Tagged Products - 2.7in

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Silver

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and expect them to work on normal players, you need some weird codec (I had a whole pile of them already installed on my computer, so I don't know which one did the magic). The format must be converted. This means that postprocessing and editing of the material is mandatory, I'm normally too lazy for this kind of stuff.

The editing program just hangs every time when trying to open the file, but this might be because of some conflicts with the codecs I had installed. I haven't looked deeply into it yet.

For playback, there seems to be no way to set the screen ratio, and the picture looks compressed horizontally on the normal (not-wide-screen) TV. And it has no digital output that my DVD writer could understand (it understands I think DV but not HDMI).

I don't know how does it compare to the other digital camcorders, maybe all of them have the same issues.

If you wonder, it has no inputs for external cameras (such as something you could mount outside the car), not that I had any expectations for that.

There was also a minor issue with the battery, that after a couple of days started reporting all the time that it's running out but otherwise worked fine. This issue went away by itself after a week or so. The larger extra battery I bought separately didn't have this issue.

Kodak EasyShare M763 Red 7.2 MP 3X Zoom Digital Camera - MSRP $119.99 (1030311)

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and expect them to work on normal players, you need some weird codec (I had a whole pile of them already installed on my computer, so I don't know which one did the magic). The format must be converted. This means that postprocessing and editing of the material is mandatory, I'm normally too lazy for this kind of stuff.



The editing program just hangs every time when trying to open the file, but this might be because of some conflicts with the codecs I had installed. I haven't looked deeply into it yet.



For playback, there seems to be no way to set the screen ratio, and the picture looks compressed horizontally on the normal (not-wide-screen) TV. And it has no digital output that my DVD writer could understand (it understands I think DV but not HDMI).



I don't know how does it compare to the other digital camcorders, maybe all of them have the same issues.



If you wonder, it has no inputs for external cameras (such as something you could mount outside the car), not that I had any expectations for that.



There was also a minor issue with the battery, that after a couple of days started reporting all the time that it's running out but otherwise worked fine. This issue went away by itself after a week or so. The larger extra battery I bought separately didn't have this issue.

Samsung Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Color LCD Monitor - Black

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easily so you don't really need to read the manual given the simplicity of the camera. But the manual decodes some of the subtle features.

THE SOFTWARE

The software is a simple product with limited capabilities. Fine tuning allows brightness, contrast, color saturation, and white balance. You can trim out sections of a video clip for deletion or extract an interval of the video. Additionally there are general fixes for a shaky video, background noise and fixing lighting. The video can also be rotated. You can add annotations but no music or sound to existing video clips.

The software's system requirements are below:

RAM: 1 GB recommended
3 GHZ Pentium 4
OS: Windows Vista or XP
RESOLUTION: 800x600
MEDIA Supported: DVD+/RW or DVD-/RW

DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION:

My biggest requirement for a camera is a battery life indicator. You can see this when the unit is in video mode or if you hold the iCheck button down. While taking videos, I love seeing how much recording time I have left (hours,minutes,seconds) and approximately how much battery life I have left in minutes.

The housing is hard plastic in a silver and blue combination. A switch operates the built-in lens cover. I find a built-in cover to be convenient since it is hard to keep track of something that can be easily taken off. A novel feature is the ability to rotate the handle with the built-in vinyl strap 180 degrees. Practically, I do not know the applications of rotating straps in unusual angles but just leave it to your imagination. The LCD screen opens out and also swivels 180 degrees so you can film yourself talking. A tripod mount is in the underside of the unit and the unit does sit flat when set onto a counter - despite the fact that this is shaped like a bullet.

A small door in the back of the unit contains ports for the A/V cable, USB cable and AC power supply. The underside of the unit contains a battery door with a slot next to the battery for a memory card.

There are not too many buttons on this unit to simplify the operation. There is a record button, playback and video button, and an on-off switch in the back. The body houses only 3 buttons: an icheck button for the LCD display, LCD contrast button and an Easy button that makes this a point and shoot camcorder.

On the LCD frame, there is a menu button, 4 way directional button with central enter button, and a record button.

The top of the unit has a zoom/wide angle button. This button does not have fine control so it should be set and video should be taken at that setting. Otherwise the audience watching the video could get sick.

Now, practically speaking the record button in the back of the unit is hard to access when your hand is in the strap. The button on the LCD frame is easier to access, but is more for 2 handed operation.

