mini-camcorders

Sony takes on Flip Video, in Technicolor

Now that Flip has created a market for cheap minicamcorders such as the MinoHD, Sony's decided to jump in with its own offerings, somewhat annoyingly nicknamed the Webbie HD models.

The vertical-style MHS-PM1 seems a better category fit than the MHS-CM1; though like many of its competitors it lacks an optical zoom, it has a nifty swivel lens mount. It records 1080p MPEG-4 video to Memory Stick Duo media at 1,440x1,080-pixel resolution, and shoots stills at a comparatively high resolution (5-megapixels). Also like many competitors, the software it ships with--Picture Motion Browser Portable--doesn't support the Mac.… Read more

Sony offers up Web camcorder with 5X zoom

One of a duo of direct-to-Web HD mini camcorders marking Sony's debut in the market, the MHS-CM1, is modeled more after the traditional cheap designs from Panasonic and Samsung than the new tech toy-type Flip MinoHDs of the world.

The horizontal design does allow for a 5X zoom lens and largish 2.5-inch LCD. However, I found the CM1 oddly uncomfortable to hold. It records 1080p MPEG-4 video to Memory Stick Duos at 1440x1080 resolution, and shoots stills at a comparatively high resolution. Also like many competitors, the software it ships with, Picture Motion Browser Portable, doesn't support … Read more

RCA unveils new budget HD minicamcorder, the EZ209HD

In the minicamcorder market, last year RCA pretty much played second or third fiddle to Flip Video and Kodak, with Creative recently making a late charge. Well, RCA hopes to change all that with its new Small Wonder EZ209HD, which carries the bargain price of $120 and is due out sometime this spring.

This model is smaller and sleeker than previous Small Wonders, integrates a microSD card slot rather than an SD card slot (it accepts microSD cards up to 16GB), and retains a not-too-puny 2-inch LCD. Like the Creative Vado HD, the EZ209HD also incorporates an HDMI output so … Read more

Creative Vado HD vs. Mino HD: Too close to call

Several people have e-mailed me wondering when we'd have our review up of the Creative Vado HD mini camcorder. Well, now it's up, and the big question everyone is asking is whether it's better than the Flip Video Mino HD. The short answer is yes--and no.

Basically, the Vado HD's video quality isn't quite as good the Mino HD's. But its feature set is superior. So, it's a tough call.

Read the full review of the Creative Vado HD.

Creative readies the Vado HD: Is it better than the Flip Video Mino HD?

Things are heating up in the HD mini camcorder space as Creative gets set to release its new Vado HD next week. The camcorder retains many of the design traits of the original Vado but it doesn't share the exact same body. However, it does have something that neither the Kodak Zi6 nor the Flip Video Mino HD has: an HDMI connection (plus an included cable) for outputting 1080i video to your HDTV. And it comes with 8GB of built-in memory--all for around $200.

In our review of the Vado, we knocked it a bit for being pretty no … Read more

Sanyo's flashy Xacti HD700 follow-up adds a megapixel

And the mini-camcorder cavalcade keeps rolling on. Well, in Japan at least. Sanyo premiered its latest HD pocket-corder, Xacti, Wednesday in Japan. The DMX-HD800 records at up to 720p at 30fps in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, and does so with an improved 8MP CMOS sensor.

There are some other tweaks to the specs that you can view on Sanyo's Japanese Web site (Google translated for your pleasure), but all-in-all it looks like another decent offering. (Though, personally, I find the gold and pink colors a bit too "look at me, I've got a camcorder.") The DMX-HD800 … Read more