CF Card Slot, AV Output Port, LCD On/Off Switch, 640x480 up to 11fps, 352x288 up to 30 fps, 2 to 5 Megapixel Stills, 16MB, + 13MB Storage, Compact (? Can't read my writing there...think it says Compact) Flash Card Slot (512MB Max), Digital 4X Zoom, 1.5" LCD Screen, With stock memory 352x288 MPEG4 Video of 2 to 3 minutes, 128MB CF Card 16 to 24 minutes, 256MB CF Card 32 to 48 minutes.

The size of this unit is 3.3"x3.1"x1.6". How does this and the above video/expansions features compare to the Mustek. Does this look like a good deal? I guess the lady at the counter said she doesn't know much about the unit as it's a new promotion by Aiptek. I could not find any weight data on the box but in your had it feels REAL light even with the two AA batteries it uses. Look forward to opinions as I need just a little nudging to go buy this sucker.


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/19/2005 7:41 AM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		From appearances of the manual I was able to view it's the same size as an Aiptek DVII that I own. The DVII is a little bigger than the mustek but also a little lighter.
The specs are about identical to the mustek so it's a tossup really. 30 frames per second and the resolution is the same as the mustek. As long as it won't shut itself off for a while it's probably as good or better than the mustek.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/19/2005 7:49 AM   
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Status: offline 		Here are four photos for size comparison. The mustek is on the left.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/19/2005 3:30 PM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		Good info, Randall. However, there are two Aipteks up at Walmart that look identical, yet the one I'm not considering buying is about an inch or so taller than the one I'm looking at. I think the one you've posted is the bigger version. However, I did compare Mustek and Aiptek size dimensions and the Mustek is slightly smaller in two dimensions but the Aiptek is smaller in the other. Don't have them off hand to post but you can see the size dimensions for the Aiptek in my above post.


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/19/2005 7:24 PM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		At least if you buy the one at Walmart you can always take it back and get a full refund if it doesn't perform the way you want it to. That's a plus. If it has video out you can tie it into a BW system later. The mustek DOES have video out allready.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/25/2005 2:41 PM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		Randall, my niece works up at Sprawlmart and gets a 10% discount, so today I gave her the money to go pick up the camera. I'll report back with info on it later. That's what I figured, if it doesn't own up to what I need I can take it back. It does have A/V outputs so I was thinking about later doing a live transmission feed from it on the plane, but right now I'll be happy to just do onboard recording. That's really what I wanted to avoid the transmission problems and also interference with the plane's TX. However, got a question for you...the TX from the wireless cam I bought last year (Remember, same one you had...)...can I wire this TX up to an AV plug and use that to transmit to it's RX, or are there problems with compatibility between different cameras and TX's? I'll post a full report on this camera when I play around with it. My main concerns are does it have an auto shutoff feature (Wouldn't it continue to record so long as I have the record button at least taped down?), and I have to figure out a way to keep the camera ON with the LCD panel closed. It might have an override switch for this but if it doesn't I have to find the LCD switch that does it and block it somehow. I didn't look close but at first glance there was no pressure switch or anything inside the LCD door. It might be in the hinge and that would be more difficult to fix. On the other hand, the unit won't turn off until the LCD is all the way closed so taping it slightly cracked open would solve it. We'll see. This unit uses CF memory cards, which I guess stand for compact flash cards? That seems different than the expandsion cards the Mustek uses. What are the pros and cons of a CF card and are they as cheap and easy to buy as others? It will hold up to over 500MB but I think I'll start with the 256K card as that will give close to 30 minutes, more than what I need at this time.


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/26/2005 12:48 AM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		No.......you can hack an AV cable and run it right into the tx. It will work fine. Just make sure the camera is set to ntsc....and it allready should be if it's sold here in the u.s.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs ... - 5/26/2005 2:29 AM   
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quote:

ORIGINAL: critterhunter

Good info, Randall. However, there are two Aipteks up at Walmart that look identical, yet the one I'm not considering buying is about an inch or so taller than the one I'm looking at.


I noticed the same two cams at my local Wally World, the 5100 and 5900. One has a flash and one doesn't.


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/26/2005 3:07 AM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		Flash won't do you any good outdoors and would just waste the battery anyway.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/26/2005 4:14 PM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		I wanted to get the camera off her this morning but she's sleeping still. Anxious to check this thing out. More than likely I'll wait until I piece together an Extreme before I take it up. Even if the weight is within the Challenger's limits I'm worried that it's just big enough to catch enough air flow to make it unstable. I'm sure the Extreme will handle it's weight and can compensate for any air flow problems because of it's size. Still, I might make a mock up out of cardboard to exact size and then add the proper weight of the camera. I could then give that a trial run on the challenger and see what kind of problems might occur. A lot cheaper than busting up a $100 camera. Anybody know what the pros and cons of CF cards are compared to others? More expensive, etc?


