Toshiba Camileo S20: Feature-Packed, but Controls Are Finicky

It may be thin and light–even for a pocket camcorder–but the ultraslim Toshiba Camileo S20 ($180 as of 5/7/2010) packs more features into its frame than any high-definition pocket camcorder we’ve tested to date.

Along with 1080p high-definition video, digital stabilization, and a macro/landscape toggle switch–all of which we’ve seen in models such as the Kodak Zi8–the Camileo S20 has a handful of pocket-camcorder firsts, including an LED light for shooting in the dark, a time-lapse mode that lets you select between three preset intervals, four white-balance presets, and a slow-motion mode that helps you take (very grainy) footage of fast action. It shoots AVI files in 1080p or 720p at 30 frames per second, recording the video footage to a user-supplied SD or SDHC card.

Instead of the candy-bar design employed by the vast majority of pocket camcorders, the Camileo S20 shoots in a pistol-grip style, thanks to a flip-out, swiveling 3-inch LCD screen; it’s a Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5 on a no-carb diet. The adjustable screen is great for composing odd-angle shots (filming over a crowd or taking self-portraits, for example), but it’s not the sharpest screen we’ve seen, and it looks a bit dull in direct sunlight. That said, it’s big and adjustable enough to get the job done as a viewfinder.

With all the normal settings in 1080p (30 fps) mode, the Toshiba Camileo S20 served up sharp, smooth, but slightly muted video when compared to similar pocket camcorders. Video quality didn’t look bad at all, but colors aren’t as vivid as they are in footage shot with the Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5 or the top-rated Creative Vado HD. (For the highest-quality footage, select “1080p” from the drop-down menu that will appear in the lower right corner of the embedded video player when it starts.)

Source: thedailystar.net