There is a tiny speaker in the body of the camera that serves the purpose of just hearing sound. Quality of the audio playback from the camera is limited. A volume control toggle, fast forward, reverse, play and pause button are utilized with the 4 button directional keys, during playback.

OPERATION:

Before you can use this camera, you need an SDMC. There is no internal memory.

It takes about 8 seconds from the time you push the power button to getting ready to take videos. The toggle switch for video and playback seamlessly allows the user to take video and quickly select the clip that he or she wants to review.

Playback mode utilizes the directional keys to select the video clip of interest to review. The menu button during playback allows the user to have play options, delete clips, format the card, lock/protect a clip. With digital media, you don't have to worry about rewinding or fast-forwarding as you would would Mini-DV, 8 mm or VHS.

Taking videos is easy with the EasyQ button. Camera shake is activated, white balance, color, shutter speed, etc. are set. All you have to do is adjust your zoom and push record. This is the best feature for a simple person like myself who wants a foolproof method of capturing a moment in time.

For more advanced users, turn off the EasyQ button and you can access the Menu. There are 10 iScene buttons for various situations: Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, Snow, Manual, High speed, Waterfall and Food. You can toggle Digital Zoom off (which I recommend since there is too much pixelation with digital zoom) - 34x is more than enough for many practical situations. Guide lines are available to frame your video in 3 modes: Off, Cross, Grid and Safety Zone. Resolution can be set for Superfine to Youtube mode.

You can set the fader to on or off.

Intervals for the length of a clip can be customized.

Backlight for objects in front of a light source can be turned on and off.

My favorite custom feature on this camera is the Digital Effect function where you can set Black and White, Sepia, Negative, Art, Emboss, Mosaic, Cosmetic, Pastel, and Stepprinting can be set for a more artsy touch.

INTERFACE:

The A/V cable allows me to connect to my Plasma using a RCA input. What you see on the LCD (good or bad) is the same image you get on the television. You can watch video clips or record while attached. The LCD flips out and inverts so you can have the camcorder shut with the LCD menu out to watch your videos. No remote is available with the unit which is a negative.

PICTURE/SOUND QUALITY:

My house has soft light and image quality under lower light conditions is grainy. High intensity light (Fluoresent) and outdoors gives better picture clarity through better color balance, intensity of brightness and less graininess. Candlelight darkness, renders this camera nonfunctional for good color picture quality. Low light for sepia and black and white is actually better for contrast.

My perception of color saturation is that the camera does not handle lower light conditions well.

A trial of video recording a TV commercial showed a slight graininess also but was also limited by a lag in the sound. The microphone seemed to capture video but there was a latency between the lips moving and sound output (equivalent to watching a dubbed movie, if you get my drift). Live recording of sound and video is more in sync and sound quality is very good, despite the compact size of this camera. It is quite robust.

With faster motion, there is slight pixelation. Occassionally, the autofocus comes out of focus despite a more stationary video subject.

The anti-shake features decreases motion slightly but does not minimize severe motion. The difference is barely perceptible. This is exacerbated when on 34x zoom. Practically speaking, you will need a monopod or small tripod to keep the motion down to a minimum.

PRACTICAL MATTERS:

Overall, its use is better as an outdoor camera than an indoor camera. Birthday party videos at home would be a limited application.

This camera accepts SDHC cards by Panasonic, Toshiba, and SanDisk (if you're buying this camera with memory cards, as you read this). A write speed of 2 megabytes per second is recommended for video. The card I used for this test is a Transcend SDHC 8 GB card that performs at 6 MB/Second.

Transcend 8 GB SDHC SD Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

I suggest the following to transfer video to your computer, instead of the USB cable:

15-In-1 Memory Card Reader

Charging can only be performed by plugging in the unit - as opposed to many digital cameras that have dedicated battery chargers.

PROS:

Compact and light
34x optical zoom
Simplicity of design and operation
One media between cameras and camcorders: Flash memory (SDHC) which can be interchanged with digital cameras
Intuitive menu system
Robust sound quality for a camera of this size
Excellent battery life

CONS:

Limited by low light
Negligible effect of the Anti-shake feature
No still camera features, nor can you can extract a still from a video clip
Average image quality but not quite the resolution attainable on Mini-DV
Software not MAC compatible
No internal flash memory

VERDICT:

Good entry level camera for a student or a person who wants a point and shoot camcorder.

This is above average in performance for a person wanting a camera capable of uploading to Youtube.

