Taking the Complexity Out of Travel Videos

Locations in this article:  Las Vegas, NV San Diego, CA

Panasonic waterproof cameraOur resident gadget guy Phil Baker explores simple ways to take great videos

I was in the market for a small, simple video camera to take videos of my family (including my new grandson) and our upcoming travels. I chose the Panasonic SDR-SW20 ($399) because it was compact, simple and used SD memory cards.

These tiny cards are plummeting in price, provide lots of storage capacity, and make it easy to transfer the videos to the computer.

The camera can also be submerged to five feet, making it great for use while shallow snorkeling (which my wife Jane and I will be doing on an upcoming vacation).

I wanted sufficient resolution for viewing it on a notebook and TV, but with small enough file sizes to make it easy to share among family and friends.

When I got the camera I tried it out on a variety of scenes, both indoors and out. While the videos came out fine, the files were saved in a format, not recognized by the Mac or Quicktime, even though the specs said it would work.

After three calls, Panasonic’s tech support department advised me to look for third-party software to convert the files each time. While I eventually found one and was able to open the files, I returned the camera because it was just becoming too big of a hassle. I’d have to instruct others I sent the files to on how to open them, depending on their computer type. All the effort took away the simplicity and spontaneity I was looking for.

After talking with an expert, it turns out my experience was pretty typical. Files from video cameras come in a wide variety of formats, and have a long way to go to match the ease of use of still images, which standardize on a .jpg format that can be easily shared and viewed.

Since then I came across the Flip Video Camcorder, an inexpensive camera that’s designed to make it simple to shoot, share and save videos. While the product is missing many of the features found on more expensive cameras, it has one big difference: Anyone can use it with no effort at all. After using the Panasonic, the Flip was almost magical.

Flip Video UltraThe small camera is hardly impressive looking. It’s a simple plastic box, 4 inches by 2 1/4 inches by 1 1/4 inches, with a lens on the front and a small display on the back. Two AA batteries can power the camera for a few hours, so there’s no battery charger to drag along.

The camera shoots either 30 or 60 minutes of video at 640 x 480 resolution using its built-in memory. That’s sufficient resolution to watch on your notebook and the same as you get using the movie function on a still camera or on the Panasonic. While not high definition, it’s fine for watching on TV, and even comes with the cables to connect.

To use the Flip simply turn it on, push the start/stop button and shoot away. You use the small 1-1/2-inch color display to view; it’s adequate, but hard to view in bright sunlight and has no viewfinder. Buttons surrounding the display control the 2:1 digital zooming, playback and delete functions.

Its ease of use continues with transferring the video onto the computer; there’s no fumbling with software or cables. Slide a button, a USB connector pops out, and then you simply plug it into your computer. You now have a little camera hanging off your USB port. Movies are automatically transferred to the computer and can be left on the camera or erased to free up space.

Software built into the camera is also transferred and shows up in a folder on your computer, whether it’s a Mac or a PC. The first time you transfer the files, you need to load a small conversion software utility (easier than it sounds, most computers will whiz you right through this). After that, just open the folder to access your videos and a simple program; choose what you want to do with the videos, including save, send or upload to MySpace, YouTube and other sites that share video files. You can also do some basic editing and add music or import them into another editing program.

So how are good are the videos? Surprisingly, very good.

As good as I got from the $399 Panasonic or my compact still camera using its movie function. In fact, they were better than the others in low light condition, exhibiting no noticeable grain and surprisingly good exposure.

I tried it in bright sunlight, inside my home and in the evening on the Las Vegas Strip, shooting some of the brightly lit signs and fountains. All the results were well-exposed and sharp.

There are several models available in varying colors. The basic Flip Video costs $100 with 30 minutes of recording, $130 with 60 minutes and the Flip Video Ultra, with slightly different styling and an improved viewing screen, is $150 for 60 minutes.

And for that snorkeling, there’s also a $50 underwater accessory case for the Flip that works in up to 30 feet of water. Highly recommended! www.flipvideo.com

By Phil Baker, originally published in the San Diego Transcript. Check out Phil’s Web site at https://blog.philipgbaker.com.

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