By now most of you have heard of the Eye-Fi Wi-Fi SD memory card and what it’s capable of, right? Okay, good. Earlier this year, January to be exact, Lexar announced that they had teamed up with Eye-Fi to bring a Lexar branded SD card with Eye-Fi technology by year’s end. Well, the time has come — Lexar’s Shoot-n-Sync card is finally here and I’ve been testing it out for the last couple weeks. It rocks, but it does have a hangup or two.

From a casual point-and-shooter’s perspective I doubt you’d have any real qualms about performance, but it’s a slow-ass card (something we already knew) and simply can’t hang when shooting with an SLR. That’s not to say you can’t use it with an SLR, but if you’re shooting in high or lo Drive Mode (or whatever it’s called on your SLR) it will bog down after two shots. I hope Lexar bumps up the speed on these Shoot-n-Sync cards going forward.

My card speed gripe aside, the Shoot-n-Sync works well. Setup took less than five minutes. The 2GB card comes in a card reader that’s embedded with Eye-Fi software, so the first thing you’ll have to do is plug the card reader with the card straight into your Windows or OS X machine. Once the application is installed, you just need to set up your home network within the Eye-Fi Manager software. The next step is to link your Shoot-n-Sync card with the photo sharing site(s) of your choice and pick a folder on your computer where images will be uploaded. You also have the option of enabling Geotagging, but that’s an extra $15/year. On top of that, an additional $15/year can be tacked on if you want access to hotspots. All of this takes roughly 5 minutes and you’re on your way.

During my tests, I had images upload to my Flickr account within a matter of seconds but, on occasion, it would take up to a minute for photos to show up on my desktop. The Eye-Fi servers can be a bit finicky at times, but I doubt anyone is going to be anal enough to count the milliseconds in between photo uploads. I don’t believe the size of the image has a lot of bearing on upload times, but I’d be a fool to say that a 2-megapixel image uploads just as fast as a 10-megapixel image. I’m just saying that the upload times aren’t significant enough that you’d be whining about it. Manually transferring images to your computer and then on to a photo-sharing site would take significantly longer.

I typically shoot in RAW, but that does nothing for me when I’m using the Shoot-n-Sync. The RAW files won’t transfer to my computer and it certainly won’t upload to Flickr. Because of this, I’ve been shooting in RAW+, which solves the problem of uploading to my computer/Flickr. But it does cut down on the amount of images that I can take with a 2GB card. Images are uploaded to Flickr (or the photo-sharing site of your choice) even when your computer is off. As long as it can access the network with your camera turned on, the images will upload. When you do turn on your computer, the images will upload to your desired folder.

The S-n-S can be had for as low as $75 on Amazon, but should you want access to hotspots and geotagging it ends up being $105. Compare that to Eye-Fi’s Explore card, which comes with both services right out of the gate at a price of $96, you’d be saving $11. But the Explore card has unlimited geotagging and you’d only be paying $15/year for hotspot access after the first year. I personally don’t care for geotagging, but this is something you should consider if you’re looking at both cards and want that functionality. The S-n-S really goes head-to-head with the Share card and that one sells for $71.

Lexar’s Shoot-n-Sync Wi-Fi SD card works well with the Eye-Fi service and I’d suggest purchasing this one over the Eye-Fi cards for the one-year warranty over anything else. Eye-Fi only gives you 90 days and paying the extra $5 (or whatever it is) is definitely worth it.

Product Page

Amazon

Lexar is also guilty of packaging a small doodad into a ginormous waste of resources.

Cramming a 14.7-megapixel sensor into something the size of a deck of cards is no small feat, but that’s exactly what Samsung’s done with the TL34HD digital camera. Add to that the ability to record 720p high-definition video at 30 frames per second, a three-inch touchscreen, and an MSRP of $329.95 and you’ve got a camera that appeals to people who want to get a little more out of their point and shoot.

Overview and Features

• 14.7-megapixel sensor
• Roughly the same size as a deck of cards
• Takes 720p video at 30 FPS
• Big, three-inch touchscreen
• 28mm wide angle lens
• 3.6x optical zoom
• MSRP of $329.95

Pros

If you like megapixels, you’ll love this camera. You can stuff it in your pocket, take photos of yourself and a bunch of your friends while you’re out at night, and then blow your favorite snapshots up to cover entire walls in your home – if that sort of thing is important to you. It’s a good social camera.

The ability to record video at 720p is a nice touch because, as a social camera, it’ll look good when played back on a TV. Samsung sells an optional HDMI cradle and remote control kit so you can dock the camera next to your TV for easy viewing. As it stands, though, the camera doesn’t come with HD video cables – just standard RCA cables.

