Kodak launches Zi8 1080p HD camcorder

Kodak has announced a new model in its range of pocket digital camcorders, the Zi8, which offers 1080p HD resolution.

The Kodak Zi8 is an upgraded version of the Kodak Zi6, which offers 720p HD recording, and has been fully tested in the Which? labs as part of the Kodak Zi6 review.

As well as recording in full HD 1080p the Zi8 can also take 5Mp 16:9 widescreen still photos. There's a 2.5-inch LCD screen and built-in image stabilisation to reduce blur.

The swing-out USB plug makes charging, copying and uploading video files to Facebook and YouTube quick and easy according to Kodak.

Additional features include Smart Face Tracking, plus Kodak claims that the Zi8 will give improved results and more accurate colours in low light conditions.

Zi8 pocket camcorder has external mic jack

A useful feature that's rare on pocket camcorders is an external microphone jack, which should offer improved sound quality over the built-in microphone, as in Which? tests, the small integral microphones on pocket camcorders often lead to disappointing sound quality compared to palm-sized HD camcorders.

The Zi8 has an SD/SDHC card slot that can take cards up to 32GB in capacity, giving a recording time of approximately 10 hours. There's also an HDMI socket so the Zi8 can connect directly to an LCD or plasma TV, and the Zi8 improves upon the Zi6 by adding a rechargeable battery.

Read the Which? head-to-head review that pits the Kodak Zi6 against the Flip Mino and Ultra.

Other pocket HD camcorders to consider include the Creative Vado HD, Flip Ultra HD, Kodak Zx1, Sony HDR-TG3E and Toshiba Camileo S10.

Richard Parris, Which? camcorder expert, said: 'Pocket camcorders are a great choice if you want straighforward recording and uploading to sites like YouTube. With the improved HD specs on the Zi8, Kodak has a very interesting product to add to the popular pocket camcorder market.'

The Kodak Zi8 will be available to buy for £149.99 from September 2009, and will come in aqua, raspberry and black.

Sony Handycam HDR-XR100

Product Summary:

The good: Relatively fast startup; comfortable design.

The bad: So-so video quality for HD; annoying touch screen and interface.

The bottom line: While it's a perfectly serviceable HD camcorder, the Sony Handycam HDR-XR100 should deliver a little more of everything for the money.

Price range: $559.00 - $749.99

• Reviewed by:
  Lori Grunin

Though it's not the least expensive model in Sony's AVCHD camcorder lineup--the Handycam HDR-CX100 fills that spot--the hard-drive-based HDR-XR100 looks, feels, and performs as if it should be. Boxy looking, in a boring two-tone silver and black plastic, the XR100 isn't nearly as attractive as the CX100, and as you'd expect from a hard-drive model, it's bigger and heavier as well. There's nothing particularly wrong with the simple but functional physical design--as with similar models the hard drive's protrusion affords a more secure grip--but it feels a bit cheap for its class.

Key comparative specs	Sony Handycam HDR-XR100	Sony Handycam HDR-CX100	Sony Handycam HDR-XR200V
Sensor	2.4-megapixel Exmor CMOS	2.4-megapixel Exmor CMOS	2.4-megapixel Exmor CMOS
	1/5 inch	1/5 inch	1/5 inch
Lens	10x f1.8-2.2 42 - 497mm (16:9)	10x f1.8-2.2 42 - 497mm (16:9)	15x f1.8-2.6 40 - 600mm (16:9)
EVF	No	No	No
LCD	2.7-inch touch screen	2.7-inch touch screen	2.7-inch touch screen
Media	80GB hard disk, Memory Stick Pro Duo	Memory Stick Pro Duo (8GB flash built in)	120GB hard disk, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Maximum bit rate	16Mbps	16Mbps	16Mbps
Manual shutter speed and iris	No	No	No
Accessory shoe	No	No	Yes
Mic/headphone jacks	No	No	No
Audio	5.1 channels	2 channels	5.1 channels
Body dimensions (WHD, inches)	2.8 x 2.8 x 5.1	2.3 x 2.4 x 4.5	2.8 x 2.8 x 5.1
Operating weight (ounces)	14.5	11.7	16.6
Mfr. Price	$749.99	$599.99	$999.99

While it's not a one-button operation, the controls are relatively sparse. To the front of the drive sits a covered recess with mini-HDMI, proprietary AV (for component and composite video), and USB connectors; there are no microphone or headphone jacks, flash, video light, or accessory shoe. Next to the lens is the manual lens cover. On the top front sits the 5.1-channel microphone, an unnecessary gimmick that Sony could have eschewed to get the price down a little more. Atop the rear of the hard drive sits the zoom switch and photo button. The switch is a bit wobbly and hard to control, making it difficult to get a consistent-speed zoom. On the back of the camcorder, the record button falls comfortably under your thumb, but the camera/camcorder mode switch above it is a bit flat and hard to feel.

