Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Gift Guide: JVC HD Everio GZ-HM400 Camcorder]]>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-jvc-hd-everio-gz-hm400-camcorder/http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-jvc-hd-everio-gz-hm400-camcorder/http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-jvc-hd-everio-gz-hm400-camcorder/#commentsFiled under: , , ,




JVC HD Everio GZ-HM400 (Creative, Under $1,000)

If you aspire for your homemade movies to be more 'American Beauty' than America's Funniest, you'll need to forgo the raft of pocket-sized but underpowered HD camcorders and opt for a higher-end model. Which is where's JVC's newest Everio, the GZ-HM400 HD camcorder steps in. Able to record both crisp 1080 at 60fps HD video, as well 600fps slow-mo shots (you know for when your hero jumps from an exploding helicopter, or, uh, you record a friend sneezing), the HM400 has as built-in 32-gigabyte (GB) hard drive for recording up to 14 hours of AVCHD video, and nicely also an SD slot should you fill up your rig too soon. While we continue to shy away from counting on a camcorder for still shots, the HM400 does take 10 megapixel pictures, or 5.3 megapixels images in the midst of shooting video should you need the option. And taking things to a more prosumer level, an accessory shoe and audio in/out jacks allow for attaching mics and monitoring audio levels on the fly. If a budding filmmaker in your life is in the market for high-end HD, but can't afford to go pro, this camcorder will do just fine.

SwitchedGift Guide: JVC HD Everio GZ-HM400 Camcorder originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Question: We're taking a trip cross-country this summer, and I want to bring a video camera for some home movies. I've got a couple hundred bucks to spend but don't want to break the bank. I've seen a lot of these small, solid-state camcorders recently, and I'm wondering which one you recommend?

Hey Reader: We live in wonderful times. There are many styles of camcorders to choose from these days, and most companies have HD models for under $500. (Video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo make it easy to post HD clips right from a camera. But if you want to edit HD creations first, know that you'll need a pretty powerful PC.) For your price range, nothing beats the convenience of a pocket-sized camera like the Pure Digital Flip MinoHD, which delivers the goods while still being light on your wallet and incredibly easy to use.

Gone are the days of lugging around an unwieldy camcorder and box of tapes -- today's pocket camcorders record to solid-state hard drives and have hardly any moving parts. Not only does this eliminate tape jams, it also enables nearly instantaneous shooting, so you don't miss the moment when inspiration strikes.

Continue reading Best HD Camcorder Under $250

SwitchedBest HD Camcorder Under $250 originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 29 May 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camcorderfeaturesflipflip mino hdFlipMinoHdflipvideojusttellmewhattogetminohdtopFri, 29 May 2009 13:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Flip Mino HD Camcorder Takes to the Skies With Helium Balloons]]>http://www.switched.com/2009/05/05/our-flip-mino-hd-camcorder-takes-to-the-skies-with-helium-balloo/http://www.switched.com/2009/05/05/our-flip-mino-hd-camcorder-takes-to-the-skies-with-helium-balloo/http://www.switched.com/2009/05/05/our-flip-mino-hd-camcorder-takes-to-the-skies-with-helium-balloo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We've been wanting to try this for a long time... Inspired by Randall Munroe's kite photography experiments, we hooked up a Flip Mino HD camcorder to 20 helium-filled balloons and sent the whole thing lofting above Central Park. Measuring the kite string we used to tether it, the camera topped out at around 550 ft. If you look carefully, you can spot both the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building during Flight 2.

More flights are coming (off the top of a skyscraper next, we're hoping), since we just received the new Flip Ultra HD today. Stay Tuned!

Gallery: Flip Mino HD Balloon Flight

SwitchedFlip Mino HD Camcorder Takes to the Skies With Helium Balloons originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 05 May 2009 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresflipflip hd minoFlipHdMinoswitchedvideotopTue, 05 May 2009 15:49:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Debuts $1,000 GPS-Packin' 1080p Handycam]]>http://www.switched.com/2009/04/03/sony-debuts-1-000-gps-packin-1080p-handycam/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/03/sony-debuts-1-000-gps-packin-1080p-handycam/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/03/sony-debuts-1-000-gps-packin-1080p-handycam/#commentsFiled under: ,