The big 3-inch LCD screen is gorgeous. And the fact that it’s a touchscreen makes it easier to access most functions without having to go three or four menus deep like you would with most cameras. Everything’s pretty intuitive and the touch aspect is relatively responsive. I’m not a big fan of touchscreens but this one worked well.

Cons

If you’re more interested in the HD video function on this camera – specifically editing video — than you are about taking photos, you’d be best to steer clear. Video is recorded in MP4 format using a codec that only allowed my to open the files in QuickTime. I couldn’t open them using Sony Vegas. I have this same problem with a few other brands of digital camcorders, particularly the cheaper, sub-$150 kinds.

I tried just uploading a couple video files to Blip.tv and was greeted with the sound from the clip, but with an all-white picture. So straight uploading is out, too. I’d have to use a video conversion program to get each of these video files into a usable format first — too much time/work – and then open them up in my editor and/or upload them.

If you’re just going to watch the videos you’ll be fine. Use the included RCA cables (no included component cables = no HD) or buy the HDMI dock if you want to watch stuff in high definition. What I’m basically trying to say is that you’re probably not going to use the video function on this camera all that much. Your mileage may vary, though.

Finally, the placement of the flash is maddening:

Guess who’s big, fat, left index finger kept that flash from popping up while taking photos at night or in low light? I know the flash has to be put somewhere, but it’s honestly right underneath where most people hold the camera.

Samples

Sample Video File – See if you can open it in your video editor. If you can, great.

Sample Photos (all taken at maximum resolution, with flash):

Photo 1: Zoomed all the way out – download full-size photo (5.89 MB)

Photo 2: Full 3.6x optical zoom – download full-size photo (6.5 MB)

Photo 3: Full digital zoom – download full-size photo (2.52 MB)

Conclusion

The Samsung TL34HD is a good choice for social people who want a camera to take good photos from relatively close range and blow those photos up to various large sizes. The HD video feature is somewhat moot as the camera doesn’t include HD cables for your TV and videos can’t easily be edited or uploaded without converting the files first. It’s a great little camera for taking photos of up-close people, though, as it packs a lot of nice features into a small, pocketable package.

Samsung TL34HD [Samsung.com]

But not if you’re a Mac user or you can’t justify spending $100 on a webcam for simple stuff like videoconferencing and short, quick videos.

Full review (with video) after the jump…

Overview and Features

The Microsoft Lifecam Show is a $99 webcam that features a 2-megapixel sensor capable of delivering video up to 800×600 resolution (default is 640×480) and still images up to 8 megapixels (interpolated, of course).

As with other Microsoft hardware products, the Show is tightly integrated with Microsoft software – in this case, the webcam uses Windows Live Messenger for video calls and even has a hardware button that, when pushed, allows you to quickly access your contacts. Of course, the Show also works with other popular instant messaging programs as well; Skype, AIM, etc.

The software package included with the camera is a decent, easy-to-use, no nonsense affair consisting of simple recording, photos, and special effects. The camera uses face tracking to superimpose digital props like hats, weird hair styles, and other hilarity.

Pros

I found the video quality to be above-average for a webcam, especially in low-light conditions. The auto-focus is definitely a nice touch, although its range is limited to between 21 and 60 inches, so you’re not going to be able to get great close-up shots like you would with the previously-reviewed IPEVO POV webcam. But for regular video with sporadic forward and backward movement, the Lifecam Show works great.

The camera features unique mounting options in that there’s a Kung Fu-quality magnetic grip on both the front and the back of the device itself. There’s a little clip for mounting the Show to your LCD screen or you can use the included mini-pole that measures about a foot in length. Since the grip is magnetic, you can easily adjust the up and down and side to side positioning of the camera once it’s been mounted.

Cons

The $99 price tag will likely be a bit steep for some people, especially those who need a no-frills webcam. Luckily, those of you looking for a solid, well-performing webcam should find the price to be relatively fair. Also, Mac users are left out in the cold as the software is designed for the Microsoft camera is Windows only (can you believe it?).

Conclusion

The Lifecam Show is a high-quality camera with nice features and thoughtful mounting options. People looking for a good webcam for a decent price won’t be disappointed.

Microsoft Lifecam Show [Microsoft.com]

At $249, the Samsung SC-MX20 falls delicately between cheap flash-based camcorders and more expensive hard drive-based camcorders. It strips down some features that may not be necessary in the first place – high definition video, still photos, etc. – but adds something that most less expensive flash camcorders don’t have: an optical zoom. A big optical zoom, too, at 34x. That, coupled with long battery life, user-friendly codec support, and relatively low price make the SC-MX20 a winner.

Details and Specifications

The MX20 uses SD memory cards up to 32GB. There’s no on-board storage, but my review unit came packaged with a 1GB card, which is good for almost twenty minutes of video at the highest quality setting. The camcorder shoots up to 720×480 video at 29.97 frames per second using the MainConcept AVC/AAC H.264 codec (.MP4 files).