Within the LCD recess sit the speaker, covered Memory Stick Duo Pro slot, and power, Easy operation, one-touch DVD burning, play, and display options buttons. You control the camcorder predominantly through the touch-screen interface. Unfortunately, the 2.7-inch LCD isn't really big or responsive enough for easy navigation. Interestingly, however, the screen was a little better than that on the CX100--it's a bit easier to view in direct sunlight and doesn't seem to accumulate fingerprints. But the camcorder uses the older, frustrating menu system rather than the newer one introduced this spring. The menus are structured in such a way that it's almost impossible to remember where to find some of the settings. Under the Home menu you can choose from the three basic capture modes--movie, photo, and Smooth Slow Record (for example, to record golf swings)--though the mode switch also lets you choose between movie and photo. Under this menu is also a tab for image-viewing options; Others, which are random options for in-camera editing, and TV and USB connections; Manage Media, which is where you choose whether to record to the 80GB hard disk or to a card; and Settings for options like SteadyShot stabilization, selecting high def or standard def, face detection and Smile Shutter, and Output settings (for example, TV type and HDMI resolution). Under the Options menu you'll find more shooting-related settings, including spot meter and focus, manual focus and exposure, white balance, scene modes, and recording quality (bit rate). So while you select Movie Settings in one spot on the Home menu, and standard versus high def elsewhere on the Home menu, you select movie quality in the Options menu.

Like the CX100, with the exception of the face detection, Smile Shutter, and scene modes, the camcorder has no bells or whistles to speak of. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it could use a wind filter.

The SR100 records in the AVCHD format at 1,920x1,080/60i. At its highest quality, the 16Mbps mode, you can record a little over 7 minutes of video per gigabyte of storage. That's about 9 hours and 40 minutes on the hard drive. If you drop to 9Mbps mode, that increases to about 15 minutes per gigabyte.

Key comparative specs	Sony Handycam HDR-XR100	Canon Vixia HG20
Sensor	2.4-megapixel Exmor ClearVid CMOS	3.3-megapixel CMOS
	1/5 inch	1/3.2 inch
Lens	10x f1.8-2.2 42 - 497mm (16:9)	12x f1.8-3.0 42.9 - 514.8mm (16:9)
EVF	No	No
LCD	2.7-inch touch screen	2.7-inch
Media	80GB hard disk, Memory Stick Pro Duo	60GB hard disk, SDHC
Maximum bit rate	16Mbps	24Mbps
Manual shutter speed and iris	No	Yes
Accessory shoe	No	Yes
Mic/headphone jacks	No	Yes
Audio	5.1 channels	2 channels
Body dimensions (WHD, inches)	2.8 x 2.8 x 5.1	2.9 x 2.5 x 5.4
Operating weight (ounces)	14.5	17.6
Mfr. Price	$749.99	$899.99

It seems like the autofocus system has more trouble than usual distinguishing subject from background, which slows it down a tad. And the LCD simply isn't very sharp; it's nearly impossible to tell if something's in focus or not. Furthermore, the battery doesn't last very long; it's rated for less than an hour under typical usage, which jibes with my experience. On the other hand, the XR100 starts up surprisingly quickly for a hard-disk-based unit.

Despite using the same sensor and lens as the CX100, I find the video quality less impressive. Overall, it's slightly soft, even when not scaled up on a large TV; as you'd expect, even more so in dim light and less so in closeups. Outdoor shots look a bit low contrast with blown-out highlights, though most colors--except for some blues, which is not uncommon--are relatively accurate. Video in living-room level light is acceptable if somewhat desaturated. On the upside, the XR100 doesn't have the CX100's lens flare problems, but it does frequently display fringing on high-contrast edges. The 4-megapixel interpolated stills look somewhat overprocessed, as you'd expect, and the native-resolution shots have edge artifacts like fringing and halos.

If you're looking to spend $600 on an HD camcorder, there are a lot of decent alternatives you might want to consider before shelling out for the just-OK Sony Handycam HDR-XR100.

Panasonic HDC-TM10 review

While it's not the 'lightest camcorder in the world', the new Panasonic HDC-TM10 does boast to be 'the world's lightest Full HD AVCHD camcorder'. Weighing only 280g, it shares this enviable accolade with its little brother,the equally dinky HDC-SD10.

Amazingly both of these camcorders are small and lightweight enough to fit in a jacket or trouser pocket. Although, you'll need fairly loose-fitting trousers if you want to try it.

On paper, at least, the silver/black Panasonic HDC-TM10 ticks all the right boxes. For starters, it offers a great way to record HD video (in full-fat, 1920 x 1080 resolution) and to capture detailed still photos. There's also a 16x optical zoom, with 40x and 1000x zoom modes available when you activate the digital equivalent.

Dual flash storage

The versatile Panasonic HDC-TM10 offers dual storage options – you can record your movies to the 8GB of built-in flash memory or save them out onto SD/SDHC cards, which can be slotted in to boost the capacity.


Dinky

It's the lightest full HD camera and its small size belies its power

Invest in a 32GB SDHC card, for example, and it could hold eight hours of HD footage filmed in the HDC-TM10's normal 9Mbps HX mode. The higher-quality 1920 x 1080 pixel picture modes – HA (17Mbps) and HG (13Mbps) – will obviously chew up more of the storage space.

The eight hour capacity drops to five hours 20 minutes for HG and four hours for HA. Conversely, the lower quality 1440 x 1080 HE mode (6Mbps) can eke out the available space to store around 12 hours of video.

Of course, even the best technical specifications can be undone by a terrible user experience. So how does the Panasonic HDC-TM10 actually handle? What immediately strikes you is its compact size. It fits snugly into the palm of your hand, held firmly in place with a small, adjustable strap.

It's not cluttered with buttons either. There's an easy-access record button on the back next to the battery release switch. Below this, a simple slider enables you to flick easily between Record and Playback modes.

Design and battery life


Simple

Panasonic included as few buttons as possible to make it easy to use

Flip open the 2.7-inch LCD and you can start recording video and taking digital photos within a few minutes.

The LCD rotates 180 degrees and is touch-sensitive, making it easy to access the main menu and camcorder settings. In contrast, the buttons below the display are slightly unresponsive and require a firm push to activate.

