Review The HDR-TG7VE could be seen as Sony’s answer to cheap and cheerful camcorders like the Flip Mino HD. However, whereas the latter could be viewed as a bit of a toy, the TG7 is more of a proper camcorder – both when it comes to features and price.
Swift shooter: Sony’s HDR-TG7VE
The TG7 is the successor to the TG3, which received an overall rating of 85 per cent when we looked at it last year. It keeps many of the features, such as the pistol grip design and 1080i HD resolution, but adds in some extras too, such as 16GB of internal memory and built in GPS. It also utilises a 1/5in Exmor CMOS sensor.
Sony has kept the titanium casing of the TG3, so it’s very hard wearing, and slimmed it down by a millimetre or two in each dimension so it now measures 30 x 62 x 117mm and weighs in at 280g including battery. Read the rest of this entry »
Review The pocket-sized Flip kickstarted a trend towards a new type of ultra-compact camcorder when it was launched last year. Since then, a number of other companies have got in on the act as well, and in some cases they’ve beaten the Flip at its own game.
Toshiba’s Camileo P30: hard to beat on price and performance
Toshiba’s Camileo Pro HD was a good example. Launched last June, it offered higher resolution than the Flip Ultra – 720p HD, compared to the Flip’s 640 x 480 – and a wider range of features. The Flip range has been updated since then, with the recently-released Flip Mino HD bringing 720p resolution to the range for the first time. However, Toshiba has just updated the Camileo as well and looks like it intends to stay one step ahead of the Flip. Read the rest of this entry »
Review ‘It’s a Dual Camera,’ says the little sticker on the side of the vaguely retro, pistol grip, Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 camcorder. Sure it can function as a 12Mp still Camera too, but when it comes to video, Sanyo claims the Xacti is the first consumer camcorder to shoot 60 frames per second in 1080p full HD. To achieve this, and easier editing, Sanyo utilises “True Progressive” scanning technology which, during playback, allows freeze framing on full, rather than interlaced images.
Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-HD2000: a sharp shooter with pistol grip to match
Being a 1080p Camera, the HD2000 produces a higher calibre of video signal than 1080i shooters can, resulting in a more solid looking image. Interlaced scans can suffer when the subject or the Camera moves quickly. Read the rest of this entry »
Review The pocket-sized Flip camcorder was one of the top tech toys of summer 2008, and it spawned a host of equally diminutive copycat products – not to mention our own compact camcorder round-up. The secret of the Flip’s success lay in its sheer simplicity. Unlike most digital cameras and camcorders, which are festooned with buttons and menus settings, the Flip just had one big button for recording video clips, and two additional buttons for playing and deleting files.
Pure’s Flip Mino HD: honey, I shrank the camcorder
The compact design meant that you could easily carry it around in your pocket. You didn’t even need a USB cable to connect it to your PC or Mac, as the Flip had a built-in USB interface that simply folded into the side of the unit when it wasn’t needed. Read the rest of this entry »