There are four quality modes: TV Super Fine, TV Fine, TV Normal, and a special YouTube-friendly Web & Mobile setting. Other settings include iScene (Sports, Portrait, Beach, Snow, High Speed, etc.), White Balance, Exposure (auto/manual), Face Detection, Anti-Shake, Digital Effects, 16:9 or 4:3 mode, Wind Cut, and stuff like that.

Pros

Battery life is good for around three hours on a single charge, which is a really nice touch for a camcorder that costs under $300. Also, video and audio quality are crisp and clear, the 34x optical zoom is outstanding, and the $249 price tag makes it seem like you’re getting a ton of value for what you’re paying.

The video codec that this camera uses is great, too, as it works right out of the gate with most popular editing software. Some cheaper camcorders use weird codecs that output video files that need to be converted before you’re able to edit them. That defeats the purpose of a grab-and-go camcorder. I’m able to directly edit the files that the MX20 creates with Sony Vegas – something I’ve been unable to do with JVC’s Everio series, for instance.

Cons

People who want to shoot high definition video or take still photos will want to look elsewhere, as the MX20 just handles straightforward 720×480 video. You’ll also probably want to supply your own large-capacity SD memory card if you don’t already have one. That’s not a deal-breaker by any means but it could add another $100 to your bottom line if you were to pick up, say, an 8GB SDHC card at retail.

Conclusion

The Samsung SC-MX20 is now my go-to camcorder. The size, quality, battery life, and low price make it hard to pass up. I can whole-heartedly recommend this camcorder if you’re looking for an inexpensive video camera that (unlike most other inexpensive camcorders) shoots great video and has an optical zoom.

Video Sample: Click here to download (17mb .MP4 file)

Samsung SC-MX20 Digital Memory Camcorder [Samsung.com]

Like this video? View more here…

The Kodak EasyShare Z1012 IS is a 10.1 megapixel camera with 12x optical zoom and image stabilization.  It also records video at 1280×720.

The Good
This camera is really, really light.  It’s surprisingly light.  You could easily forget that this thing was in your pocket.  It’s got a fast start up time, which means you’re less likely to miss those impromptu shots.  The auto focus is fairly fast, and certainly adequate for most casual users.

It’s got your standard assortment of scene modes (fireworks, museum, beach, kids, snow, etc).  In auto mode, you can select from 10, 8.9, 7.5 and 5.0 megapixels at a 4:3 aspect ratio.  In PSAM modes, you can select 10 (4:3), 8.9 (3:2), 7.5 (16:9), 5.0 (4:3), 3.1 (4:3), 2.2 (3:2), 2.1 (16.9), and 1.2 (4:3) to allow you to select the best resolution and aspect ratio for the intended use.  Also in PSAM modes you can control the compression of the JPEGs between Fine (little compression), Standard, and Basic (lots of compression).  For example, the same shot taken with all three settings produces files 4.1, 2.8, and 2.1 megabytes in size.  In auto mode, you don’t get to select the compression at all — and it looks like it uses Basic compression, because the files are surprisingly small.

For those folks who use the viewfinder exclusively to frame the shot, the Kodak offers a nice feature: it will lock onto the focus area, and then track that focus area as you move the camera around: a little green box will display what the camera is focusing on, and that box will remain pretty well attached to that same thing regardless of moderate horizontal or vertical camera motion.  Please excuse the horrible video quality: I had trouble recording the LCD display of the Kodak, but wanted to demonstrate the feature.

The lithium battery holds a respectable charge, and I used the camera for several days without running out of juice. In addition to the lithium battery, the Z1012 IS can also use a pair of plain old AA batteries, so if you’re out and about you can visit any corner store to pick up batteries to keep shooting.

Several others features make this camera extremely appealing to someone who might be less computer savvy.  It has in-camera panorama stiching, which works pretty well if you take your time to line up the shots. I recommend using a tripod.  You can stitch up to three shots together.  Be advised, though, that the original non-stitched images are NOT saved, so if you think you can do a better job than the camera you’d better not use the panoramic mode.

Also include are some nice slideshow effects, including music.  So rather than compose a slideshow on your PC and try to select some accompanying music on your own, you can simply have the camera add in the soundtrack to the slideshow it displays.  Choose between Action, Calm, Fun, Nature and Urban melodies and effects.  It’s probably not something most CrunchGear readers will care about, but it might let mom or dad (or grandma or grandpa) create something impressive with a lot less frustration than using PC tools.

The Bad
Surprisingly, the most annoying thing about this camera is the lens cap.  It doesn’t grip very well to the lens barrel, and is easy to knock off.  Or, if you’re forgetful like I am and simply turn the camera on with the lens cap still attached, the lens will pop the cap off as it extends out during the power up cycle. This is a good way to lose the lens cap.

