Pocket HD Mini Camcorders

 

HD mini camcorders came onto the market & now we can all create professional videos without any proper training.  Pocket mini HD camcorders are not only lightweight but also easy to handle as compared to those that are carried by professional camera crew that have to be placed on the back.

Shooting self made videos has always been many peoples past time because all these moments can be captured and retained as great memories in future.  Most of us are not pros when it comes to video recording and the videos produced are off poor quality.

Many people use their mobile phones as a replacement to a real video camera as it is light weight and portable.  Most high end phones these days also have a very high mega pixel rating that can really capture impressive videos except they lack in one thing in common.  Cameras in phones tend to lose focus if you do not have stable hands or pan too quickly to the sides.  This makes it impossible to capture fast action activities like a F1 race or simple things like trees swaying to the strong hurricane.

Good things now come in small packages and this is also true for the price.  Mini HD camcorders now come in various shapes and sizes.  All packed with great features for a great video recording even for a novice.  These small mini HD camcorders in this article can almost stand up against professional video recording equipment.  But we have to be realistic as these babies are still no match to the real thing.

Creative Vado HD

Plain Jane would be a great word to describe this device, there is only on LCD screen on the upper half of the device.  Just whip it out of your pocket and shoot off instantly by turning it on.  Even though it looks real simple, it is able to take impressive video recordings in great detail.  The recording still looks brilliant on a 40-inch HDTV despite the Vado’s highest video resolution is only HD-ready at (1,280 by 720 pixels).  If the videos are captured with poor light conditions, you will expect noise in the video.  The auto-focus is not that fast enough if you move the camcorder to fast or get too close to the object.  There is one foldable USB connector on the device itself which means that there is no need for extra cables.  The controls are very sensitive and do not irritate the user with slow response when you need to zoom or increase the exposure settings.

Technical data

Memory :  4 Gigs

Resolution :  HD (1280 x 720p), VGA (640 x 480)

Zoom :  2x Digital Zoom

Recording capacity :  Up to: 1 hour (HD+ quality), 2 hours (HD quality), 4 hours (VGA quality)

Digital video file format :  *.mp4 (H.264, AAC)

Video frame rate :  30 frames per second

Battery life: 2 hours

The only disadvantage is the lack of SD memory slot.  Many people may be turned off by the fact that this device has only 4Gigs of internal memory which equates to around 2 hours of video.  Still, such devices are handy machines for reporters who act fast and need a quick live footage when the situation calls.

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Black Cyan Purple Red White

Aiptek AHD TS1

The Aiptek AHD looks like a handy cam except that it is much smaller, just about the size of your palm.  You can secure this mini handy cam with the hand strap built on to this device.

Technical data

Memory :  SD Card Slot (256MB – 32GB 6MB for Storage)

Resolution :  1280 x 720 Pixels (H.264) up to 30 fps 720 x 480 Pixels (D1) up to 30 fps 352 x 240 Pixels (CIF) up to 30 fps

Zoom :  2x Digital Zoom

Digital video file format :  *.mov (H.264)

Video frame rate :  30 frames per second

Battery life: 1 and a half hours

It even has a flip-out LCD with a touch screen interface.  Having a touch screen is great apart from being able to control the device without taking your eyes off what you are shooting because the LCD itself is a preview of what you are recording, it also prevents any unintentional jerk or motion caused when you need to zoom or pause in between recordings.  It has 2 modes to switch from to shoot between close and far.  This is because most digital cams may end up losing focus when you try to take images at close range.

You have to be realistic when it comes to using such mini cams as it is not perfect.  Fast moving scenes like the ball being shot at the goal keeper may end up pixilated as the machine tries to keep up with the action.  This recorder captures HD as well but it is not really that impressive.

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AIPTEK A-HD PRO Silver AIPTEK Hi-Speed HD Blue

Toshiba Camileo S10

The Toshiba Camileo is one of the budget pocket cams that is out there that shoots HD videos.  It has 2 modes to switch from to shoot between close and far just like the Aiptek.  To view the captured video on the PC may require additional codecs to be downloaded; this device uses a different compression type.  Video recordings look acceptable on a HDTV but navigating around the menu may be quite frustrating because it requires the user to scroll in a certain pattern.

Technical data

Memory :  128MB built-in memory, expandable up to 32GB with SD card

Resolution :  1400 x 1080p

Zoom :  3x Optical & 4x Digital Zoom

Digital video file format :  *.avi (H.264)

Video frame rate :  30 frames per second

Battery life: 2 hours

It comes with a built-in video light if the lighting is inadequate.  There are also special shooting modes to choose from like black and white.  There’s a free HDMI cable included so that it can be connected directly to a HDTV if you want to view the recordings quickly on screen.  The price is very attractive for such a video camera that comes with a flip-out LCD screen.

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TOSHIBA Camileo H30 TOSHIBA Camileo X100

Samsung HMX-U10

This is another no frills design that does not include a flip out LCD, but the look is quite sexy and captivating.  Touch controls are sensitive.  The recordings are sharp even when viewed on a 40 inch HDTV using the component cables included in the package.  Taking close objects may end up blurry.

Technical data

Memory :  SDHC / SD slot

Resolution :  Full HD (1920×1080 30p)

Zoom :  No

Digital video file format :  *.avi (H.264)

Battery life: 1 and a half hours

It allows you to take recordings in HD ready resolutions (1,280 by 720) with zoom and Full HD resolutions (1,920 by 1,080) with zoom disabled.  It does not have any internal memory so the purchase of a SD card is a must.  There is no need for any software to be installed on the computer because the Samsung Intelli Studio basic editing software starts by itself the moment you hook up this device to the computer.

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SAMSUNG HMX-U10 Black

Sanyo Xacti

The design of this handy cam will make you laugh as it looks like an electric shaver, but it is one of the most expensive mini cams in the market.

Technical data

Memory :  SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card (up to 32GB)
Internal memory : 43 mb

Resolution :  HD-SHQ: 1280 x 720 (30 fps/ 9Mbps)
TV-HR: 640 x 480 (60 fps/6Mbps)
TV-SHQ: 640 x 480 (30 fps/3Mbps)

Zoom :  5X optical Zoom

Digital video file format :  *.mp4 (H.264)

Battery life :  1 hour and 10 mins recording and 3 hours 40 mins playback.

Even though it records at the HD-ready resolution (1,280 by 720) The recordings in properly lit areas are very impressive and also at night.  The colors appeared even more vivid that the rivals in the market.

The automatic shooting mode is fast enough to maintain its auto focus as you pan and switch around with the settings.  But if you pan too fast, it will still screw up slightly in the recording.  There is a simple quick menu for the novice to switch between preset settings quickly, but you can still access the full menu to tweak the settings manually if you are a pro.  This handy cam comes with 40 meg internal memory but you can always pop in a huge capacity SD card as the main storage.

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SANYO Xacti VPC-CS1 SANYO Xacti VPC-CS1 Pink

With such stylish HD mini camcorders on the market, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing one of these camcorders.  The prices of these HD mini camcorders range between $200 to $500 US dollars so they do not burn a hole in your pocket when you buy it.  No more lugging around heavy weights when you need to capture a video recording of an outing and even for ladies you do not sweat out on such mini cuties.