At first, the Panasonic HDC-TM10 can feel slightly fragile. But despite its lightweight construction (we've held heavier mugs of tea...), it's surprisingly rugged. Admittedly, it's not the sort of camcorder you'd want to drop. But if you did, there's a good chance it would survive the fall.

Touchscreen

It's easy to operate and the interface is clear and simple

The small battery slots neatly into the main body of the Panasonic HDC-TM10, above component, HDMI, A/V and mini USB connections. This 725mAh cell can be juiced-up in about an hour and a half and you'll get roughly the same amount of continuous recording time from a full charge.

Bigger batteries are available if you need to shoot for longer. While Panasonic also supplies a DC cable in the box, which enables you to plug the HDC-TM10 into the mains via the battery charger. Very handy.

Shooting video is straightforward – your thumb is perfectly positioned to click the record button, while your index finger takes care of zooming in/out and taking photos via the controls on the top of the HDC-TM10. The results are excellent.

The lens boasts a focal length of 2.95mm to 47.2mm and a 30.5 filter diameter. This gives the HDC-TM10 a smooth 16x optical zoom, which is supported by Panasonic's Advanced O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) and intelligent Auto (iA) modes.

Together they can make even the most amateur of home movie makers seem like a seasoned pro

Video and image quality


OIS

Image stabilisation eliminates all but the most violent handshakes - you've got to see it to believe it

The Advanced O.I.S technology has been designed to minimise hand-shake, which gets horribly exaggerated when using the zoom. Even the smallest hand movement can become a visible judder that will typically ruin a close-up shot.

So, O.I.S automatically detects and corrects any shakiness, enabling you to shoot more stable footage. And it does this 4,000 times a second. Does it work? Hard to tell. With O.I.S switched on, you've no idea just how bad your original footage was.

As for the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, this is a familiar feature on Panasonic's Lumix digital cameras. It auto-selects the most suitable scene mode according to the shooting conditions. Combine this with AF/AE (Auto Focus/Auto Exposure) Tracking and you'll always get the best shot possible. Simply touch the AF/AE icon on the LCD and then touch the object or person that you want to track.

The HDC-TM10 subsequently ensures that your target remains in focus. The technology isn't perfect, however, and it can be thrown off when zooming or lose its lock when there are several people in view

Once you've had a chance to play around with the Panasonic HDC-TM10 it doesn't take you long to want one. Thanks to all the automatic aids, shooting HD video is close to effortless, whether you're tackling wide-angled landscape shots, macro photography or fast-moving action. The auto focus can cope with anything you throw at, recalibrating speedily when you shift from distance shots to close-ups.

There's also a clever pre-record mode that keeps 3 seconds of video in a buffer. This ensures that you never miss some important action because you were too slow to press the record button. We've all been there...

Connectivity and playback

Storage

Swap SD cards in an instant with the top-loading card slot

And when you're done, you can view your handiwork on your telly (using either HDMI, component or composite cables) and the HDC-TM10 supports VIERA Link if you have a compatible Panasonic set. Otherwise, you can hook up a DVD drive and dump video directly to disc or print photos directly from the camcorder to a PictBridge-friendly printer

The footage is crisp and clear, especially if you use the highest quality recording setting.

The 1920x1080 pixel resolution on the HDC-TM10 can deliver some truly stunning pictures with good colour balance and crisp definition.

In fact, the only things that affect what you video are your skill with the 16x zoom, your steady (or not so steady) hand and what you're actually filming.

You'll get better results with fast-moving objects if you don't compromise on the video mode you use.

Plug the HDC-TM10 into a PC using the mini-USB cable and you can obviously copy your photos and video off directly. Video footage is encoded in the AVCHD format as .MTS files. Panasonic supplies its fiddly HD Writer software for content management, plus basic editing and conversion.

Niggles? It's difficult to find many faults with the HDC-TM10 beyond its sluggish software. We could point out that the microphone doesn't always give you a clear audio track to go with the fantastic HD video. Its location on the top of the camcorder (rather than the front) can be an issue and there's no dedicated mic input. But this is really nit-picking for the sake of it. Overall the sound quality is good, especially if you're filming indoors.

JVC Everio GZ-HM200 review

Does JVC's Everio GZ-HM200 do the job for casual shooting?

This handful of silver and black will easily slip into a handbag or an inside coat pocket. Its small and dainty controls are not designed for the serious videographer, but it has the HD spec and features to enable casual users to snap and video high quality images.

While the lens and stereo Dolby Digital speakers seem a little puny, it does sport an impressively large 20x optical zoom. Most modern camcorders plaster their megapixel credentials all over the body, but the 3MP modes available here are tucked away in the manual.

Component, AV and USB leads are included as accessories, along with a remote control, but there's no cable for HDMI.

For its target audience, the HM200's pictures are far better than what you'd expect from its equivalent models in the past. But for HD, there's very little to shout about and the pictures are certainly no better than that served up by decent models on supposedly more primitive formats. Both video and stills are lacking the detail of fellow hi-def models and only impress in optimal shooting conditions. Images also tend to look a little washed out.

Audio is okay, if a little bright and harsh and there is some interference from handling noise. The auto functions are a little slow to react, but do a decent enough job. The whole package is fine for those on a budget who are not worried about the best pictures. For the rest, you're not getting close to what HD can really offer.