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/27/2005 2:12 AM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		I think they're actually a little bit cheaper than SD cards, although they are bigger. I haven't seen any 1 GIG cards of that type but I think you can get 512 megs which is pretty large storage wise. The aiptek will run a long time if you get at least a 256 meg cf card.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/27/2005 2:22 PM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		Went over to my sister-in-law's to pick up the camera and she said her daughter didn't buy it yet. Hmmmm....I asked if she worked that day and she said yes, so there shouldn't have been any reason not to get it. I suspect she went out and had some fun on the $100 bill I gave her. Time to call my brother and put the heat on. Kids, kids, kids....:')


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/27/2005 4:24 PM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		That would bite. I hope she didn't use it for some illicit purchase My wife has a 27 year old daughter and you can't trust her with a nickle.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/28/2005 4:57 AM   
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Status: offline 		I just walked into Wallyworld and bought the Aiptek 5100 for $75 dollars. I'll be mounting it on my Telemaster and shouldn't have any trouble placing it on my other 40 sized planes either as it weighs next to nothing.

Can any of you guys post some photos of how you mount your Aiptek 5100's. I'm a little concerned on keeping the vibration down to a minimum.

Thanks

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/28/2005 5:35 AM   
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Status: offline 		The first thing you need is a soft mount. Dubro makes a good one. That really helps with vibration at it's source. I basically use steel strap and drill out a larger hole so the bolt doesn't touch. Then put some padding between the camera and the mount, and some under the bottom with a washer on it. It's kind of hard to explain but you're basically isolating the camera from any solid contact with the plane.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/30/2005 8:25 PM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		Critterhunter hasn't posted a video yet.........not a good sign Get your camera yet Critter?

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/31/2005 2:26 PM   
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Status: offline 		Yea, finally got it. I was on a drunken weekend camping trip so I am now just back to the real world, and able to stand without feeling like I'm on a roller coaster ride. :') Anyway, I like this camera ALOT. I picked up a 512MB CF card at Office max for $29! They had an in store $10 rebate plus a $20 mail in rebate. I think the card is made by Toshiba. Everybody else wanted like $50-$60 for a 512MB size card.

First things first, the camera will automaticly turn it's self off and on when the LCD door is open. HOWEVER, you can also turn it on with the power/OK button without opening the door and it will NOT shut it's self off so long as you are recording or playing pack video. So, it's perfect for flights with no concerns about LCD doors and power saving functions. The two AA batteries feel like they weigh more than the camera if you put the camera in one hand and the batteries in the other. It's very light.

Regular batteries (at least the off brand ones that came with it) will only last maybe an hour or so. However, 2500ma Nimh Energizer Rechargables ($17 for an 8 pack at Sprawlmart) will give you hours of record time. In fact, I'm on the first two batteries after using the camera extensively while camping. I'd say I've at least ran it three or four hours on one set so far and they are still showing more than 2/3rds charged on the LCD screen icon. I think it's funny that nimhs these days outlast a regular battery you can buy in the store.

The unit also came with software, a USB cable, AV cables, a tripod, and a carry case. All in all I'd say this thing is WELL worth the money. I'm simply amazed at how far and cheap technology has come. In fact, I took my cheap 35mm camera and pitched it in the garbage. Any local film store has those kiosks where you plug in your CF card and print out what you want. Can't wait to strap it to the side of my head while hunting deer, waterfowl, etc.

Although the weight seems well within the Challengers limits I'm guessing it's just a little too big for air flow concerns, so this week I'll be piecing together an Extreme to mount it on. Need to search the forum for how others have mounted cameras on the Extreme. I need a good COG spot that will still protect the camera somewhat and not cause total air flow havoc. Like I said, I plan to make a mock up of the camera out of carboard and proper weight for several flights first.

After looking at the Mustek features it appears this camera is slightly more advanced. Now, at 11fps (highest resolution) this is just simply too slow for fast flying video, so the next one down at 30fps is the one to use, right?


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/31/2005 3:28 PM   
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Status: offline 		I've been sitting here in my basement mulling over the best place to install my new Aiptek 5100 and from what I can tell, the most convenient and CG-friendly place would be directly under the aluminum landing gear, preferably in a horizontal position. Has anyone tried shooting some video with your camera in the horizontal position ? I'm thinking the video result is going to need some kind of software that can rotate the video to correct position.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 5/31/2005 4:24 PM   
randall1959



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Status: offline 		Yes Critter....use the setting that gives 30fps. It will still look pretty good on playback.

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 6/2/2005 12:08 PM   
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Status: offline 		You can get CF cards much bigger than 1Gb

http://www.lexar.com/digfilm/compact_flash.html

http://www.sandisk.com/retail/cf.asp

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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 6/2/2005 4:46 PM   
critterhunter



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Status: offline 		I think this cam will only use cards up to 512MB.

On the horizontal mounting. I was thinking the same thing. I know there has to be software (maybe the software it came with even) that will rotate the video on the screen for playback. However, try it the Jeff Foxworthy way...just take your TV and lay it in the horizontal position. I'm only half joking here as I've done this before. Back in the 80s the Commodore 64 (or was it my Amiga, both great gaming computers) had a few games for it, one being pac-man, that were sideways on the screen. They did it this way because they wanted it to look exactly like the arcade version. In the arcade those games had screens that were longer in the verticle position than the horizontal. So, every time I fired up one of these games I had to pick up the monitor and lay it on it's side. Get'R Done...:')


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RE: Aiptek Pocket DV 5100M Mini Digital Camcorder? (Vs... - 6/2/2005 4:56 PM   
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Status: offline 		Thanks !

I'm still looking over my Pinnacle 9 software to see if there's an option that can rotate the verticle video to horizontal if I do mount the video camera horizontally under the landing gear.

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