• October 26th, 2009

    Vivitar invades the pocketcam market

    Flip definitely created a market that no one knew existed, when the came out with their now famous line of portable camcorders (or pocketcams). There have been a few other brands, with a few different feature sets, and now Vivitar is going to throw their product into the lineup. → Read More

    October 20th, 2009

    HD video recording Scuba goggles now available

    You guys! Remember back on January 5th of this year when I put up a post about these scuba goggles that have a built-in high definition video camera for recording stuff under water? Well, they’re finally available. Ah, January 5th. Those were the days. → Read More

    October 20th, 2009

    CrunchDeals: 8GB Vado HD camcorder for $130, 4GB version for $100

    If you’re still not on the pocketable camcorder bandwagon, you’re missing out! Well, maybe you’re not. It’s all relative, really. The important thing is that if you feel like you’re missing out, then you can get into the game today for around 100 bucks. → Read More

    October 14th, 2009

    Sanyo's new camcorders are iFrame-compatible, and I say again, DO NOT WANT iFrame

    Yesterday I lamented Apple’s decision to establish its own video standard, which, while little more than a suggested resolution and bitrate, does not fit will with any devices anywhere. The steady progression of VGA or WVGA, 720p, and 1080p are perfectly fine for the moment. That’s why every camera in the world shoots to one of them. 1080p is too much for most people to work with, but 720p isn’t that bad (though render times can be long), and VGA is really not that bad at all (Doug swears by it). So why the hell put a new one in there between WVGA and 720p? I don’t like the idea of Apple bullying companies like Sanyo, who make perfectly good camcorders already, to add an option which needlessly complicates things.

    But let’s just get these camcorders out of the way, because they’re worth taking a look at. → Read More

    October 14th, 2009

    Flip MinoHD gets storage bumped to 8GB

    The tiny Flip MinoHD camcorder now comes with double the storage – 8GB of memory good for two hours of recording time. Video is recorded at 720p (1280×720) and the camcorder now sports a two-inch LCD screen with a 960×240 resolution versus the previous model’s 1.5-inch, 528×132 screen. Also new is the inclusion of an HDMI output port. → Read More

    October 12th, 2009

    CrunchDeals: HD pocket camcorder for $80

    Looking for a pocketable HD camcorder but don’t want to spend a ton of money? Amazon’s got the Aiptek A-HD 720P for $80 after a $20 price break. This little camera has a flip-and-swivel LCD screen, too, which is a feature missing from a fair amount of pocket camcorders. → Read More

    October 8th, 2009

    Trust issues? This tiny clock has a built-in video camera

    And now to finally get to the bottom of WHO DRANK MY LAST TAB?! This unassuming little clock tells the time and tells you who’s been breaking into your house at night to eat multiple peanut butter, lettuce, and pastrami sandwiches. It’s definitely not you sleepwalking. → Read More

    September 29th, 2009

    VholdR ups its ContourHD action-cam up to 1080p

    It was only a couple months ago that you all thrilled to the reasonably fast and extremely loud video adventures of Mister Ha. VholdR decided that 720p wasn’t good enough for rattly rolls through Stuyvesant Town, so they’ve updated the ContourHD to go up to 1080p. Other than the resolution upgrade there doesn’t seem to be anything changed, but to hear Peter tell it, that’s not such a bad thing. → Read More

    September 13th, 2009

    Flip camcorder, iPod nano video quality compared

    The folks over at NewTeeVee took the “Flip SD,” as they called it – no real clarification if it was the bigger Flip Ultra or smaller Flip Mino camcorder – and did a side-by-side video quality comparison against the new iPod nano. You’ll recall that during the Apple presentation last Wednesday, Jobs and company took a few direct shots at the line of Flip cameras. → Read More

    September 3rd, 2009

    Toshiba's new HD camcorders look reasonably good

    Although the pocket-cam market (Flips, Zi8s and such) is blowing up, these compact handhelds really have the upper hand in image quality and storage. I switched my primary camera for reviews and such from the Zx1 to a Sanyo because of the better low-light and close focus abilities, and I’m sure these new Toshibas enjoy the same advantages.