Sony HDR-TG7E review

Pros

Dazzling high-def movies. Dual-memory mode. Fast and friendly operation

Cons

Unresponsive touchscreen. GPS is erratic. Only 2.3MP-quality stills in movie mode

Sony’s burgeoning team of Full HD camcorders now includes two models with built-in GPS, which give you the chance to geo-tag movies and stills. The TG7 is the newest arrival, and with a street price of under £800 it’s also the most affordable – the Sony HDR-XR520 costing over £1,300 on its launch.

The TG7 is actually an upgrade to the Sony TG3 launched last year, so as well as its smart, new GPS feature it also boasts a sleeker shape and a titanium body with scratch-resistant coating. And its memory capacity has also been doubled.

Flash and sticks
While the TG3 captured high-def video to Memory Stick only, the TG7 has a 16GB internal flash memory and the capacity to store to Sony’s memory cards.

In effect, 32GB could be at your disposal – representing six hours of video at Full HD’s 1920x1080 resolution, or more if you’re prepared to shoot using lower HD settings.

Weight expectations
The TG7 isn’t super-light, but the fact that it’s no flyweight means it stays steady when you’re shooting. The zoom lever and recording interface have been redesigned from the TG3, and are now easier to use; it’s all very simple and intuitive.

One annoying aspect of video recording is missing ‘big’ moments, and manufacturers have addressed this with a variety of quick-start options. The TG7 is no exception: fold out the 2.7in touchscreen LCD and, without needing to press any buttons, you’re ready to record.

This quick operation is aided by an ability to shoot video and stills simultaneously; there is no need to swap modes. Admittedly, this pegs stills resolution at 2.3MP instead of the 4MP you get if you opt to place the TG7 in its ‘proper’ stills mode, but it can be a worthwhile trade-off.

The right location
GPS is a neat addition, allowing you to see where you are on a map that’s displayed on the LCD, and to then track your journey.

Even better is that through geo-tagging you can look on the map and see at which locations you pressed ‘record’; select a location by pressing a marker on the touchscreen LCD and the video you shot there will play back. Our only gripe is that the GPS doesn’t always work and when it doesn’t it can’t log your position.

Stunning footage
The TG7’s footage is, though, superb. Almost faultless, in fact. Vivid, colourful, sharp, it’s all there, in detail. What’s also pleasing is that the audio quality matches that of the movies, so you get a perfect combination.

Handily, there’s also an optional clip-on wide-angle lens available for the TG7. Called the High Grade 0.7x Wide End Conversion Lens, it’ll set you back a cool £90 from the Sony store, but shop around and you'll be able to pick it up for nearer £50.

Yes, the TG7 is pricey – too pricey, quite possibly – and the touchscreen can be unresponsive, but for compact dimensions and superior quality you’ll struggle to beat this shooter.

Toshiba Camileo S10 camcorder

Forget that the all-conquering iPhone can’t do video; aside from Samsung’s i8910 HD phone (which offers 720p HD recording), does any mobile phone offer movie making options above novelty quality? Step forward this pocket-sized HD shooter from Toshiba, which is one of a clutch of new products, that claim to put the new era of high-def at your fingertips and in your pockets.

Capable of shooting in Full HD as well as taking 5MP digital photos from within an 18mm-deep frame that’s little bigger than an iPhone, the S10 nevertheless seems like a short-term investment. After all, phones like Samsung’s are surely in the first wave of a tide of Full HD phones.

For now, a spend of £150 doesn’t sound too offensive, especially since the S10 can easily fit in a trouser or jacket pocket, and compares favourably with the likes of the Vado HD, Mino HD and Kodak models.

Its small size, however, does impinge on its ambitions. Yes, it offers Full HD (as well as standard definition) filming, but its 128MB internal memory is rather restrictive. Used in Full HD mode, that accounts for around two-and-a-half minutes of video; better to invest a few quid in as large a SD card as you can afford - the maximum size the S10 can accept is 32GB, which will store roughly 8 hours of HD.

The compact design also means a narrow lens, making it difficult to get much into the widescreen picture. That lens also lacks optical zoom. There is a limited 4x digital zoom (and only 2x for Full HD video), but this introduces softness and is also slow - and slightly jerky - to use.
The 2.5-inch LCD screen itself is excellent. Clear and with easy to understand onscreen menus, the screen is super-supple - it can be folded both outwards and turn clockwise, so you could easily film yourself doing a piece-to-camera. That said, the narrow lens does mean you need to stand quite a distance from the camcorder if you want film the background.

Hooking-up the S10 to a HDTV using its mini HDMI cable is a cinch, though the tiny LCD screen’s content is then blown-up to many times its size. The graphics in the corner now look decidedly low-res, while manually selecting exactly which photo or video you want to display requires using various controls.

It’s a process that is less than intuitive and takes a while to master - a rudimentary remote control would be useful here. At least the HD results - which can be transferred to a PC or Mac as .MOV files - are impressive, especially in bright conditions, though a lot of movement brings blur and footage is not always as sharp as it should be.

Taking 5-megapixel stills, in JPEG format, is a relatively smooth process with decent results, but what you see as a preview on the LCD screen isn’t what you get, making the S10 merely rudimentary as a stills camera. It’s also not possible to take stills pictures while you’re filming video in either HD or SD.

Sanyo Xacti VPC-TH1 camcorder

The TH1 is aimed at those on a budget who still want to benefit from HD recording. It’s 720p rather than Full HD, but that’s still more than adequate for most applications.

The 3in widescreen LCD screen is impressive as is the 30x optical zoom. The TH1 uses SD or SDHC cards though it does have an internal memory capacity of about 40MB, which should be enough in an emergency, for images at least. That internal storage will give you 38 seconds, 57 seconds and 1:49 in the three video modes.