Think your "high-def" camcorder is hot stuff? Think again, vaquero. Sony's swerving around the low-end and waving jovially as it laps the mid-range with the HDR-TG5V Handycam, a decidedly upscale pocket camcorder that's capable of logging full 1080p clips and holding 16GB of data. Moreover, the HD camcorder includes an embedded GPS module, minimal buttons and a new intuitive user interface for the touch-panel LCD -- something we harshed on in our review of the TG3E last year. The built-in GPS antenna and NAVTEQ maps enable photos and videos to be geotagged, and you should be able to scope things out pretty good on the 2.7-inch LCD. If holding six hours of footage isn't enough, you can pop in a Memory Stick PRO Duo card for even more capacity, and there's also a 10x optical zoom for getting all up close and personal. Look for it to ship this May for a solid grand, and if you're up for spending another $100, a wide angle conversion lens (Sony VCL-HGE07TB) can definitely help you there.

Gallery: Sony debuts $1,000 GPS-packin' HDR-TG5V 1080p Handycam

SwitchedSony Debuts $1,000 GPS-Packin' 1080p Handycam originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080pBIONZcamcorderCarl ZeissCarlZeissexmorgeotaggeotaggingGPSHandycamhd camcorderHdCamcorderHDR-TG5VHDR-TG5V HandycamHdr-tg5vHandycamNAVTEQsonyFri, 03 Apr 2009 07:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder for the YouTube Set]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/07/11/kodaks-new-zi6-hd-pocket-video-camera-for-the-youtube-set/http://www.switched.com/2008/07/11/kodaks-new-zi6-hd-pocket-video-camera-for-the-youtube-set/http://www.switched.com/2008/07/11/kodaks-new-zi6-hd-pocket-video-camera-for-the-youtube-set/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Sure, it might shoot 720p video, but you aren't gonna catch indie filmmakers capturing the next low-budget masterpiece on Kodak's new Zi6 HD pocket video camera. The camera is Kodak's response to Pure Digital's Flip and Creative's Vado, complete with upright form factor, YouTube friendliness, simple as could be interface, a flip-out USB plug (with some surprising spring action), and, of course, totally shoddy video quality.

The camera is powered by a pair of AA batteries, sports a 2.4-inch LCD, and can switch between VGA video, 30fps HD and 60fps HD. It'll sell for $180 in September, in black or pink, but there's only 128MB of memory on board -- you'll have to spring for an SD card if you want to do any substantial shooting.

SwitchedKodak Zi6 Pocket HD Camcorder for the YouTube Set originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsbtsreviewsbudgetcamcordershdkodaksummernewszi6Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-On With the New JVC Everio High-Def Camcorders]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/06/19/jvc-everio-hd10-hd30-and-hd40-hands-on/http://www.switched.com/2008/06/19/jvc-everio-hd10-hd30-and-hd40-hands-on/http://www.switched.com/2008/06/19/jvc-everio-hd10-hd30-and-hd40-hands-on/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We got a quick look at JVC's new AVCHD camcorders earlier this week, the GD-HD40, GZ-HD30 and GZ-HD10. Of note, the HD40 comes complete with a dock for extra hookups like FireWire, and the HD40 and HD30 can shoot video in MPEG-2 for higher quality and easier editing.

JVC has done some serious work on noise reduction on all of the cameras, but from the samples shown, it comes at the cost of detail -- some of the vids we saw looked more like watercolors or 3-D renders than true video. Hopefully that's something you'll be able to configure to your liking, and we're glad JVC is leaving MPEG-2 on here to avoid compression that might exacerbate the problem further. That said, most users are going to be very pleased with the kind of color and low noise they can get at night or in badly-lit rooms.

The cameras are certainly small for their feature sets, but at about a pound apiece, they feel pretty heavy for their size. Otherwise the build is standard JVC fare -- not too fancy, not too plain. We also got a chance to peep some over JVC's other new consumer gear, so check it out the gallery.

SwitchedHands-On With the New JVC Everio High-Def Camcorders originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avchdcamcordershands-onjvcsummernewsThu, 19 Jun 2008 11:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Best Camcorders Under $500]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/01/best-camcorders-under-500/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/01/best-camcorders-under-500/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/01/best-camcorders-under-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Contrary to popular belief, plenty of high-quality camcorders -- even HD ones -- are available for less than $500.
We test drove a bunch of them, and discovered that we liked some better than others. You can check out our top picks in the video above, and our list of favorites includes a range of recording formats including Mini-DV, flash memory, DVD and hard drive-based.

Related Links:

SwitchedBest Camcorders Under $500 originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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