The holidays are literally right around the corner, so there are only a few days left for you to finish your Holiday shopping. One great gift to get the technology buff in your life is a camcorder. With easy to use point and shoot cameras, almost anyone can produce semi-professional videos. These models are often affordable and really simple to use. However, there are other great options for someone who is looking for a more advanced camcorder. Advanced cameras allow for more manual control, but are equipped with the safety net of automatic controls. With so many personal camcorders on the market it can be hard to choose the correct model for the novice or semi-pro in your life. Here are a few suggestions that will make your last minute holiday shopping a breeze.
For the Novice:
We love the Sony Bloggie Touch Camera. The sleek and modern design makes this relatively inexpensive camera look very impressive. The Bloggie can shoot up to four hours of HD video on its 8GB memory. The camera can also take hi-res still photos and its touch screen navigation makes the device really simple to use. The touch screen is 3.0”, which is plenty large for you to see exactly what you are shooting. The Bloggie also comes with a flip-out USB arm, so you can easily load your new videos onto your computer or even upload them to YouTube.
The Bloggie doesn’t allow any external audio devices, so the audio can be limiting. You may have to move closer to your subject to get the best sound out of the Bloggie.
The Bloggie is one of the best point and shoot camcorders I have seen. You will also love the price, only $179 and the camera comes in blue, pink, silver or black. The four hours of video it can shoot is seriously impressive. Your family member will not be disappointed to see the Bloggie under their tree this year.
To learn more about the Bloggie or to purchase click here.
Another option for the novice is the Flip Cam. I wrote a blog about the Flip a few months ago. You can read the blog here.
(the photo is from Sony Style.com)
For the Wanna Be Videographer:
The Panasonic HDC-TM700 High Definition Camcorder is for the person who loves to take video at every family function, but is tired of the limited options on a point and shoot camera. The Panasonic has an internal memory of 32GB, so it can take much longer videos than the Bloggie. You can also add your own memory card to increase the camcorders memory. The Panasonic shoots video in 19920 x 1080p HD and can also capture 14.2MP still images.
The Panasonic also has a 3” touch screen and an 18x Intelligent Zoom you can record amazing images. The camcorders features both headphone and microphone connections so you can capture high quality audio. The videographer has more control over the zoom of their video and the quality of their audio; however, the advance features can be switched back to the auto controls if the camera becomes too advanced. This is the perfect camcorder for someone who is looking to advance their skills. The camera is $749 but it will last for years to come.
To learn more about the Panasonic HDC-TM700 High Definition Camcorder or to purchase the camcorder click here.
