Little Cameras with Little Price Tags Offer Big Results!

With a slew of teenie, tech-friendly pocket video cameras flooding the market, there’s really no excuse not to own a minicam anymore. Led by the Flip Video camera, the current generation of portable pocket cams are affordable, convenient and a breeze to use – not to mention their surprisingly great video quality. (All the the cameras listed below are High Definition) Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to find online or on store shelves these days:

1. The Flip – You’ve heard me rave about the Flip Video camera before, and with good reason. This handy and inexpensive little gadget leads the pack when it comes to convenience, price, and usability. Whether you choose the Flip Ultra HD (at around $150 US), or the newer, slightly more expensive Flip Mino HD, Flip cameras are a sure bet.

2. KODAK Zi8 Pocket Video Camera – The upstart Zi8 is finally giving the Flip a run for its money. In fact, for about the same price, the Zi8 surpasses the Flip in a few features. The Kodak’s biggest advantage may be the ability to attach an external microphone – which has always been my biggest gripe with the Flip. (No external mic jacks on the Flip). Like the Flip, the Zi8 also offers one button uploading to YouTube. On the downside, the included software is not Mac-compatible, though there are some work-arounds if you own a Mac. As of this writing, CNET.com has gone so far as to recommend the Kodak as its best pick for pocket camcorders.

3. Creative Vado HD – For even less money than the Flip or the Zi8, the Creative Vado HD offers similar performance and features, though with 8GB of built-in memory, you can store up to 2 hours of video on the Vado. It also features the same ease of use and one-button upload to YouTube that the Flip and the Kodak provide. The Vado is a great alternative if your budget is lower, as current prices on Amazon.com are under $120 USD.

4. SONY Webbie HD MHS-PM1 – Another contender in the pocket-cam category is the SONY “Webbie.” As the name implies, it creates web-friendly video, though (according to reviews), it’s not as intuitive or as easy to use as the Flip. The Webbie features a few other bells and whistles, such as swiveling lens. However, the internal memory is only 12MB, so plan on buying a Memory Stick Duo memory card right from the get-go.

5. SANYO Xacti VPC CG10 – Sanyo’s Xacti has been around a while and wins generally positive reviews. It has a different design than most of the pocket camcorders, with a “pistol grip” handle. The zoom is better than similarly-priced models, but there are complaints about the poor (still) photo quality. Assuming you’re using your video camera mostly for video and not still photos, the Xacti is a great camcorder for the price.

A few things to note about all of these cameras and the category in general: They are all small, easy to use and very inexpensive. Most shoot great video quality for the money, but don’t expect the same results that much more expensive, prosumer models offer. Battery life is limited, as is storage capacity. I own the Flip Mino HD that stores an hour of video, before you have to off load it to your computer. Despite some limitations, you simply can’t beat the convenience and affordability that these handy little video cameras offer. So what are you waiting for?

Lou Bortone is a long-time marketing consultant and branding coach who helps entrepreneurs build breakthrough brands on the Internet. As an online video branding specialist and award-winning marketer, Lou provides services such as video production, brand development coaching, creative support and video coaching.
Lou is a former television executive who worked for E! Entertainment Television and later served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox in Los Angeles. Lou is an author and ghostwriter of six business books, a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach. His website is at: http://www.OnlineVideoBranding.com.

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