Great budget camcorder for analyzing your golf swing.

Not recommended for a Prosumer, intermediate or advanced videographer - given the limitations in low light.

For the price, simplicity and portability, this camera deserves 4 out of 5 stars for this category of camcorders. Two thumbs up!

RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES:

A real camera case instead of the drawstring sack.

Backup battery when on the road.

NOTE (I have both the SC-HMX20 and the SC-MX20):

I also have the Samsung SC-HMX20 1080p HD camcorder/6.4 MP digital camera Samsung SC-HMX20C 8GB High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom with pop up flash and 8 MB of built-in RAM. It is an excellent camcorder, heavier in weight with excellent resolution - especially in lower light. If you want something for HD and low light, consider this camera (SC-HMX20). However, there is about a $400 price difference that may not be worth it to you.

However, if you are a youtube or other online video publisher, this SC-MX20 is a better option. It is lighter and more comfortable to take around trips to the park, picnics and the beach.

Samsung 6.4MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Touch-Panel LCD Monitor - Black

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Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.

+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.

+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.

+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.

+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"

Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:

- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.

- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.

- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.

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We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.

There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.

Samsung SC-DC173U Samsung SC-DC173U - Camcorder - widescreen - 680 Kpix - optical

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Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.



+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.



+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.



+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.



+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"



Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:



- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.



- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.



- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.



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We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.



There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.

Panasonic DVD Camcorder with 2.7" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black/Silver

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Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.





+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.





+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.





+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.





+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"





Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:





- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.





- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.





- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.





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We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.





There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.

FUJIFILM FinePix 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

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Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.







+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.







+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.







+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.







+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"







Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:







- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.







- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.







- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.







=====================



We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.







There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.

Samsung Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Color LCD Monitor - Black

...

Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.









+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.









+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.









+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.









+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"









Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:









- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.









- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.









- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.









=====================




We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.









There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.

Samsung 6.4MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Touch-Panel LCD Monitor - Black

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thru the touch panel and are very easy to configure. Its got beeps and noises like the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek. The 2.7 inch display is super super sharp, I was very impressed with it. It also has a set of controls for W/T zoom and start/stop record which is great because you don't have to use your hand that is holding the camera steady, although there are the same controls for that hand too.

Its got loads of features the main one being its full 1080P HD (1920x1080) plus a standard mode and even a slow motion. It has a 4mp still camera (with flash), in a pinch its good, test photos looked sharp but your limited with settings so stick to your separate D.C. for stills. There's a photo shutter button for snapping photos. I did find that you can't have both at the same time, meaning either still camera or video, It would have been nice to take a still of what your videoing.

It comes with 8 GB of memory built in which is enough for around 70 minutes of full HD recording. You can expand it with a simple SD card (not included). The camcorder has an array of settings like Scene mode, white balance, exposure, anti-shake (i'll mention this later), digital effects, and manual settings for all the majors.

I did some test video both indoors and out and for the most part it was all pretty good. The colors were on the money and looked great. They were very accurate. Low light shots got a bit grainy but most camcorders have that issue. There's no infra red for night shots only a scene setting that helps a little. Daylight shots were vibrant and well detailed and well exposed using all the auto features.

The Anti-Shake feature is a joke...ahhh man, this is the big disappointment of the camera. Anti-shake has been around for so long and I had really hoped it would have been good on this camera but its not. The big reason I stick with still cameras is because of the shake. Most of my videos made me sick from the shake. Being the small size of the camera i think has to do with it but its really bad. The shake was bad zoomed out and horrible zoomed in.

It also comes with a docking station that has all the external ports like USB, HDMI and AC this way you can basically plug-and-play. It was very easy to connect to a TV. My test videos for the most part looked sharp with no noise/grain and true colors but I didn't get that HD wow. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I'll have to test it some more but honestly I didn't see that HD WOW. The quality in general was way better then my Canon DV camcorder which is a few years old now but I guess I expected HD like the Discovery Channel.

Is it worth $600 bucks...mmmm not really, $400 yes, the video is good but just not great. Again, this is only after a days messing around and in the Fall season so most of anything nice isn't around to further test. I'll bring it around over the Holidays and update this review.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Black

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thru the touch panel and are very easy to configure. Its got beeps and noises like the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek. The 2.7 inch display is super super sharp, I was very impressed with it. It also has a set of controls for W/T zoom and start/stop record which is great because you don't have to use your hand that is holding the camera steady, although there are the same controls for that hand too.