The top resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames per second isn’t bad, however the only other resolution available is a 640 x 480 option at 30 or 60 frames per second. You can capture still images at 1600 x 1200 pixels, which makes this a rather unimpressive 2-megapixel camera. Sanyo bill the TH1 as a dual camera, suitable for both video and still photography, but with just 2 million pixels you’ll probably want a regular stills camera too.

The short body of the Sanyo might not appeal to everyone, but it’s not too bad to use. At first we found the button placement a bit odd, however, over time it became less of an issue. The menus are a simple affair, however, you can put the camera into super simple mode if you so wish.

The Sanyo has a mini sized HDMI connection for you to hook-up directly to an HD TV or amp though the cable isn’t supplied with the camera. The supplied cables will allow you to connect to a TV with a Composite connection.

Rarely does a camera do so badly that we’d warn against using it, but sadly the idea that you might be able to use the TH1 as a stills camera as well as a camcorder is a poor claim. The stills shot with the Sanyo are terrible. Five years ago we’d have been disappointed with quality like this: today it is inexcusable. Rather than suggest you can use this as two cameras in one, Sanyo should have left off the photo function altogether.

Video was better than the still performance, but to be honest that wouldn’t be difficult. Here the Sanyo provides much more acceptable results, but they are only that, nothing more. Video was a touch soft and colours ok, but we’ve seen similar performance from cheaper camcorders.

This is essentially a stripped down version of the Xacti VPC-FH1, which offers more options and Full HD recording. Importantly the VPC-FH1 has a 1cm CMOS chip wile this model has to do with a 0.4cm version. If you’re not bothered about the true HD capture or can cope with a smaller range of features then the TH1 is certainly a nice camera to use. However, the real problem for the TH1 is that it sits uncomfortably in the middle of a range, neither one thing nor the other.

It’s more expensive than the Flip Mino HD and Kodak Zi6 yet cheaper than its full HD brother the FH-1. It doesn’t offer a massive step up in video quality from the budget models and isn’t close to the quality of the full HD version.

Panasonic debuts world's lightest Full HD cams

The HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 add a bit of light(ness) into your life

Gone are the days when carting round a 1080p camcorder meant back ache and developing arms like Popeye.

Panasonic's latest batch of Full HD shooters claim to be the lightest of any around, weighing in at a mere 227g.

A quick look at Wolfram Alpha and this equates to, er, 91 times the mass of a US penny.

SD storage

Weight aside, Panasonic has managed to stuff a fair few features into the pair's diminutive frames.

The HDC-SD10 and HDC- TM10 are identical in specs, the difference being that the TM10 houses both in-built 8GB storage and an SD card slot. The TM10 makes do with just the latter.

Both come with an impressive 16x optical zoom, touchscreen tech and the usual face detection, and image stabilisation gubbins.

They both also utilise the rather cool 'pre-record' function, so you shouldn't miss out on any spontaneous moments of hilarity.

The Panasonic HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 will be in the shops in June, priced at a very reasonable £499.99 and £529.99 respectively.

JVC Everio X900 review

JVC’s design department has been busy, it seems. Its new flagship Everio X900 is a streamlined, curvy rectangle of a camcorder that claims to have ‘minimal protrusions’ – sticky-out bits to you and us.

It’s not all design and no trousers, though, as its spec list confirms – there’s a Full HD CMOS sensor capable of taking 10.3MP stills and a geek-tastic 2.8in ‘Laser Touch’ LCD.

High-end hitman
These specs and the heart-attack price tag mean it’s going head-to-head with powerful HD models such as Canon’s LEGRIA HF S100 and S10, and Panasonic’s TM300 and SD200.

Just like the S100 and SD200, the Everio X900 records to SD/SDHC cards rather than built-in memory. It has four movie recording modes, the maximum being a UXP setting that’s so data hungry you’ll only get 20 minutes footage on a 4GB card.

While the X900’s matt finish and impressively compact dimensions make it fun to play with, it does take time to get used to its lack of a traditional handgrip. This, at times, makes it awkward to hold and access the buttons and features.

Laser guidance
Once you’ve overcome this initial awkwardness, there’s plenty to get excited about: the LCD is bold and bright, and incorporates ‘Laser Touch’.

This is, slightly underwhelmingly, a vertical touch-sensitive strip down one side of the screen that lets you scroll through the menus; but there is one big advantage – you don’t get any of the smudges and smearing that cloud the touchscreens of competitors like Sony’s HDR-TG3.

The 5x optical zoom is short, as competitors generally offer 10x or greater, but a dynamic zoom provides a boost to 8x.

Slow-mo shooting
Better news arrives in the shape of an optical image stabiliser that employs prism tech to reduce camera shake, plus there’s a fantastic range of high-speed modes. You can shoot at 120fps, 300fps and 600fps – perfect for slow-motion shots.

The 9MP stills are certainly up to standard of most compacts, and an elegant docking station provides a platform to connect to a computer. From here you can use the supplied PC-friendly software that’s designed for YouTube uploading and basic editing.

Hit-and-miss performance
Unfortunately, it’s here the brakes really go on for the X900. Mac users need to download codecs to edit movies, and then it’s time to look at the clips themselves. While it’s fair to say clarity and detail is often exceptional, there are too many ‘buts’ on a cam this pricey.

Complex scenes suffer picture fizz and images tend towards over-exposure. Colours, especially reds, greens and blues, are too hot and punchy, and low-light images suffer from grain.

If that sounds like a disaster, it isn’t – but a camcorder with this big a price tag needs to marry great design and top-class performance. Unfortunately, the X900 only really manages the former.

