Continuing our series on blogging tools and gadgets for concert fans, I’d like to share with you a review of the Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5. Read on to see how you can use it for your blog, or to tell your own concert stories.
While we were at Lollapalooza 2010 I stopped by the Sony Bloggie tent and took a look around at their new Sony Bloggie cameras. One of the Sony reps kindly let me test the out Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 
Pros:
Overall, I really liked the Bloggie. I found the rotating lens very handy for shooting video because it lets you grab shots from different angles, and the feature really came in handy when I needed to have both myself and the person I spoke with in the same shot.
The HD quality of the video was excellent and during the day the videos I took and the pictures (it also takes still shots) snapped came out great too.
The controls are well designed making it easy to switch from video to still shots and quickly view what you just shot via the on-screen viewing settings.
The Bloggie has a built in USB connector that pops out so so you can hook it up right to your computer.
There’s also a USB cord to give you more mobility and connecting options if you need it. It’s Mac/PC compatible, and comes with a removable lithium battery, 8GB memory stick and disc including the Sony PMB downloading and editing software that makes it easy to track your uploads and send them quickly to YouTube.
Cons:
On the downside the the Bloggie doesn’t work to great in low-light situations. As you can see by the video below that I took during Lady Gaga’s set, the video was very poor quality, and like most similar cameras, the music recording and sound is decent but not great. I also included the daytime video just so you can compare the quality between the two.
The other issues I had was that the battery didn’t hold a charge very long and I had to keep charging it up. This might have been because I wasn’t working with a brand new model since I was given a test model in the Bloggie Tent.
But other than that I really like the Bloggie and I’m looking forward to the new models that are coming out later this year and in 2011.
Bloggie Vs. Flip
I’ve been using the Flip Ultra HD
But as far as having a still-shot camera and a video camera in one, I have to say the Bloggie is much better.
And like I said earlier, I really liked the rotating lens feature on the Bloggie.
It’s important to keep in mind that these type of cameras are designed for a certain type of use, like capturing personal fan moments at shows, capturing a quick video at home for your blog, or if you’re a vloger, and you want to upload something quick to YouTube.
Summary: It is worth it?
Overall, for around $150.00, the Bloggie is a great pocket-sized video camera to have for capturing your favorite concert moments on the fly so you can share them with your friends and families.
And like I mentioned earlier, the Bloggie can also be a handy tool to have if you’re planning on recording videos for your blog while sitting at your desk or looking to do some simple video-blogging.
How Not To Use the Bloggie
I wouldn’t recommend buying the Bloggie or the Flip Video cameras if you’re going to be shooting video with bigger production value because
1) you can’t hook up an external mic
2) the low-light issues will give your video poor quality
3) there’s zoom limitations as well.
For those types of uses and more advanced production demands you’re probably going to need something in the $400-600 price range or higher.
How Can Concert Fans Use the Bloggie?
As far as specific uses for concert fans beyond just recording live moments during the show, I’ve really enjoyed using the Bloggie and other mini-cameras to record personal moments like my Saul Williams post concert video reflection that I recorded as I drove home from the show.
How About You?
If you have a Bloggie, I’d like to hear what you think of it and what other creative uses for it you’ve come up with. Tell me all about it in the comments!
Bloggie Test Run Video (note: the quality of the video wasn’t good because I hadn’t switched to the HD mode and once I did the other daytime videos came out great!)
Bloggie Test Run at Lady Gaga