The on-screen user interface is sluggish.  The menus aren’t entirely unintuitive, they’re just laborious to navigate due to the slow response.  This is probably not a bad thing for a more patient user, but for an instant gratification fanatic like myself, this was a turn off.

The interface is somewhat inconsistent: the menu is accessed and navigated using the round 4-way nav button on the back face.  But when you’re in one of the PSAM modes, the controls are accessed through the jog wheel at the top right of the frame.  I suppose it makes sense sticking PSAM controls on the jog wheel, so that you can twiddle the settings one handed and not lose the shot you’ve just framed, but it’s a little incongruous and may take some getting used to.

While the camera has an orientation sensor to detect when you place it on its side to take a shot, the LCD display only shows images in one orientation.  What this means is that you turn the camera to the side for a photo, then you need to turn the camera back to horizontal to look at the now properly rotated preview.  Maybe I’m being overly picky, but that seems like a pretty easy problem to have avoided.

The Ambivalent
The Kodak Z1012 IS includes a lot of other features which I think were crammed in because they could be, and not because too many people actually want them.  You can crop images, using a pre-set crop size.  You can also apply voice tags to images, which I suppose would be good for documenting an archeological excavation.  You can also apply text tags to photos, using predefined tags like “birthday”, “holiday”, or “wedding”, or you can create your own custom tags.  I don’t think this is a feature that would be used by anyone I know.  I suppose if you’re on a long trip without the ability to download photos regularly, you could tag the photos for later organization and review.

I didn’t fiddle with the video recording too much, because I’ve always seen that as more of a convenience on digital cameras rather than a specific selling point.  If you don’t want to buy or carry a dedicated video recorder of any sort, then having recording capability the camera you have with you is a handy feature.  Here’s a quick comparison of the Kodak EasyShare Z1012 IS against my Flip, the only video recorder I had handy.  15 seconds on the Flip is 6 megabytes, while the same 15 seconds is 35 megabytes on the Z1012.

Kodak:

Flip:

The Verdict
This is a really good camera for a specific type of user.  It’s got a lot of bells and whistles, all of which are fairly easy to use, so you’ll feel like you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.  The 10 megapixel sensor give you plenty of original material to crop for a 4×6 or 5×7 photo print, or even a full 8×10 if you want it; and the 12x optical zoom gives you a lot of flexibility when composing your shot.  The image stabilization was noticable, and every little bit to steady my shaky hands is appreciated.  The Kodak EasyShare Z1012 IS fits pretty comfortably in between the casual point and shoot segment and the full DSLR segment.

Donning a 3x optical zoom, I was able to snap some images that were relatively sharp. You obviously won’t be getting anything close to what a DSLR can do with a faster prime lens, but for only $300 it’s not a bad deal. The AWB isn’t the best I’ve used, but it does pretty well on an all-around basis. All the kids these days love and I mean LOVE taking pictures of themselves with friends without someone else taking the photo and most of them come out blurry or someone’s face gets chopped off. The i8’s face detection does a good job of detecting your mug and up to two others and beeps when everything is in focus. My flaring nostrils never looked so good.

This was a shot of an awning across the street from my apartment zoomed all the way in. It’s a little noisy, but not too bad.

Having grown accustomed to a DSLR, I never, ever use auto modes on digital point-and-shoots because the flash always goes off and washes everything out among other annoyances. I like being able to control what the camera is doing, so I don’t have to take 10 shots to get one that’s somewhat sharp and not washed out. Allow me to get on a soapbox for a second. Take the time to get to know your point-and-shoot, please. Fiddle with the settings and figure out what does what. Adjust the ISO, try all flash settings, and crank up/down the Exposure values. Anyway, the UI on the i8 is easy to use once you play with it for a few minutes. Like most point-and-shoots, the i8 offers a variety of scene modes and a photo style selector that lets you adjust the color to boost contrast or take black and whites among many other options. It’s fun and lets your creative side have a little fun if you’re not heavy into editing your photos, but it’s nothing special and everyone else is doing it.

The 2.7-inch screen obviously isn’t the largest screen out there to watch videos on a portable device, but it’s a camera with an added feature that the majority of the rest don’t have. However, you’ll have to convert all video files using the included software and you won’t really notice the degradation of video quality because of the screen’s size. The software compresses most files to 25 percent of their original size, so you can pack a load of content on your card if you feel like it. It works and it’s a nice extra.

The MP3 player portion is straightforward without many bells and whistles. One gripe I have with it is that you have to allocate a folder specific to MP3s on your memory card or else the i8 won’t be able to playback tracks, but that’s a minor annoyance and takes an extra five seconds to make a new folder and label it “MP3.” Another interesting feature of the MP3 player is that the DRM License Information for tracks is available on the memory card. Kind of freaky and unnecessary but it’s there.