Source via Stuff TV

Sony HDR-XR520 review

Pros:

Very detailed HD footage. Crisp and clear LCD screen. Excellent in
low light

Cons:

Not cheap. Autofocus wobbles. Not for Mac users, yet

Life in the high-end camcorder market is hard. With pocket cams like the Toshiba S10 offering 1080p shooting for under £200, manufacturers increasingly need to add glitzy new features to pull in the punters. Take Sony’s new HDR-XR250, a Full HD cam that packs built-in GPS for the first time.

While it also touts a 3.2in touchscreen LCD and a not inconsiderable 240GB hard-drive, it’s this ability to track when and where you shoot movies and stills that marks the XR250 out as an exciting new flagship shooter.

Geo-tagging joy
Not only does the GPS find your location and display it on a map, it also takes into account time differences and will change automatically when you arrive in a new area. Best of all is the Map Index function, which allows you to find movies and photos on a map by touching the recording location.

The hard-up might be disappointed to see Sony pack GPS into a £1,300 HD camcorder loaded with manual functions and creative modes, but it’s such a useful and fun feature that it’ll almost certainly trickle down to more affordable models soon.

Storage, like no other
The XR520 main rivals are Canon’s LEGRIA HF S10 and Panasonic’s HDC-HS300, but neither gets anywhere near matching its storage potential.

The massive 240GB hard disk drive represents up to 101 hours of Full HD recording. It also offers hybrid recording, in this case capturing to Memory Stick PRO Duo if four days of recording isn’t quite enough.

Sony has decided to tackle low-light performance by giving the XR520 an Exmor R CMOS sensor. The claim is that this produces brighter images but with reduced picture noise. It’s a claim the cam makes good on: both indoors and outdoors low-light footage packs detail without jitter or noise butting in.

Sadly, it isn’t a lot of fun to use with a Mac. The supplied software is PC-only, while the AVCHD codecs used (MTS and CPI) mean you’ll need to download conversion software to get footage into an editing app. Currently, there’s not a lot of choice, though we used VoltaicHD.

High-end heroics
Still, for high-end camcorders the tale of the tape is the quality of the HD footage, and here the XR520 is a real knockout. Movies look exceptional, dripping with detail and vivid, yet realistic, colours. There’s even positive news from the audio, with a beefy, bassy performance.

There are a couple of minor niggles – the autofocus is a bit wobbly (though quick to reset itself) and while the touchscreen is beautifully crisp, it’s unresponsive on occasions.

But neither of these issues drag the XR520 down. In fact, its mix of features and video quality have set the bar for others to beat in 2009

HD camcorder with 9MP sensor and 500fps

Small but powerful...

Although we’re naturally suspicious of anything that needs an “X” in its name to sound exciting, JVC’s new flagship, the Everio X Hybrid looks like a promising prospect for amateur film-makers.

Weighing in at just under 300g, this will be one of the lighter HD camcorders on the market. To cut weight, and minimize size JVC has done away with an internal memory and relied on SDHC memory cards, bringing the size of the camcorder down to that of a “chunky smart phone.”

The small camcorder will pack a 1920 x 1080 full-HD and capture 9.0-megapixel images. It will also offer up to 500fps recording – perfect for capturing your kids crossing the finishing line at sports day or recreating the Billion Dollar Man in your Y-fronts.

JVC also says that it will come bundled with software to make it easy to export your movies to iTunes or YouTube.

All this will come at a rather high price though - one JVC rep said that the camcorder will cost around £800 when it’s released in June. We’ll let you know if it’s worth it in a couple months.

Link: JVC

Kodak Zx1 review

Launch price £150.00

We’re big fans of Kodak’s original pocket HD camcorder, the Zi6. While it could barely be called pocketable, its large 2.4in screen and video quality made it the Creative Vado and Flip Mino’s main rival.

But with those two foes recently reinventing themselves in hi-def guises, Kodak’s YouTube maestro has returned in the form of the Zx1. It still records 720p video at 60fps, but now sports rubberised finish and more compact dimensions.

Hard nut

These rubberised side panels give the Zx1 a distinctive look, but this is a practical design point too, as it makes the cam resistant to rain, sand, dirt and snow. 

The side panels also house sockets for USB and HDMI output. Unlike the Mino HD and Vado HD, though, there’s no flip or fold-out USB arm, so computer connection is cable all the way.

Behind another side panel is where you stow the SD/SDHC card that the Zx1 records to. There’s also 128MB internal memory, which is really just for firmware and data, but you could grab useful frames in an emergency – if you shoot using the 640x480 mode instead.

The back of the camcorder houses record and playback controls, and these are a love ’em or loathe ’em affair. They’re not buttons, more like rubber bumps, but regardless, we found them tactile and responsive.

Straight AA student

Okay, so the Zx1 is a shade heavier and bigger than some competitors, but this is because it uses AA batteries rather than a lithium-ion cell. A plug-in charger and rechargeable copper tops are supplied with the camcorder, meaning you get plenty of recording time.

Keen-eyed spec-sheet observers will notice the Zx1 reverts to a 2in LCD, as opposed to the Zi6’s 2.4in, but the change isn’t detrimental to composing or viewing – it’s also bigger than the Mino HD’s paltry 1.5in screen and equal to the Vado HD.

Smooth, sharp shooter 

What’s more, the Zx1’s HD video quality is the best of the bunch. Clips are pin-sharp and packed with detail. It’s the sort of performance that gives HD pocket cams a good name – and in this case beats both Mino HD and Vado HD for clarity.

