Pocket camcorders like the Flip, the Kodak Zi8, and the Creative Labs Vado are at the forefront of a new video revolution. Why is this so?
Pocket camcorders that take HD video are in the $200 range, and dropping, lowering the entry costs of an exciting new hobby, and a new form of visual communication.
Because it fits in your pocket, you can take it with you anywhere. You can be ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. It can lay on the baby’s changing table (2nd shelf, to remain safely out of range of contamination) to catch a precious moment. You can pull over to the side of the road to catch a blue heron in its nest, and the slow flap of its wings as it departs for food for its chicks. You can be an amateur on-the-scene reporter of an event.
The list of possibilities is endless when you don’t have to be prepared — when you can power up and record in seconds, and when the skill required to shoot video is so low. What once was the province of techno-geeks is now in reach of every child and his grandmother. Flip HD camcorders plug directly into your computer, and with their FlipShare software make it incredibly easy to offload the video onto your computer, organize it, trim out the cruft, and make a movie, complete with titles and credits, in minutes.
Pocket camcorders enable daily, personal, visual communication. Sharing video has never been more convenient, taken less time, or required less of those with whom you want to share. Pocket camcorders typically have facilities for instantaneous upload to YouTube, to Facebook, or through an email.
If you like the idea of blogging (web logging), you might love the idea of vlogging (video logging) of the events and nuances of your daily life. It is now far easier to show a video to a few family members than to send them a card. Call it a virtual visit.
And it’s all about to get better. Not only are prices going down, even as the video quality goes up, but "virtual telepresence" is on its way. You are going to be able to stream video directly from your computer to a set-top box that displays it on your TV, and to the TV’s of others who have a similar box. You can have your own TV channel and give the "key" to your channel to your friends and family. Look for soon-to-be-released technology from Flip/Cisco.
It won’t be long before your video channel can go live, from your camcorder to your channel. Rather than just video communication, you’ll have video telepresence.
You aren’t going to get this kind of quality with all of this convenience and capability from a cell phone any time soon. But, guess what? These gadgets have become small enough that I can carry my cell phone and my Flip in the same pocket!
For tips, articles, videos, DVD’s, tutorials, discussion, and resource links about Flip camcorders, accessories, and software, try http://FlipInFocus.com. You won’t find a more comprehensive resource.
Darrell Icenogle, a professional educator, principal software engineer, and video enthusiast, authors the articles and video tutorials, and answers a variety of technical questions.
Multi-media educator, University of California, San Diego Educational designer, Western Behavioral Sciences Institute Principal Software Engineer, Digital Equipment Corporation Principal Software Engineer, Avid Technology, Inc. Co-Founder, Eisenworks, LLC
http://FlipInFocus.com
Thanks To : Camcorder Reviews
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