Its got loads of features the main one being its full 1080P HD (1920x1080) plus a standard mode and even a slow motion. It has a 4mp still camera (with flash), in a pinch its good, test photos looked sharp but your limited with settings so stick to your separate D.C. for stills. There's a photo shutter button for snapping photos. I did find that you can't have both at the same time, meaning either still camera or video, It would have been nice to take a still of what your videoing.



It comes with 8 GB of memory built in which is enough for around 70 minutes of full HD recording. You can expand it with a simple SD card (not included). The camcorder has an array of settings like Scene mode, white balance, exposure, anti-shake (i'll mention this later), digital effects, and manual settings for all the majors.



I did some test video both indoors and out and for the most part it was all pretty good. The colors were on the money and looked great. They were very accurate. Low light shots got a bit grainy but most camcorders have that issue. There's no infra red for night shots only a scene setting that helps a little. Daylight shots were vibrant and well detailed and well exposed using all the auto features.



The Anti-Shake feature is a joke...ahhh man, this is the big disappointment of the camera. Anti-shake has been around for so long and I had really hoped it would have been good on this camera but its not. The big reason I stick with still cameras is because of the shake. Most of my videos made me sick from the shake. Being the small size of the camera i think has to do with it but its really bad. The shake was bad zoomed out and horrible zoomed in.



It also comes with a docking station that has all the external ports like USB, HDMI and AC this way you can basically plug-and-play. It was very easy to connect to a TV. My test videos for the most part looked sharp with no noise/grain and true colors but I didn't get that HD wow. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I'll have to test it some more but honestly I didn't see that HD WOW. The quality in general was way better then my Canon DV camcorder which is a few years old now but I guess I expected HD like the Discovery Channel.



Is it worth $600 bucks...mmmm not really, $400 yes, the video is good but just not great. Again, this is only after a days messing around and in the Fall season so most of anything nice isn't around to further test. I'll bring it around over the Holidays and update this review.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Silver

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like $85.00 but it's only made in black and the HF100 is silver. Kind of funky if you ask me. I may just buy a second smaller battery. The memory cards used are SUPER cheap to buy making this the camera to get!!

In summary (i.e. the only part everybody will probably read):

PROS:
- Sharp HD picture.
- Small camera size.
- Easy to edit and transfer video.
- SDHC cards are CHEAP to buy.

CONS:
- Supplied battery has a short life.
- Mic picks up some wind noises.
- You really should purchase a different editing program.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Black

...

Mbps. It records sound in stereo through front microphones or through a direct stereo in line and encodes video in Dolby Digital Stereo audio. It has a 12x optical zoom. It has 16 GB of built-in flash memory as well as a slot for adding a SDHC card. It is capable of taking still photos at up to 3 megapixels (2048*1536).

Here's what I like:

* Size: For me size was a huge issue. I want something I can carry around in a pocket, and the HF10 delivers. While it's a little tight to put into a pants' pocket, it does fit easily into a jacket. Although other models, including the Canon HG10 offered a lot more capacity with their built-in hard drives, for me size drove me to consider only flash-based models.
* Internal Memory/Flash Memory: I originally was interested in the HF100. It's identical to the HF10 except that the HF100 has no internal memory, therefore requiring you to always have a flash card on you. The problem was that I needed the camera fast, and Amazon couldn't guartee two day delivery on the HF100, so I got the HF10. In hindsight, this worked out. A number of times I have forgotten to grab a flash card out of my computer and have been really glad there was internal memory to record to. Although I prefer recording to flash drives (it's much easier to pull out a flash card and plug it into a reader than it is to hook the camera to my computer, plug the camera in, switch it into disk mode, etc.) the internal memory is nice to have in a pinch.
* Three different frame rates: 24p, 30p, and 60i. I hate interlacing - really really hate it. For me, most of my videos are going to end up on the web somewhere and therefore interlacing is just an annoying bother. I wanted a camera with a progressive mode so I wouldn't have deinterlace video before putting it to the web. The HF10 excels in this area, with three frame rates. 24p, which mimics film, 30p, which puts together 30 full frame images per second, and 60i, which puts together 60 half-frame images per second. I've used the 30p setting almost exclusively although I've messed around with the 24p setting for run and the 60i setting when shooting high-motion footage. This feature alone made it stand out to me.
* Varied encoding rates - You can record at 5 Mbps, 7 Mbps, 12 Mbps, and 17 Mbps. I've only used the two highest settings when doing video, but since I sometimes record audio only the 5 Mbps setting has been nice when I'm recording something just to strip the audio out since it allows you to store a lot more data on the internal memory or flash card. The advantage to the 12 and 17 Mbps modes is that depending on what your editing software allows you can either record in 1440*1080 (which is similar to the HDV standard) or 1920*1080. When I first started Final Cut Express hadn't been upgraded to support 1920*1080 editing so I had to use the 1440*1080 mode.
* Optical Zoom - The optical zoom on the HF10 is really nice. It allows you to zoom in and out at varying rates with varying acceleration. Combined with the nice image stabilization you can actually manage to get decently steady hand-held video.
* Picture Quality - For a consumer grade camera, the picture quality of the HF10 is outstanding. Not surprisingly it suffers a little bit at low-light levels but...
* Manual Adjustments - One feature I do like, especially for low light situations, is the ability to make manual adjustments to the video. The automatic settings often want to make dark scenes lighter than they actually are, and using the exposure control I can lower the exposure resulting in better quality video with true blacks.