In most cases, movement is smooth and the autofocus quickly reacts to changes. There are some crosses among all the ticks, especially with reds looking a touch too orange and a zoom that’s as jerky as dad dancing at a wedding.

But these are minor quibbles. The Zx1 is fun to use, and is bundled with a clever and practical set of accessories (including an HDMI cable). And even though the bundled software is PC-only, the final good news is that it shoots using the .Mov codec, making it compatible with Macs and iMovie. Home run.

Flip Video MinoHD (black)

Product summary

The good:
Solid 720p video, particularly for a camcorder this size; ultraslim yet functional design; easy to use; one-touch video uploading to YouTube, AOL, and MySpace; integrated lithium ion rechargeable battery; FlipShare software is compatible with both Macs and Windows machines.

The bad:
Somewhat pricey; no SD/MMC card expansion slot; rechargeable battery isn't removable or replaceable; can't output HD to HDTVs.

The bottom line:
While it has its flaws and is a bit expensive, the ultrasimple Flip Video MinoHD produces impressive video for a camcorder of its size.

Specifications:
Video input type: Camcorder; Media type: Flash card See full specs

Price range: $229.00 - $229.99

Reviewed by: David Carnoy
Edited by: Lori Grunin
Reviewed on: 11/14/2008

Earlier this year, Kodak released the Zi6, a mini camcorder supplying HD resolution. The whole HD spin upped the ante for Flip Video, the current market leader in the straight-to-Web mini camcorder category. While we like the Zi6, it has some small drawbacks that make it hard to fully endorse over the smaller Mino and less expensive Ultra. Still, there's been some pressure for Flip Video to put out an HD model. And now it has: the MinoHD.

The MinoHD looks identical to that of its standard-def sibling, the Mino, and we similarly appreciate it mostly for its pocket-friendly design. (For a comparison of the various models, the company provides a comparison chart.) Both models are supercompact and weigh 3.3 ounces. Unless you buy directly from the company, the HD version is only available in black; if you order it via Flip's Web site, though, you can get snazzier custom versions at no extra cost. The USB connector flips straight up, rather than to the side, for a smaller footprint that should fit better in a crowded USB environment. It has a smallish 1.46-inch transflective LCD display that enables you to still see what's on the screen even in bright daylight. The back navigation controls have responsive touch-sensitive buttons embedded into a shiny, flush surface; we like them, but on occasion you'll accidentally touch a button you wished you hadn't.

A tripod mount sits on the center of the bottom of the camera. The port for the AV output features the Mino's same lilliputian jack--it's smaller than the standard 2.5mm jack--and while Flip includes a cable for connecting to a TV, the AV jack outputs only standard-definition video. By comparison, the Zi6's output supports HD and it ships with a cable that allows you to connect to the component-video jacks on your TV. That said, the video you get out of the MiniHD's composite connection looks sharper than that of the standard-def Mino and Ultra. Along with the cable you get a chamois-style carrying pouch that doubles as a cloth to wipe down your MinoHD.

Like its siblings, the MinoHD is designed to be exceedingly simple to use, and it is. Unlike some of its competitors, it provides virtually no settings to fiddle with apart from setting the date and time. You shoot in one resolution and that's it. There's no choice to drop to a lower video resolution to store more video, but why would you want to? Really, the MinoHD is all about pushing the red button to start and stop recording and hit the playback button to see what you recorded. That's pretty much it.

The same nonremovable rechargeable lithium ion battery as the Mino's powers the MinoHD. However, it only shoots up to 2 hours, compared with the standard Mino's 4 hours or so of juice. That's obviously a big difference. In addition, to accommodate the bigger high-resolution video files, the MinoHD comes equipped with double the memory: 4GB, capable of storing 60 minutes of 1,280x720 resolution (720p) video. The MinoHD has been upgraded to Flip Video's Pure Digital Video engine 3.0 processor from Version 2.5 and incorporates a slightly bigger 1/4.5-inch HD CMOS sensor. Additionally, it's rated for improved low-light sensitivity and uses a 9Mbps encoding rate (vs. 4Mbps for the Mino). And finally, the MinoHD uses the H.264 video compression scheme instead of Advanced Profile MPEG-4 AVI.

What does that all add up to? Well, in our review of the standard-def Mino, we concluded that the video was pretty sharp with fairly accurate, vibrant colors. But it didn't scale well; to keep it sharp you had to watch the video in a small box on your computer screen (the Mino's video looks OK on your TV via the video outputs, but it's still low-resolution video). With the MinoHD, you can play a clip full screen with no significant degradation. Again, you won't confuse the video for what you'd get from a real high-definition camcorder, but the video quality is pretty impressive for a camcorder this tiny.

Video shot in both bright and low light looked pretty good. We took some footage at an event inside the American Museum of Natural History (of Night at the Museum fame), and the camcorder was able to capture video in a very dimly lit room. It didn't look great, but the video wasn't nearly as noisy in low light as we seen from other camcorders of this ilk. The sound was also decent and improved over the Mino's, though we felt the mic could use a little more gain up.

Canon DC330

Manufacturer's description

Around the world, the name Canon means optical excellence, advanced image processing and superb performance. And Canon digital video camcorders are no exception.

If your choice of recording media is DVD, you'll find a family of capable and technologically sophisticated DVD camcorders built with the Canon know how which you've come to expect in all our products.

