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I have been interested in picking up one of the tiny HD cams to grab video of the family on the go. It would be much easier to put one next to my pocket protector than to lug my camera bag around like I do! But which one? I was about to pick up a Mino HD when fellow Twitterrers told me of the others avaiable.
The Mino HD seemed sleek and cool but it is a bit limited with its 1 hour of video capture and USB powered battery. One thing I hate about my iPhone is the built in, non changeable battery. It seems the Flip family is the same way.
The next option is Kodak's Zi6. What draws me to this cam is the ability to use SD cards and (this is a biggie for me) AA batteries. I'm out and about I just pop in some Energizers and off I go.
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 Panasonic AG DVX 100A 3CCD Mini DV Camcorder  US $550.00
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 Canon ZR50MC Camcorder - Mini DV camera with extras US $66.00
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 JVC DV mini camcorder US $100.00
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 Sony Handycam DSR-PD170 Mini DV 3 CCD Digital Camcorder - Black US $799.99
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 JVC GR-DVP3 DIGITAL MINI DV SD DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA~~IN THE BOX~~camcorder dvp3u US $80.00
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 FUJI INSTAX MINI CAMERA POLAROID 25CAMERA INSTAT 20 FILM BAG CASE FREE DECO PEN US $159.99
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 FUJI INSTAX MINI CAMERA POLAROID 7s pink INSTANT 20 FILM CASE BAG FREE DECO PEN US $115.99
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The 3rd option is Creative"s Vado HD. The picture here looks tremendous but I was tweeted that the audio sucked! And Creative is all about audio works too!
My great fellow Twitts linked me a few reviews.
Chris Parillo did a great review on all the cameras. It really got me leaning towards the Vado until I heard (no pun intended) that the audio was crap.
The other review was from Andy Ihnatko, whos blog I bookmarked. He has some great info there and also I like the fact that he looks like Blue's Travellers lead singer. His great comparison was between the Mino HD and the Kodak cam. This got me leaning towards the Kodak cam, which is where I am now.
The fact that we are even talking about "pocket sized" HD cameras is quite amazing.
What cam do you use if any? Please give me some tips on which one to pick up. Can I edit the footage in Final Cut Pro? Looking forward to your comments! Cheers, Dave
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9 Comments
http://www.twitter.com/melorama just linked me another great comparison. I’m liking the Vado now. Wide angle lens is tops http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr5iXO1pD4E&annotation_id=annotation_301357&feature=iv
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I think there are compromises with all of these small hand held pocket video cams and one can only expect so much for under $200. I have both Vado and Vado HD. For their intended purpose I like them. The others seem decent, too. I got the Vado HD for $199 when in was on intro price. Its still a good deal at $229 for what it delivers. For the “Moms” of the world, the regular Vado is a steal at $79.
You can see them here:
http://us.creative.com/local/1/promo/creative_vado_pocket_video_cam2/
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Hi Carey, thanks for the comment! Are you importing the footage into a PC or a Mac? If Mac what is your workflow? Thanks!
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I have been using the vado hd without any issue. Audio is pretty decent. Considering the number of great features (hdmi connector, hdmi cable, usb extension cable..) I would say it’s a good offer. Size is good enough for me to carry it around in my pocket or bag.
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I’m at the same point you are. I have videoblogged with the original Flip for 2 years. Its small size means I take it everywhere and am ready to shoot at the drop of a hat. I loved it but quickly found its limits. Low light and no zoom. It has shitty audio, a totally terrible mic. Your points about the Vado worry me, otherwise it looks like a great choice. I am looking to upgrade to a HD model soon.
Would be great if there was an external mic option and a choice of either AA or built in LI battery, best of both worlds. WiFi would be nice too, instant upload.
will follow closely how the Vado shapes up re:audio before I make my purchase
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Kodak has a new model coming out in April. http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=14297&pq-locale=en_US I may go for this one. Just to try it out.
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I’ve been watching the ‘big 4′ for awhile, one of which is missing in this article. The Flip HD, Vado HD and Kodak Z61 and the Sony Webbie, introduced at CES (http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644610396)
Just bought a Kodak M1033 which is an 8MB camera with 720p video and 2x optical. Only $125 which is what led to pulling the trigger, so it would be available for a trip. I’m happy with the quality including the audio BUT it can take some time to get started since I have to choose video from the menu. The price was right but I’ll probably get a Webbie and hand down the Kodak to a niece headed for college.
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After seeing my friend play around with his Flip Video Ultra SD camera, I decided to stop by Best Buy where they had the HD Mino. Yeah the AA battery option would be nice as well as an ac adapter but for what it does it’s a nice pocket cam. From what I’ve read an ac adapter is in the works.
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