Other Features I either don't like or could live without

* There is a built-in video light, but it's off angle and very white. If you're actually close to use it, it'll take every drop of color out of whatever object you're shooting.
* One could say that it would be better if the HF10 had a 5.1 Dolby Creator instead of just a stereo creator, but 5.1 single point microphones are somwhat pointless.
* The HF10 has a built-in camera, but it's not great. The built-in camera is nice in one respect, you only have to carry one camera. But it's only 3 megapixel at 2048*1536, which isn't ideal if you're looking to integrate photos into a HD video production. Plus, the flash isn't real good. Truth be told, video cameras are good at video, photo camers are good at photos.
* The LCD screen is nice and it rotates, but a viewfinder would have been nice as well. The nice part abou the rotating LCD is that you can do self-recordings real easily. The problem is that if you're using the rotating LCD to show the subject what you're taking video of, you can't see the subject through a viewfinder. I know a viewfinder would have added size and price though, so it's a very acceptable trade-off
* The battery life is alright, but not fantastic. The basic battery that comes with the camera provides about an hour of recording time at the highest resolution. They offer another battery that provides longer recording, but it's rather expensive (100+). I ended up being a third-party imitation that does the trick just fine.
* Other recordings modes would have been nice. By far my biggest annoyance is the lack of modes for shooting other than 1440*1080 or 1920*1080 content. The only one I'd really like is a 1280*720 @ 60 fps mode for handling high motion.

Overall I give the HF10 high marks - I'm extremely satisfied. A few minor quirks, and the simple fact that its a consumer grade camcorder aside, this has been a great camera for a home video enthusiast.

Olympus E520 10 Megapixel Digital SLR 14-42mm Lens-Olympus E520 10 MP Digital SLR 14-42mm Lens

...

Mbps. It records sound in stereo through front microphones or through a direct stereo in line and encodes video in Dolby Digital Stereo audio. It has a 12x optical zoom. It has 16 GB of built-in flash memory as well as a slot for adding a SDHC card. It is capable of taking still photos at up to 3 megapixels (2048*1536).



Here's what I like:



* Size: For me size was a huge issue. I want something I can carry around in a pocket, and the HF10 delivers. While it's a little tight to put into a pants' pocket, it does fit easily into a jacket. Although other models, including the Canon HG10 offered a lot more capacity with their built-in hard drives, for me size drove me to consider only flash-based models.

* Internal Memory/Flash Memory: I originally was interested in the HF100. It's identical to the HF10 except that the HF100 has no internal memory, therefore requiring you to always have a flash card on you. The problem was that I needed the camera fast, and Amazon couldn't guartee two day delivery on the HF100, so I got the HF10. In hindsight, this worked out. A number of times I have forgotten to grab a flash card out of my computer and have been really glad there was internal memory to record to. Although I prefer recording to flash drives (it's much easier to pull out a flash card and plug it into a reader than it is to hook the camera to my computer, plug the camera in, switch it into disk mode, etc.) the internal memory is nice to have in a pinch.