The text viewer is also a nice addition, but I still haven’t jumped onto the whole e-book bandwagon, so I didn’t use it too much. However, it’s convenient to type out some notes and throw them onto the camera for when you’re out exploring in areas unknown to you. Take it for what it is and consider it another added bonus.

Last but certainly not least is the World Tour Guide feature that provides images of famous attractions in 30 countries and pertinent text about said images. You can download the info from Samsung’s Web site. Again, it’s another added bonus for a tiny digital point-and-shoot in a flooded market place.

Overall, the i8 is an easy to use digital camera with a bevy of added features that make it stand out from the crowd. For $300 (cheaper if you look around) you won’t be disappointed, except for the fact that you have to use Samsung’s craptacularly proprietary headphone jack. But that’s about it.

Product Page

With so much attention going to such a small product, it was only a matter of time before the big boys would want a piece of the burgeoning pocket video camera market. The first major company to weigh in with a potential Flip Video challenger was somewhat unexpected though. Instead of Sony, Panasonic, JVC etc., venerable point-and-shoot camera manufacturer Kodak announced this summer that it would introduce the Zi6 pocket video camera ($179) in early Fall. Though the Zi6 seems to be part of an overall strategy by Kodak to prove that it’s no longer a stodgy, old film-based company but an energetic, multi-media, digital imaging company, the message to Flip Video was clear. Watch your ass, buster. Big Yellow is coming after you.

Read more…

Guest Writer Dan Havlik is Editor of DemystifyingDigital.com. For more product news and reviews, visit DemystifyingDigital.com.

The JVC Everio GZ-MS100 camcorder records DVD-quality video to SD and SDHC cards and features direct uploading to YouTube. It’s priced at around $350, which places it in between lower-end hobbyist camcorders and higher-capacity hard drive camcorders.

Features and Specifications

• Compact Slim Design
• One Touch Upload to YouTube™ on the internet
• Konica Minolta 35x optical Lens and 800x digital
• Records directly to a SD / SDHC memory card (card not included)
• 1 hour recording at the highest quality (Ultra-DVD Movie) with a 4GB SDHC memory card.
• 1/6-inch 680K pixel CCD
• Gigabrid Engine
• 2.7-inch 16:9 widescreen LCD

Pros

The camera’s relatively small size makes it easy to take just about anywhere. It’s similar in size to cheaper camcorders (such as the DXG-566V, reviewed here) but packs far better features – the 35x optical zoom being the most welcome addition. The left-hand side of the LCD has a cool navigation strip used to jump around the various menus. It’s a nice touch, but don’t buy the camera just for the navigation strip.

Video quality, too, far surpasses that of most other entry-level camcorders. That shouldn’t be a surprise, though, as the Everio costs about $150 to $200 more. Shooting in low-light produced pretty decent footage as well, which is hard to find with less expensive cameras. You can find two recent videos I’ve done here and here.

I’m happy to report that battery life is excellent. I let the camera sit and record for well over two hours before finally noticing that the battery had died. I’m used to about an hour’s worth out of cheaper camcorders or camcorders that record to tape, so the two-plus hours I got out of this little guy was a nice surprise.

Finally, being able to record on SD and SDHC cards made getting the video onto various different computers a snap. No complaints there. What you’re able to actually do with those video files is another story, though.

Cons

For some reason, JVC insists on using a proprietary MPEG-2 video format consisting of .MOD files. It apparently has something to do with licensing and supposedly you can simply rename the .MOD files to .MPG and you’ll be able to edit them easily, but this is the third camcorder in the Everio line that I’ve used and they’ve all required me to completely re-encode the files before editing. I use Sony Vegas for video editing and if I rename the files to .MPG, I can open them in Vegas as video files without any sound. To get the whole clip, I have to rename them to .MPG and then re-encode them to the actual MPEG-2 standard (more details in the “Conclusion” section below).

The main selling point of this camera, though, is to be able to easily upload videos directly to YouTube so editing clips isn’t really a big area of focus. As such, there’s a special “Upload Record” setting on the camera that limits recorded clips to ten minutes each in order to keep them inside of YouTube’s maximum clip length.

Unfortunately, the “CyberLink PowerCinema NE for Everio” software is implemented really poorly. People who have been using camcorders for long enough should have grown to accept that the bundled software is gonna stink and make other arrangements, but this camera relies on the software for the direct uploading to YouTube. I was never able to actually get anything successfully uploaded and trying to find the YouTube feature after the camera’s already been connected to your computer is tough because it’s buried somewhere in the “Advanced” menu of the software.

