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By Billy Teo
ONE camcorder captured the imagination of point-and-shoot users when it was launched in the United States in 2008.
It was a cellphone-sized device that brought together high definition (HD) video, flash memory and MPEG-4 compression smarts in one package - and at just US$230 (S$326 then), or about a fifth of the price of similar high-end gizmos.
Today, there is no lack of rivals that are trying to out-flip the Flip.
Christopher Chute, a research manager at research firm IDC, said that the Flip and similar camcorders have 'revolutionised the market'.
'It has given millions of consumers who would otherwise never have bought a camcorder, the ability to shoot video in high definition.'
The rise of YouTube and other social networking services have fuelled the demand for camcorders, as they made it easy for people to share their high-quality video clips online.
Do not expect too much from the HD resolution though: The visuals on these devices rank somewhere between regular TV broadcasts and what a high-end HD camcorder can produce.
It is like comparing a basic compact digital camera to a digital SLR.
You do not get high-quality lenses, large imaging sensors or sophisticated electronics that make auto-focusing an instant process. Nor do you get the freedom to tweak most settings to your liking, such as manually tweaking the focus or zooming in from a dozen metres away.
That said, a $300 device that shoots precious moments in high definition is hard to beat.
Digital Life zooms in on five pocket-friendly camcorders.
How we tested
VIDEO clips were shot both indoors (at home) and outdoors (like Vivocity's rooftop areas) on the five pocket camcorders in the round-up.
The footage was viewed on a 19-inch LCD monitor as well as on a 40-inch Samsung LED HDTV.
One surprise: The image quality of the camcorders was rather impressive across the board. In fact, it was tough to tell HD-ready video (1,280 by 720 pixels) apart from Full HD video (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) on these screens.
Note: The new version of the Flip MinoHD is not in this round-up because it not officially on sale here.
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