dpreview's Quick Guide to Pocket Camcorders

[Reid Kistler]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Guides/shoot_and_share_guide_01.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Gui...re_guide_01.htm</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Compact digital cameras may all be starting to sprout HD movie capability but they're by no means the only devices able to capture your life in high definition. Driven by the popularity of video sharing on YouTube and FaceBook, a new class of devices has sprung up, offering an even more simple way to record and share the important, interesting or simply funny things going on around you - the pocket camcorder."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1282247787.usr19541.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>Although not an actual review, dpreview's "Quick guide to pocket camcorders" should be on the reading list of anyone thinking about purchasing a device that falls into this increasingly popular product category. The article provides a basic feature and specification chart for 10 pocket camcorders, touches upon available resolution offerings, and covers several key specifications to look for when making a purchase decision. The author also takes the time to cover some additional considerations - such as battery, connectivity, and storage type - and even includes several sample videos that provide some indication of the output quality a casual user might expect to achieve. It will be interesting to see how this market shakes out as mobile phones add greater photographic and video capabilities.</p>

[sundown]

I have an older Kodak Zi6 that I love having as a backup in my camera bag. The quality of the video is good enough (720p) and the device is cheap enough that losing it isn't too big a hit on my wallet. But now that I carry an iPhone 4, I find myself carrying any other camera very often. It's just so handy having a 720p video recorder always with me. The quality of the iPhone 4's videos and pictures is amazingly good.

These pocket video cameras are nice to have but you have to keep in mind their limitations. I almost took mine back after seeing a video I shot that had a lot of camera movement. With a rolling shutter, these things translate camera movement into a nauseating experience that's difficult to watch. Once I realized I needed to either keep the camera still or use a slow pan on a tripod, I fell in love with the concept of a pocket video camera again.

One more thing to consider: My Zi6 (and probably some or all of these in this article) shoots in the MOV format which is difficult to edit on a PC. Even with Adobe Premier Pro, loss in quality was a big issue. I ended up editing videos on a MAC since MOV is a native format there. Worked great.

My next one will probably be waterproof so I can use it on the beach or at the river or in the rain without worrying about the sensitive electronic bits.

[Reid Kistler]

The Kodak model shown at the left in the photo is "water-proof." Although it is the only one of the listed models that appears to claim that feature, am certain that there are other "outdoor" models available.

One of the useful bits of information that the dpreview article provides is a listing of the Recording Format(s) supported by the various models: ALL of the ones on their list support multiple file recording formats, which should make it (relatively) easy to find one your editing software can support.

"The quality of the iPhone 4's videos and pictures is amazingly good."

My concern would be using up all of the available memory by using the device as a Video Recorder. Has that been a problem? Or do you only use it for brief recordings?