I eventually found my way back to the YouTube feature, but I can’t imagine a novice being able to get anything uploaded correctly on the first try. Also, the whole “One Touch Upload” claim by JVC is way, way off. There are multiple touches. First, you connect the camcorder to the computer, then you choose “Upload” from the camera’s menu, then you click the checkbox next to the video you want to upload, then you select a YouTube category for your video, then you agree to YouTube’s terms and conditions (each time), and finally you click the upload button. That’s one hell of a single click if JVC’s able to pull that off. I gotta see this mouse they’re using.

Recommendation

Okay, here’s the thing. I’m going to give the YouTube upload feature the benefit of the doubt that it works correctly and my “file format is not supported or the file is corrupted” message either has something to do with the 4GB SD card that JVC sent me or that it’s Windows Vista acting like an idiot — each time I put the SD card directly into my card reader, I get a message that the card needs to be scanned and fixed. I can’t scan it when the card’s in use, though, so I’m asked if I want to schedule a scan to run later and OH MY GOD, VISTA LEAVE ME ALONE. This happens with other cards, too, so let’s assume that it’s not a JVC issue.

This camera would be great for…drumroll please…people who are somewhat technically inclined, don’t need to edit their videos, and want to get them uploaded as quickly as possible. My fellow technology bloggers come to mind. I can picture myself using this at an event to record a keynote address and then zipping it up to YouTube immediately so that I can get it up on CrunchGear as in short order.

Unfortunately, the tech blogger sector’s probably not going to be a big enough market for JVC. But the relatively cumbersome YouTube feature will leave neophytes in the dark while the equally cumbersome editing process (you have to re-encode all your files just to get them to work with most video editing software) will leave people who want to edit their videos with their own software wondering why they have to jump through so many hoops when it should be a simple process: take the SD card out of the camera and into the computer, open files in the video editor.

Instead it’s: take the SD card out of the camera and into the computer, rename all the files from .MOD to .MPG, dump all of the renamed video files into SUPER, re-render them all as actual .MPG files, open files in the video editor.

If you’re patient, though, and you want a decent, affordable camera that takes pretty good-looking video, has a much-needed 35x optical zoom, and has great battery life, this camcorder might be a good fit for you.

JVC Everio GZ-MS100 [JVC.com]

Much like its big brother the Fastpack 250, the Flipside 200, has been a great addition to my arsenal of travel luggage for gadgets and cameras alike. The Flipside 200, however, has primarily been my camera bag for the better part of the last three months. My Pentax K200D with battery grip and two extra lenses fit nice and snug into the compartments that are revealed by zipping open the main pouch that’s accessed through the back of the bag. Some might think this is a pain in the rear, but it protects you and your gear from being ripped off if the zippers were exposed. On the exterior of the bag at the base there’s a concealed compartment that can be unvelcroed and taken out to support the feet of a tripod. It’s pretty handy, but it’s not as deep as I would have liked it to be. The Manfrotto tripod I’ve been using wasn’t very stable at times, but it never popped out, thankfully.

On the inside you’ll find four compartments for varying size lenses, but you won’t be toting around any telephoto lenses save for one that will fit along the main slot for the body and lens. There’s also a zippered pouch at the top of the inside of the Flipside for whatever you feel like storing there. On the side of the bag you’ll find a zippered pocket with tiny slots for memory cards and filters. A comfortable and padded handle on the outside makes it easy to maneuver through tight spots where a bag on your back might not be conducive.

Overall, the Flipside 200 is perfect for the prosumer with a DSLR and a few extra lenses. For only $80, the lightweight pack does the trick and it’s built like any other Lowepro pack. I give it two thumbs up.

I review the new Flip Mino…or do I? Here’s five minutes you’ll never get back.

Flip Mino [TheFlip.com]

Like this video? View more here…

There’s certainly no shortage of flash-based camcorders these days and the trend, happily, has been to improve the image quality of these inexpensive-yet-pocketable devices. I had the chance to try out a relatively affordable high definition camcorder recently; the $150 566V from DXG.

Technical Overview

From the product’s web page…

- 5.0 Megapixel, CMOS Sensor
- H.264 Video Compression, 1280 x 720 resolution
- 3″ High-Resolution TFT screen

The DXG-566V HD is a 5 Megapixel digital video camera that records video in high definition yet at a price that is well within your reach. With a resolution of up to 1280 x 720 at 30fps, rest assured that your videos are crystal-clear, crisp and detailed. What’s more, the DXG-566V HD also captures still pictures with a resolution of up to 8M.

Compact and portable, this camcorder features a 5MP CMOS sensor, 2X digital zoom, a 3.0″ flip-out LCD screen and supports high-capacity SD cards (SDHC) so you’re able to have more recording time – always ready and never worry of missing those moments.

