Aiptek AHD200 review

Performance
High-definition filming couldn't be simpler. Plug in a memory card, open the screen and away you go. With a decent card footage is processed near instantaneously, so it's perfectly feasible to stop and start recording to save memory.

On some pistol-grip camcorders, it's easy to cover the light with your finger, but the placement of the record button should prevent this on the AHD200

Video is recorded to SD or SDHC card. The use of removable memory is a concern for HD shooters as it can limit the amount of footage captured: a Kingston 2GB Ultimate SD card will shoot just over an hour, with a PNY 4GB SDHC card managing double that. You'll need at least an SDHC for a wedding and multiple cards for a holiday.

Image quality
Sadly, image quality doesn't match ease of use. Footage is 1,280x720-pixel H.264 video at 30 frames per second. Video is passable rather than outstanding. There's more compression artefacts than we'd like, and panning leads to a certain amount of motion blur. Colour is consistent, and the fixed focus copes well with movement.

Low-light performance also sees a lot of noise and loss of detail in dark areas, with high-contrast light sources blowing out highlights.

Conclusion
The Aiptek AHD200 is a high-definition camcorder, but just barely. Sticking an HD sticker on everything seems to be the technology industry's latest wheeze, and while this shooter will never compete with even entry-level Canon or Sony products on image quality or features, it isn't even trying to. At this price there are few HD competitors, and if budget is the primary consideration it's a perfectly decent shooter for the casual holidaymaker or video newcomer.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday