Tag Archives: ipod nano 5g

September 29, 2009 · 7:58 pm

iPod Nano 5g Video Sample

I didn’t expect miracles from the tiny video lens built into my new Nano. And I haven’t gotten any. But it’s better than I thought it’d be, although when I embed the results with a 600 pixel width, it’s limitations are far more evident than when the video is viewed in a much smaller format.

Still, it has its uses. It’s there in my pocket ready to whip out and take some discreet videos at a moments notice. I can think of a few instances where I will use it to capture a few seconds, or maybe a minute or two, of life in Mexico City. For now I’m just playing with it. Yesterday I walked around Coyoacan, a bohemian little town in the south of the city, and tested the different video modes.

Normal, Infra Red, Sepia, Black and White, Thermal, Cyborg, Film Grain and CCTV are all on offer and I sampled them in that order. There are also another half dozen or so image altering modes like Mirror and Bulge which were frankly so stupid and useless that I couldn’t be bothered including those clips in the video. Of all of the modes, I like Film Grain the most. Because quality is a little low, this mode suits the camera perfectly.

The Marathon Video

I took this video on my iPod Nano. So it’s no cinematographic masterpiece. Crap might be the best word. But it captures a wisp of the atmosphere. And I’ll enjoy watching it in years to come, as unlike you guys (and gals) I have memories to go with it. Mostly of intense pain. Maybe I won’t enjoy watching it in years to come after all…

iPod Nano 5g Video

I bought a new iPod Nano 5th generation media player yesterday. A silver 16gb model. One of my primary reasons for the investment was for the video camera built into the device. Tomorrow I’m running in the Mexico City half marathon and have been wanting a pocket video camera for a while, to take along and record my run. And there are plenty of occasions where it would be nice to have something to hand to record a moment in time.

I haven’t bought it for pure video quality. That would be dumb. A Flip Mino or similar device will ultimately produce better quality footage. But nothing comes in a package this small, let alone with the additional feature list, which I won’t go into seeing as this is a photo blog. For convenience, this is tops.

But how’s it working out for me as a video camera? Well a lot of people have complained about the positioning of the lens. It is in an awkward place. But you can live with it. I dare say you even get used to it. The quality isn’t ultra sharp, but it does a better job that you’d expect, having looked at the teeny weeny lens it’s fitted with. The microphone also outperformed my expectations.

The proof is in the pudding. So below is a very short video of my Friday morning. Apples own promo videos are displayed in small sizes, and all is bright, colourful, sharp. And filmed in situations I’m unlikely to encounter when I want to use it. With a tripod device as well, no doubt! I used it in the worst circumstances. Hand held, walking, night time, overcast early morning….all the worst enemies of a camcorder in general. How do I rate it? If you want to compare it to a Flip Mino….poor. But as I’ve mentioned, that’s not a fair comparison. Compared to my expectations? It bettered them, just. I’m satisfied.

Last Chance To Donate

My half marathon is on Sunday, and I’m as ready as I’m gonna be. Minimal training, still haven’t given up smoking, but still confident of cracking the two hour mark. Maybe. We’ll see. I’ve also reached my goal of raising $300 for a couple of charities, mostly through paid advertising.

I have also had three donations to my cause from bloggers…thank you! That took me past the $300 target. More would be nice of course. It’s not easy to convince strangers on the net to send out cash, but I live in hope. You can still contribute. I’m doing the hard part after all – getting up at 6am to run 21kms. Not to mention all the crappy paid ads I’ve done on topics including vaginal rejuvenation surgery, dodgy weight loss mixtures and penis enhancements. Sending me $5 is easy by comparison!

And just to make it worth your while, every $5 you send gives you one guess at my finishing time. The guess that comes closest wins a prize worth a $100, as detailed on a previous post. So head on over to my Chip In page and send me the cash, all major credit cards and PayPal accepted, then leave a comment here with your guess.

By the way I’ve bought myself the new iPod Nano 5th Generation device. So I will be able to make a movie of my run after all. And listen to music. And record how many steps I take on the Pedometer. And other stuff that I’m still investigating. I chose a discreet silver coloured 16gb model in the end. Paola will be furious with my extravagance. I’m gonna have to sell the Sony Walkman and Zune I guess.

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