Pros and Cons

The DXG-566V HD is actually an okay investment for $150 as long as you’re simply looking to capture video — mostly outdoors — for the hell of it. It’s cheap, very portable, has a big LCD screen, and is easy to use. It’s a good video camera for run-of-the-mill footage, provided you shoot that footage in well-lit areas or outside during the day. Low-light footage is pretty grainy and dismal, though, so keep that in mind.

Its main feature, high definition recording, is NOT a good reason to buy this camera, unless you intend to set it on a tripod outside on a perfect day with no zooming or motion involved. The footage comes out at 1280×720, yes, but there’s no image stabilization and any sort of zooming makes the footage blocky, since the zooming is all digital. So the HD thing is more of a gimmick than anything else. I’d put the overall video quality well above cell phone video but far below hard drive-based MPEG-2 footage from, say, a camera in the JVC Everio line.

Battery life is average to slightly below average, with the low battery icon making me nervous at about the 45-minute mark. I’d say you can squeeze about an hour’s worth of footage out of this camera before needing to recharge. Thankfully, it uses the included rechargeable lithium ion battery OR you can use four AAA batteries in a pinch. That, I thought, was a brilliant feature — see the photo below.

The 2x digital zoom is pretty weak, as it not only makes everything pixilated, but doesn’t zoom in or out smoothly — it’s more of a jerky motion. Plus, the mic picks up the zoom toggle loud and clear. I stopped using the zoom almost right away.

Audio, too, is slightly below average — kind of tinny and easily distorted at high levels.

Sample Video Footage

Here are a few videos I took with the camera. You can download them at their original resolution to get a feel for how everything looks and sounds. The first two were shot outdoors, one on a sunny day and one on an overcast day. The third was shot indoors under low light, so you can see what to expect from shooting under those conditions.

Video 1: Boston Marathon Footage

Video 2: Boston Apple Store Footage

Video 3: Low-light Footage

Conclusion

All of the aforementioned qualms aside, I’d still use this camera for simple web videos and maybe vacation videos and stuff like that. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done at a reasonable price. The price, big LCD screen, and the rechargeable plus AAA battery features make up for the so-so video and audio quality. I wouldn’t recommend this camera for filming “important” stuff containing a lot of motion or for shooting indoors under low light conditions, though.

DXG-566V HD product page [dxgtechusa.com]

Reviewing point-and-shoot cameras for you guys, no matter how complex, is like writing about light beer for a wine magazine. What can you say but that it goes down smooth and tastes great? Can you talk about the vat-grown malty flavor? Can you talk about the bottle and clever spelling of “lite?” Absolutely, but you and I both know we’re doing each other a disservice.

Me, for reviewing a point-and-shoot that aspires to be a DSLR and you for thinking about buying a point-and-shoot when you know that a nice Nikon or Canon with a good, basic lens costs about $700 on a bad day and will take great pictures without any of the lag, drag, and sag found in most point-and-shoots. That’s why I’m so bitter about the Olympus SP-570UZ. I was excited, nay, supremely interested in the camera and now I feel like I had to drink a case of Mickey’s Big Mouth.

The SP-570UZ is a 10-megapixel camera with image stabilization and 2.7-inch LCD screen. Its real claim to fame is a huge 20X zoom, offering an effective range of 26-250mm. Add in a 5x digital zoom and you’ve got 100x zoom. I’m all for big zoom range. It’s fun. You can sit on a bench and take pictures of people a few hundred yards away. Outdoors, this camera is a tourist’s dream. Indoors, however, it is problematic.

Even in Auto mode, the camera needs a flash indoors, regardless of lighting, and the flash does not pop up automatically. This means it’s hard to take good pictures indoors without washing out the picture and causing sharp shadows and to get that flash you have to press another button. That’s fine for most photography, but the camera has so much untapped power that this failure in Auto mode turned me off completely, initially, and I was afraid to even review it. A point-and-shoot camera that is not good indoors in Auto mode is an abject failure. It ignores its audience and forces folks who might not want to learn about fancy things like “f-stop” and “taking good pictures” to read the manual, something an entry level camera shouldn’t require you to do. At about $499, this camera is exactly that: something you pick up when you want to move one step above your old tiny digicam but aren’t quire ready to figure out what all those lenses and filters do in DSLR land.

Olympus does throw us a bone by adding an on-screen guide, but the guide is fairly truncated. In Guide mode, you have the option to brighten the subject. Their advice? Turn on the flash. That’s it, basically. No automated shutter speed fixes, no ISO levels. Just pop on the flash and get an ugly picture. Ok. End of rant. How about the good stuff?

