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Pocket Camcorder Round Up

Chris Oaten- 05/03/2010 11:22:53

Tags: , Apple, Chris Oaten, Creative, Flip, JVC, Kodak, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony

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Forget about writing stuff. That is so 20th century. With an upload link to video sharing sites such as YouTube or Vimeo coupled with a low-cost personal camcorder (or should we call them vlogcorders?) the fun way to get your message out is with a video blog.

If you want to see how engaging the medium can be for anyone with a bit of talent and a good idea, check out the Philip DeFranco show or Australian Natalie Tran’s work (aka communitychannel on YouTube).

And if the concept of video blogs is new to you, Google any topic of interest combined with the words “video blog”. Prepare to be amazed. It’s a growth industry.

A word of warning, though. Getting drunk on video blogs will eat up your bandwidth, so you’d best have a generous download capacity.

Joby's Gorillapod makes for a light and versatile tripod.
The Joby Gorillapod makes for a light and versatile tripod.

What hardware will you need to kick off your own vlog? If you have a computer of any recent vintage, you probably already have everything you need. Apart from the computer itself as necessary conduit to the internet, the built-in webcam in your Mac or PC combined with bundled software will kick your broadcasting empire into action.

The problem here is that any computer amounts to utterly useless when it comes to shooting mountain biking or recording the comedy vignettes that make DeFranco’s and Tran’s vlogs so watchable, and “engaging” does not always describe a vlog in which the presenter is chained to a webcam.

The selection of vloggies here (we’re still struggling for the category name, folks, bear with us) typify how vendors have reacted to market demand for low-cost, easy-to-use, pocketable camcorders purpose-built for those who want to vlog.

Also consider carrying a miniature tripod, such as Joby’s versatile GorillaPod, because your video compression software (and your audience) will love you for keeping the lens steady. Shaky cam may be edgy, folks, but it gets old quickly.

And so, to the contenders.

Page 1 of 3  Next - Pocket Camcorder Round Up: Under $300  

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