    John noted them briefly in the Toshiba press conference, but the new lineup is worth a closer look. Details are a bit fuzzy due to Toshiba giving these things the same names as some of their projectors (hello?!). → Read More

    September 2nd, 2009

    CrunchDeals: 16GB Samsung SC-MX20 camcorder for $150

    Here’s a mighty fine deal on one of my favorite camcorder lines, the Samsung SC-MX20. This version is available in red or blue for $150 from Geeks.com and features 16GB of built-in storage that can be expanded via SD or MMC. → Read More

    August 24th, 2009

    CrunchDeals: Refurbished Flip camcorder for $50

    Everybody who’s anybody has a Flip camcorder, am I right? Am I right? If you’ve been unable to justify the purchase of a Flip camcorder because of the relatively high price tag, you may be happy to find out that you can get your hands on one of the older, clunkier ones for just $50. → Read More

    July 14th, 2009

    Samsung rolls out HMX-U10 full HD pocket camcorder, two upscaling camcorders

    Samsung’s rolling out some new camcorders today: The full HD Flip-like HMX-U10 and the SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 cameras that record at 720×480 resolution and then upscale the footage for playback on an HDTV using an HDMI cable. → Read More

    July 7th, 2009

    New Sony HD flash memory camcorders feature GPS geotagging

    Right out of the gate, I feel obligated to tell you that the two flash memory camcorders written about in this post will cost $1100 and $1300 when they’re available in September. That being said, they’ll handle full 1080p HD video and feature 32GB or 64GB of internal memory depending on the model. → Read More

    July 5th, 2009

    CrunchDeals: RCA Small Wonder camcorder for $60

    If you’ve been holding out for a Flip Mino-style camcorder but haven’t been able to justify the $150+ price tag, here’s something that may be of interest to you instead.

    Amazon is selling the RCA Small Wonder EZ200 camcorder for just $59.99 with free shipping. The camera uses microSD cards for recording footage and features a swiveling LCD screen for standard and flip-around self-recording — the Flip series of camcorders just have a standard, non-flip screen. → Read More

    June 26th, 2009

    Fake car key shoots photos and video, makes people think you drive a VW

    Secretly taking photos of people is sort of easy to do with a cell phone but it’s probably even easier to do with a Volkswagen-style car key. For $66, Brando will be more than happy to sell you one too. → Read More

    June 23rd, 2009

    CrunchDeals: VholdR Wearable Camcorder for $99

    What kind of lifestyle do you lead? If you answered, “EXTREME!” or “Slam a Dew!” or something along those lines, I’d like you to know that you can get a $229 wearable camcorder for just $99 today. → Read More

    June 16th, 2009

    CrunchDeals: Creative Labs Vado HD camcorder for $130

    Amazon has a one-day deal on the Creative Labs Vado HD camcorder. Normally selling for around $215, it’s on sale for just $130 with free shipping. → Read More

    June 15th, 2009

    Review: Samsung SMX-F34 flash memory camcorder

    Short Version: Samsung has put out another well-priced, nicely-featured camcorder in the SMX-F34. If you’re looking for a little more than a simple handheld flash memory camcorder but don’t want to pay top dollar for a high-definition video camera, this model deserves a closer look thanks to marathon battery life, good image quality, 16GB of built-in storage, and a 34x optical zoom all at under $300. → Read More

    June 5th, 2009

    Coming soon: camcorders with built-in pico projectors

    The pico projection thing might be getting a little out of hand. Sure, the projectors themselves are cool, and it’s hard to say no to cute accessories like this thing, but with pico projectors planned for phones, media players, and now little camcorders, things are getting a bit… projectionable. → Read More

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