Affordable, sleek and easy-to-operate, the Canon DC330 gives you the convenience of DVD technology, along with our exclusive Canon 48x Advanced Zoom- a feature only possible with our industry-leading optical technology. It also boasts our advanced DIGIC DV II Image Processor, a 1.07 Megapixel CCD, SD card image storage capability, Quick Start, Joystick Control and another Canon exclusive, our Multi-Angle Remote. Add to that the long recording time available thanks to its high capacity battery and low power consumption and you'll see that the DC330 makes it simpler than ever to capture and share all the unforgettable moments of your life.

Avaiable at $ 579.99 from 13 stores.

Busbi Digital Video Camera

Are you looking for an affordable gift that doesn’t look too cheap and yet manages to keep the recipient happy? I suppose the Busbi Digital Video Camera would fit the bill perfectly.
Slimmer than a dieting supermodel, the battery-operated Busbi has just 4 buttons: On/Off, Delete, Playback and Record. Even your nan could use it (once you’ve told her it’s a camera, not a newfangled remote for her heated rollers). A 2″ LCD screen means you can inspect your film masterpieces immediately and the nifty playback mode allows you to view/delete the last video captured. If you want to watch all the videos captured, simply USB the Busbi into your computer. You can even hook it up to the telly using the included AV cable. The head-scratchingly inexpensive Busbi comes with a 1GB SD card, giving around 60 minutes recording time, but for truly epic nights out you can upgrade to a 2GB card. Quite what you’re going to capture over the course of 2 hours is enough to boggle the mind. But don’t waste time rubbing your hands together in gleeful anticipation, get ordering and start Busbi-ing away for real. And…cut!

After all, what can £34.95 really get you these days? Guys won’t want to add yet another handbag to their ladies’ already formidable collection, making the Busbi Digital Video Camera the logical choice.

Busbi Digital Video Camera

Are you looking for an affordable gift that doesn’t look too cheap and yet manages to keep the recipient happy? I suppose the Busbi Digital Video Camera would fit the bill perfectly.
Slimmer than a dieting supermodel, the battery-operated Busbi has just 4 buttons: On/Off, Delete, Playback and Record. Even your nan could use it (once you’ve told her it’s a camera, not a newfangled remote for her heated rollers). A 2″ LCD screen means you can inspect your film masterpieces immediately and the nifty playback mode allows you to view/delete the last video captured. If you want to watch all the videos captured, simply USB the Busbi into your computer. You can even hook it up to the telly using the included AV cable. The head-scratchingly inexpensive Busbi comes with a 1GB SD card, giving around 60 minutes recording time, but for truly epic nights out you can upgrade to a 2GB card. Quite what you’re going to capture over the course of 2 hours is enough to boggle the mind. But don’t waste time rubbing your hands together in gleeful anticipation, get ordering and start Busbi-ing away for real. And…cut!

After all, what can £34.95 really get you these days? Guys won’t want to add yet another handbag to their ladies’ already formidable collection, making the Busbi Digital Video Camera the logical choice.

Sanyo Xacti DMX-HD800 camcorder

Sanyo’s upcoming Xacti DMX-HD800 camcorder will make high definition video recording accessible to the masses, although it won’t support full HD resolution (1080p) just yet. It has a release date of August 22 in Japan and will support 720p HDTV resolution. The DMX-HD800 will succeed its predecessor, the DMX-HD700, and will be the first model of its kind in the series that will feature a 3D noise reduction function that helps movie quality go up by a notch. Other features of this $462 camcorder include a 8 megapixel CMOS image sensor, face detection capability and chaser functions

Sanyo Xacti DMX-HD800 camcorder

Sanyo’s upcoming Xacti DMX-HD800 camcorder will make high definition video recording accessible to the masses, although it won’t support full HD resolution (1080p) just yet. It has a release date of August 22 in Japan and will support 720p HDTV resolution. The DMX-HD800 will succeed its predecessor, the DMX-HD700, and will be the first model of its kind in the series that will feature a 3D noise reduction function that helps movie quality go up by a notch. Other features of this $462 camcorder include a 8 megapixel CMOS image sensor, face detection capability and chaser functions

Toshiba Camileo H10 camcorder

Toshiba's Camileo H10 digital camcorder may appeal to many not only for its features but also for its budget pricing. Offering functionality as well as decent specs, the H10 offers 720p high definition recording (1,280 x 720 resolution). With slight memory power of 64MB capacity, it's a good thing that you can expand it with an external SDHC (up to 8GB), offering up to 4 hours of broadcast-quality film. Specs read 5x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, 10 megapixel CCD sensor, 2.7-inch TFT LCD monitor, Night Mode for shooting in low light, image stabilization, motion detection filming, plus the usual array of special effects

Toshiba Camileo H10 camcorder has a standard HDMI output for hooking on to an HDTV; it also comes bundled with ArcSoft software for editing footage on a PC. You will be able to pick it up for about £179.99 or $359, by the end of this month.

Toshiba Camileo H10 camcorder

Toshiba's Camileo H10 digital camcorder may appeal to many not only for its features but also for its budget pricing. Offering functionality as well as decent specs, the H10 offers 720p high definition recording (1,280 x 720 resolution). With slight memory power of 64MB capacity, it's a good thing that you can expand it with an external SDHC (up to 8GB), offering up to 4 hours of broadcast-quality film. Specs read 5x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, 10 megapixel CCD sensor, 2.7-inch TFT LCD monitor, Night Mode for shooting in low light, image stabilization, motion detection filming, plus the usual array of special effects

Toshiba Camileo H10 camcorder has a standard HDMI output for hooking on to an HDTV; it also comes bundled with ArcSoft software for editing footage on a PC. You will be able to pick it up for about £179.99 or $359, by the end of this month.