* Three different frame rates: 24p, 30p, and 60i. I hate interlacing - really really hate it. For me, most of my videos are going to end up on the web somewhere and therefore interlacing is just an annoying bother. I wanted a camera with a progressive mode so I wouldn't have deinterlace video before putting it to the web. The HF10 excels in this area, with three frame rates. 24p, which mimics film, 30p, which puts together 30 full frame images per second, and 60i, which puts together 60 half-frame images per second. I've used the 30p setting almost exclusively although I've messed around with the 24p setting for run and the 60i setting when shooting high-motion footage. This feature alone made it stand out to me.

* Varied encoding rates - You can record at 5 Mbps, 7 Mbps, 12 Mbps, and 17 Mbps. I've only used the two highest settings when doing video, but since I sometimes record audio only the 5 Mbps setting has been nice when I'm recording something just to strip the audio out since it allows you to store a lot more data on the internal memory or flash card. The advantage to the 12 and 17 Mbps modes is that depending on what your editing software allows you can either record in 1440*1080 (which is similar to the HDV standard) or 1920*1080. When I first started Final Cut Express hadn't been upgraded to support 1920*1080 editing so I had to use the 1440*1080 mode.

* Optical Zoom - The optical zoom on the HF10 is really nice. It allows you to zoom in and out at varying rates with varying acceleration. Combined with the nice image stabilization you can actually manage to get decently steady hand-held video.

* Picture Quality - For a consumer grade camera, the picture quality of the HF10 is outstanding. Not surprisingly it suffers a little bit at low-light levels but...

* Manual Adjustments - One feature I do like, especially for low light situations, is the ability to make manual adjustments to the video. The automatic settings often want to make dark scenes lighter than they actually are, and using the exposure control I can lower the exposure resulting in better quality video with true blacks.



Other Features I either don't like or could live without



* There is a built-in video light, but it's off angle and very white. If you're actually close to use it, it'll take every drop of color out of whatever object you're shooting.

* One could say that it would be better if the HF10 had a 5.1 Dolby Creator instead of just a stereo creator, but 5.1 single point microphones are somwhat pointless.

* The HF10 has a built-in camera, but it's not great. The built-in camera is nice in one respect, you only have to carry one camera. But it's only 3 megapixel at 2048*1536, which isn't ideal if you're looking to integrate photos into a HD video production. Plus, the flash isn't real good. Truth be told, video cameras are good at video, photo camers are good at photos.

* The LCD screen is nice and it rotates, but a viewfinder would have been nice as well. The nice part abou the rotating LCD is that you can do self-recordings real easily. The problem is that if you're using the rotating LCD to show the subject what you're taking video of, you can't see the subject through a viewfinder. I know a viewfinder would have added size and price though, so it's a very acceptable trade-off

* The battery life is alright, but not fantastic. The basic battery that comes with the camera provides about an hour of recording time at the highest resolution. They offer another battery that provides longer recording, but it's rather expensive (100+). I ended up being a third-party imitation that does the trick just fine.

* Other recordings modes would have been nice. By far my biggest annoyance is the lack of modes for shooting other than 1440*1080 or 1920*1080 content. The only one I'd really like is a 1280*720 @ 60 fps mode for handling high motion.



Overall I give the HF10 high marks - I'm extremely satisfied. A few minor quirks, and the simple fact that its a consumer grade camcorder aside, this has been a great camera for a home video enthusiast.

Kodak EasyShare M763 Red 7.2 MP 3X Zoom Digital Camera - MSRP $119.99 (1030311)

...

Mbps. It records sound in stereo through front microphones or through a direct stereo in line and encodes video in Dolby Digital Stereo audio. It has a 12x optical zoom. It has 16 GB of built-in flash memory as well as a slot for adding a SDHC card. It is capable of taking still photos at up to 3 megapixels (2048*1536).





Here's what I like:





* Size: For me size was a huge issue. I want something I can carry around in a pocket, and the HF10 delivers. While it's a little tight to put into a pants' pocket, it does fit easily into a jacket. Although other models, including the Canon HG10 offered a lot more capacity with their built-in hard drives, for me size drove me to consider only flash-based models.


* Internal Memory/Flash Memory: I originally was interested in the HF100. It's identical to the HF10 except that the HF100 has no internal memory, therefore requiring you to always have a flash card on you. The problem was that I needed the camera fast, and Amazon couldn't guartee two day delivery on the HF100, so I got the HF10. In hindsight, this worked out. A number of times I have forgotten to grab a flash card out of my computer and have been really glad there was internal memory to record to. Although I prefer recording to flash drives (it's much easier to pull out a flash card and plug it into a reader than it is to hook the camera to my computer, plug the camera in, switch it into disk mode, etc.) the internal memory is nice to have in a pinch.


