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Sony bloggie MHS-TS20K
by gregzillur
The Sony Bloggie series consists of many different models. Some with higher and lower resolutions, some with 3D capabilities. The MHS-TS20K is the best in the series, in my opinion, after using all of the models. The MHS-TS20K is great for budding filmmakers.
First off, I'll start with video. The quality can be adjusted between 720p ... and 1080p. You can even be more specific and choose the frames per second in both of the resolutions. It's best to stick at 720p 60FPS in my opinion. This is great if you have a computer with a low frame rate. The picture quality is very good, and the image stabilization is perfect. If you are starting a blogging channel, or a sketch channel, this is a great starting point, also good to help you choose what kind of camera you would want in the future.
For pictures, the quality is OK. The image stabilization doesn't work very well with pictures, so you need to have a very steady hand to get a good shot. In low light, the camera doesn't work very well, and can be quite grainy. However this doesn't matter much as the camera is designed for video.
The MHS-TS20K also comes with an external lens that gives you a 360 degree picture, with taking pictures and video. It can easily be attached with the internal magnets in the device and the external lens. Picture quality dramatically decreases however.
The MHS-TS20K is a great video camera for those beginning film making. It isn't great for those interested in photography however.
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Sony Handycam HDR-SR10E
by danoh1
The Sony HDR-SR10 is a brilliant digital camcorder. In true Sony style it is well built, sturdy and reliable. It has a 40GB Hard Drive which means that you can store up to 15 hours of footage on there - more than plenty unless you are recording a documentary series!
The quality of the videos is amazing - top quality if ... watched direct to the TV using a HDMI Cable or the supplied Component Cable, or when watched on the PC. Sound quality is also very good, and there are options on the camera to change between 5.1 surround sound or 2channel stereo recording, and also an option to change the sound recording level.
The camcorder comes with some handy software too called Sony Picture Motion Browser which acts to catalogue your video clips, import them off your video camera, or most useful, allows you to convert them to MP2 format.
The last feature means that you can edit the videos using software like Windows Movie Maker if you do not have something like Adobe Premier Pro or Sony Vegas which can cope native HD footage. Granted that converting to MP2 loses some quality, however it is still very high quality and more than enough for uploading on the internet or sharing via email. You can edit within the Sony Picture Motion Browser software, however I find this fairly basic - it however would suffice for someone looking to piece clips together to create a simple home video DVD.
The camera is very well built, and everything feels like it will last. All the ports for the likes of power, memory card, HDMI connector etc are all covered up so no dust gets in there, and are very sturdy to open - I have used other video cameras where these covers are very flimsy, however on the Sony they do not feel like they could snap off at any moment!
The touch screen is very easy to use, and saves you fiddling about with pathetic buttons found on other video cameras of different makes. The battery lasts around 90-100 minutes with recording, and has an indicator (given in minutes) of battery life remaining. You can also record onto Memory Stick Pro Duo cards to give the flexibility of recording media.
Face Detection is a useful feature as it really does make a difference to the video quality - even the time when I filmed the full moon! There are more options to change things manually such as exposure and focus, to allow you to get the footage you want, while at the same time you can press the 'EASY' button to make everything really simple, for all the family to use.
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Kodak Playsport Waterproof HD Pocket Video Camera
by loopy-lou33
Wow, how times have changed.
The first camcorder I bought, about 20 years ago, cost me a whopping £400 and was only a very basic model. When I was considering a new camcorder, I was shocked at the huge range of camcorders that offer superior featurs at tiny prices. I was very lucky to be able to bag this rather smart Kodak ... Playsport waterproof HD camcorder for a measly £79 from Amazon.
I was in the market for a new camcorder, because I felt that my previous one was out of date. My old camcorder works fine, but takes the old 8mm tapes. I wanted something light and portable that would enable me to upload videos straight onto my computer for editing, or straight onto sites like Youtube, which would have been a bit fiddly with my old model.
What really attracted me to the Playsport was the price. I couldn't believe that I could get something so good for such a cheap price tag. According to the Amazon website, the camcorder boasts:
Waterproof to 3m deep, Shockproof to 1.5m, and dustproof. Designed to take video anywhere.
Full HD 1080p, 720p, WVGA recording modes plus 5MP stills with auto-focus and face detection.
World's only cameras with 3-step sharing, allowing simultaneous upload to YouTube, Facebook, email and others.
On-camera editing features let you trim video directly on the 2-inch LCD without a computer.
Record up to 10 hours of HD video with the expandable SD/SDHC card slot.
Amazon had lots of glowing reviews about the product, as well as a short demo video, so I was happy to buy it. I also had to purchase an SD card to go with it. The camcorder has a small internal memory, but for serious video footage, you need an SD card to store your films. I bought an 8gb card, which allowed for about 2 hours of video (more if you don't use HD), or 6000 still photos. I would say that 8gb is the minimum sized card you should go for, and I will probably invest in a 32GB card next time.
I like the fact that the camcorder is portable. My old camcorder had a big chunky bag and lots of kit, but this little product is roughly the size of a smartphone and can easily be popped into a bag or a pocket for on the go. It comes with a handy wriststrap.
Filming is really easy and simple. in fact, the camcorder has very few buttons for you to think about, making it so simple that even a child could use it. The power button is located on the top of the camcorder, and the once powered up, you can use one of the five function buttons:
Camera/video: This button allows you to toggle between video mode or still photo mode. The camera takes 5mp photos. Basic, but sufficient when out and about.
Play: This allows you to playback your videos from a selection in the menu.
Delete: Allows you to delete a video or photo.
Settings: Allows the user to do things like in camera edits, change the visual effects, alter the sounds and LED and alter the resolution. It also allows you to change the language and date and time settings.
There is also a large grey button which is the record button, or you can use this button to take still photos. The directional controls surrounding this button let the user navigate menus and zoom in and out when taking photos and videos.
You can configure the camera to upload video straight to facebook or youtube wirelessly via the special red "share" button. |This is a great feature, which many users will find useful.
The camera is an ideal size to be held in the palm of the hand and it can be held comfortably for a good length of time as it is lightweight.
The video quality is excellent. there is a HDMI cable supplied with the camera to allow you to plug it straight into a HD ready TV. There is also a USB cable supplied, which can be used to charge the camera. I have had the camera several months and have not yet needed to charge the battery, so the battery life is very good, which is vital when you are on a big day out or a holiday.
The camera is available in different colours, but mine is black. All of the ports are neatly hidden away at the side of the camera behind sliders, which allow the camera to be made completely watertight when filming underwater or in bad weather.
The camera is hardwearing and dustproof and shockproof. I am happy to let the kids play with it without worrying that it will get broken. it is a solid little piece of kit and very durable and long lasting.
In conclusion, I am more than happy with my Playsport from Kodak. It seems that good things really do come in small packages, and if you are looking for a lightweight family camcorder to record precious moments simply and easily, then this is the camera for you.
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