Video camcorders used to be big, cumbersome devices that rarely made it out of the closet -- and when owners did remember to get one out, they'd find the battery was dead, or that they'd forgotten how to operate its complicated controls.
In recent years a better approach has taken off: pocket-sized camcorders that work with just a few buttons and run on standard batteries have captured around 20 percent of the video camera market.
Ubiquitous still cameras -- and even more ubiquitous phones -- now capture video... And so, one might think that if there ever was an opening for standalone cheap video cameras, it would be a small one, a window that would soon close.
However, we admittedly thought just that when Pure Digital Technologies came out with its first camcorder two years ago...
On the other hand, we also noted at the time that "It may not sound impressive -- but everyone we have shown this to has said they want one. The device makes capturing and sharing video elegant and effortless, all in a very appealing, affordable package. It even runs on standard AA batteries."
Pure Digital's latest model is not only simpler: it's smaller and much more sleek.
Pure says the new camera is "the ultimate accessory for the social networking generation," and is smaller than most cell phones.
The Flip Video Mino is 40 percent smaller than its predecessor, measuring 4x2x.6 inches, and it weighs just 3.3 ounces.
It has 2GB of flash storage, and 1.5-inch LCD.
It still has simple controls, but the physical buttons have been replaced with touch-sensitive ones to record, play, fast forward, rewind, pause and delete.
[The power button has thankfully been moved away from the other controls. We often accidentally turned off our first Flip when trying to capture something.]
It of course also still has the flip-out USB arm and built-in software for immediate editing and sharing that made previous models easy to work with, and can upload video from the PC to MySpace, YouTube and AOL Video.
However, to accommodate the smaller size it does away with the AA batteries for an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery. As it delivers more than four hours of recording time on a single charge, according to the company, this might not be an inconvenience. The camera also charges the battery when connected via USB.
The price for the new model is higher, at $179, as the company targets those with a bit more disposable income who want a better-looking, smaller unit.
RCA, which licenses Pure Digital's technology, rolled out three new models in its Small Wonder line.
The Traveler is the most distinctive, adding splash resistance and a larger 2.4-inch fixed LCD. The EZ210 model uses a 2GB SD card for storage and costs $149.
The Pocket EZ205 has a 1.5-inch flip-out LCD and a 1GB microSD card for $99.
The MyLife EZ200 also has a 1.5-inch LCD flip-out and 1GB microSD for $89.
And for those who want features over simplicity and low-price, Sanyo rolled out its latest Xacti: the HD1010 is a pocketable 1920 x 1080 high-definition camcorder.
Impressively, it can record video at 300 frames-per-second to produce smooth, super slow-motion 60fps video playback; shoot seven frames per second for action photography with 4MP stills; and simultaneous capture still images and movie clips.
It stores 87 minutes of HD on an 8GB SDHC memory card, sold separately.
The "Face Chaser" face detection technology will monitor the subject's face and adjust brightness and focus, and can recognize up to 12 faces at a time in both video and still photos.
The $799 camera has a 10x optical zoom with image stabilization, and a 2.7 inch widescreen LCD that flips out and rotates up to 285 degrees. It weighs 9.9 ounces.
June 6, 2008