* Three different frame rates: 24p, 30p, and 60i. I hate interlacing - really really hate it. For me, most of my videos are going to end up on the web somewhere and therefore interlacing is just an annoying bother. I wanted a camera with a progressive mode so I wouldn't have deinterlace video before putting it to the web. The HF10 excels in this area, with three frame rates. 24p, which mimics film, 30p, which puts together 30 full frame images per second, and 60i, which puts together 60 half-frame images per second. I've used the 30p setting almost exclusively although I've messed around with the 24p setting for run and the 60i setting when shooting high-motion footage. This feature alone made it stand out to me.


* Varied encoding rates - You can record at 5 Mbps, 7 Mbps, 12 Mbps, and 17 Mbps. I've only used the two highest settings when doing video, but since I sometimes record audio only the 5 Mbps setting has been nice when I'm recording something just to strip the audio out since it allows you to store a lot more data on the internal memory or flash card. The advantage to the 12 and 17 Mbps modes is that depending on what your editing software allows you can either record in 1440*1080 (which is similar to the HDV standard) or 1920*1080. When I first started Final Cut Express hadn't been upgraded to support 1920*1080 editing so I had to use the 1440*1080 mode.


* Optical Zoom - The optical zoom on the HF10 is really nice. It allows you to zoom in and out at varying rates with varying acceleration. Combined with the nice image stabilization you can actually manage to get decently steady hand-held video.


* Picture Quality - For a consumer grade camera, the picture quality of the HF10 is outstanding. Not surprisingly it suffers a little bit at low-light levels but...


* Manual Adjustments - One feature I do like, especially for low light situations, is the ability to make manual adjustments to the video. The automatic settings often want to make dark scenes lighter than they actually are, and using the exposure control I can lower the exposure resulting in better quality video with true blacks.





Other Features I either don't like or could live without





* There is a built-in video light, but it's off angle and very white. If you're actually close to use it, it'll take every drop of color out of whatever object you're shooting.


* One could say that it would be better if the HF10 had a 5.1 Dolby Creator instead of just a stereo creator, but 5.1 single point microphones are somwhat pointless.


* The HF10 has a built-in camera, but it's not great. The built-in camera is nice in one respect, you only have to carry one camera. But it's only 3 megapixel at 2048*1536, which isn't ideal if you're looking to integrate photos into a HD video production. Plus, the flash isn't real good. Truth be told, video cameras are good at video, photo camers are good at photos.


* The LCD screen is nice and it rotates, but a viewfinder would have been nice as well. The nice part abou the rotating LCD is that you can do self-recordings real easily. The problem is that if you're using the rotating LCD to show the subject what you're taking video of, you can't see the subject through a viewfinder. I know a viewfinder would have added size and price though, so it's a very acceptable trade-off


* The battery life is alright, but not fantastic. The basic battery that comes with the camera provides about an hour of recording time at the highest resolution. They offer another battery that provides longer recording, but it's rather expensive (100+). I ended up being a third-party imitation that does the trick just fine.


* Other recordings modes would have been nice. By far my biggest annoyance is the lack of modes for shooting other than 1440*1080 or 1920*1080 content. The only one I'd really like is a 1280*720 @ 60 fps mode for handling high motion.





Overall I give the HF10 high marks - I'm extremely satisfied. A few minor quirks, and the simple fact that its a consumer grade camcorder aside, this has been a great camera for a home video enthusiast.

FUJIFILM FinePix 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

...

to come out "decent." Since the AUTO setting was poor, it was too cumbersome to take pictures. I had to take the camera back and ended up spending more for a 10 Megapixel Canon Powershot. The Canon is slightly bigger and heavier but well worth it. I figured that it is an investment spending more for a higher quality image, especially if oyu have kids. You cannot put a price on memories. I am completely satisfied with the image quality and functionality of the Canon.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28S 10-Megapixel Digital Camera - Silver

...

to come out "decent." Since the AUTO setting was poor, it was too cumbersome to take pictures. I had to take the camera back and ended up spending more for a 10 Megapixel Canon Powershot. The Canon is slightly bigger and heavier but well worth it. I figured that it is an investment spending more for a higher quality image, especially if oyu have kids. You cannot put a price on memories. I am completely satisfied with the image quality and functionality of the Canon.

Canon VIXIA 2.96MP High-Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 2.7" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black