We took this camera on a trip to Majorca with us and as a tourist’s camera it’s great, presuming you’re outdoors. As you can see, I tested the zoom and found it quite impressive. The picture below shoes a sort of before-and-after. Before is a shot of the scene and a playground about a hundred yards away. After is a close up of my wife and son on the playground using only the zoom. The picture is fairly sharp — sharp enough to blow up safely — and quite bright. I did the same with a number of shots and even took some nice macro shots. This camera excelled outside.

So why was I so upset initially? Because a point-and-shoot must not be initially difficult. Even a DSLR takes acceptable shots out of the gate, but this Olympus frustrated me so much initially that I almost gave up. Imagine someone picking this up and ruining shot after shot of a kid’s birthday party, fiddling with the settings until suddenly figuring out that you have to physically press the flash button to get anything good out of this camera.

Another pet peeve is that it supports only xD cards and a proprietary USB connection port. It also does not come with a rechargeable battery. Overall, this camera is very uneven. It takes great zoom pictures outdoors, in bright sunlight but begins to fall apart indoors. Thanks to the other little details, I’m hard-pressed to recommend it to novices and to skilled amateurs I’d suggest just getting a DSLR. This camera sits uneasily between two extremes and, aside for the rare ornithologist, doesn’t satisfy a few important basic requirements for the price.

Specs:

* 20x optical zoom (equivalent to 26-520mm*) – from extreme close-ups to stunning scenes
* Avoids blur thanks to Dual Image Stabilisation
* Don’t miss the moment with high-speed 15fps sequence shooting**
* Face Detection Technology for perfectly focused and exposed faces plus correct exposure of other image areas
* P/A/S/M exposure modes for creative freedom
* 22 scene modes for the best results in different situations
* 10 Megapixels to make poster-size prints
* See and share images on the 6.9cm/2.7″ LCD
* Better low light shooting thanks to BrightCapture Technology
* Great for shots of flowers and detail from as close as 1cm with Super Macro mode
* Liven up your memories with movie recording with sound
* TruePic III image processor for faster image handling and higher image quality
* 38 languages on board
* Dioptric correction
* Flexible shooting with internal memory or using xD-Picture Card
* Supplied with Olympus Master software 2.03 including Muvee Pack trial version plus four AA batteries
* TCON-017 teleconversion lens and CLA-10 adapter ring optionally available for maximum of 884mm (or 4420mm when combined with digital zoom)

The last time I used or even owned a camcorder was back in the mid-90s. They were always too big and transferring video was only something a pro did unless you were just copying to a VHS tape. It wasn’t worth the time or the effort. My, have times changed. As with most technology, things get smaller and easier to use. Such is the case of the Samsung SC-HMX10C 720p camcorder. I’ve used it extensively over the last few months to bring all of you videos from CES, Macworld, CeBIT and any other video I’ve posted on CG.

The HMX10C is capable of recording video in HD (720p) or SD and has 8GB of built-in storage. The flip out 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD makes navigating through the menus a breeze. The zoom, menu and record buttons are also placed on the side of the LCD for added convenience. On the body of the camcorder where the LCD usually rests you’ll find an HDMI port as well as Component/AV/S and USB port. You’ll also find an LCD brightness switch and display off/on button.

External controls are easily manipulated unless you’re sans thumbs, which would cause a problem. The power button, record, mode, easy, zoom and photo switches are well placed. The one feature that I really, really like is the swiveling handle. It makes recording easier and causes less fatigue.

There are five scene modes: Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight and Beach/Snow. I typically used the Auto mode and achieved desirable results in all situations. Other features that can be manipulated include: WB, Exposure, Anti-Shake, Digital Effects (sepia, negative, etc.), Focus, Shutter, Tele, Macro, varying degrees of Quality (Super Fine HD, Fine HD, Normal HD, SD and Economy SD), Wind Cut, Back Light, Fader, and Digital Zoom. There are also a ton of variables for the 1.56-megapixel camera, but they’re nothing special or out of the ordinary.

When reviewing recorded videos, you can take screen shots in case you want to incriminate someone or you just like the pretty flowers. Transferring video to my MBP was simple and headache free. Drag and drop via USB and you’re good to go depending on your choice of video editing tools. Battery life was fairly good at a little over an hour for HD recording and closer to 1.5 to 2 hours for SD video.

Flash memory on the camcorder is its biggest asset. The addition of an SD slot that supports SDHC cards is also an added plus. I don’t think I ever came close to filling up the 8GB of internal memory, but having an SD card just made me feel more comfortable. However, what I didn’t like was that I couldn’t transfer files from the internal memory to the external card. I can do that on my Helio Ocean — just don’t understand why I can’t do it on the camcorder. But that’s just about the only downfall the HMX10C has as far as I can tell.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the HMX10C and it’s made our time at shows far more enjoyable and much easier to cover. Photos are fine for most things, but having video is 10x better, right? The MSRP is around $750, but you can find it for much cheaper than that by doing a quick search on the Net.