At least you can shoot up to 45 hours of video and store them in the internal 120GB hard drive, and you can switch from cinema 24p mode to 30p progressive mode, an option that makes the difference between heavier videos and ready for Youtube videos, but you get to keep the same 1920×1080 resolution. Neat, huh?

Canon Vixia HG21 features

You can shoot videos at 1920×1080 at 60fps but there’s something that completely sets it apart from other cameras. That is the RGB color filter that makes the images as crisp and vibrant as ever. You can appreciate this in daylight or outdoors filming. The 12x high definition video lens avoids takes with low resolution. You will get the 100% of quality wherever you point this camera at.

But I can’t say the same with indoors or low light settings. It’s grainy at best and some mini cameras outdo it in this aspect. What was Canon thinking here? Hopefully it has a powerful incorporated light that makes up for it, but sometimes isn’t enough.

It has a microphone input with the option of graduating the volume, the background noise level, so you can adjust it depending on your filming conditions. You can complement it with an additional headphone that lets you know the quality of sound being recorded in advance.

For such an expensive price, it’s too modest that it can take 3.1 megapixel stills when there are way cheaper cameras that can take up to 5 megapixel pics, unless you consider that you can take photos at 4:3 or at 16:9. But it’s really irrelevant.

Canon Vixia HG21 downsides

You really need to spend more money buying spare batteries because the ones that come in the box barely last 90 minutes, unless you manage your way charging it constantly with the AC adapter, but that takes away a lot of flexibility, doesn’t it?

I guess this is the case in which you see that buying an expensive camera to get the best quality is not always the solution. Sure, you would get a more established quality than if you buy a $149 camera. But sometimes there are certain models that fall in the middle and for less money you can get that ideal camera that doesn’t even fail in dark settings.

If you overlook the fact that the battery lasts barely 6 hours unless you turn the HSDPA off and win 20 days of standby time, the keyboard is easier to use in portrait mode and lets you type faster.

Samsung i900 Omnia features

It supports the DivX and Xvid format for videos, which avoids you the nightmare of having to use a video converter. And the music player supports the rare Ogg Vorbis format, aside from MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA and AMR that you can turn into your default ringtone.

The internal card slot allows for SD cards up to 16GB for storage of videos, photos and music. However, the 5 megapixel camera falls short in quality in relation to its 2592×1944 resolution. Despite the autofocus and the LED flash, don’t expect anything otherworldly in regards to sharpness. But you still get the face and smile detection features and image stabilization which make up for it a bit.

Samsung i900 Omnia downsides

The same goes for the video camera, it’s practical and perfect for sending small shoots, but don’t expect anything professional. But this model has a TV-input, so it’s a mixed bag.

Yet the most remarkable feature of this cellphone is the Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 operating system with the full package of Pocket Office that includes Word, Excel, Power Point, OneNote and the PDF viewer.

The phone supports the GSM/EDGE technology and Wi-fi connection, which works well in a wide range. The FM radio has also great synching and sound quality. All in all, it’s worth your money if you look for a touch screen cell phone at a good price and that fulfills its role well.

With the pricing of around $169, you can’t ask for more if it also has a gyroscopic stabilizer for blurred motion and out of focus takes. It has its own internal hard drive and a SD card slot that allows for up to 32GB.

Aiptek Action HD GVS features

The fact that it records in .MOV format makes it more interesting. They have the Apple mindset down pat. But you will require a strong graphics card in order to make it render well when you transfer it to the PC, although you shouldn’t have that problem if you use Mac.

But it doesn’t escape the bad quality in low settings problem. This camcorder in particular needs a lot of light for indoors videos to be shot well, so you would have to buy the extra light accessories to get the best results.

Other issue I noticed is that when you do panning shots, there’s an increased contrast between colors and balance. It’s completely unnecessary unless you avoid the problem by panning slower.

Aiptek Action HD GVS downsides

This model captures 5 megapixel stills and they’re acceptable with the close up feature. You also have a 5x optical lens with auto focus and a 4x digital zoom, which combines into 20x zooming capability.

The microphone works well in stereo with the lowest background bass buzzing sound possible, but the additional output lets you use a better one. The battery can last from 6 to 8 hours if you save time on standby mode.

Overall, it’s a great option that will require some sophistication in regards to the editing software that you’re going to use and the already mentioned video graphics cards if you want high rendering, high quality videos. With this model it’s worth the effort for that price.

The design is made to impress you with the almost tactile round buttons and the semi-touch screen user interface. The only perk I found is the battery case cover which is difficult to take off and then put it on, so this may be an issue to improve for next models.

LG Neon GT365 features

Being the left-slider type, you get a three-row full QWERTY keyboard and a touch screen for specific functions. The interface is intuitive and offers you quick access to your calendar, alarm clock and the media player, as well as your contact list.

The screen is a 2.4 inch LCD that with a 240×400 pixel resolution and 262,000 colors, wonderfully sharp and comparable to the Xpressmusic by Nokia and even the iPhone.
It probably has one of the most durable batteries, with almost three days between full charges, even if you use the most energy hungry features. Not bad at all for 4 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time, as indicated in the manual. You can charge it with the PC through and USB cable.

You can take pictures and shoot small videos with the relatively modest 2 megapixel camera that has options such as balance and brightness controls, 4x zoom, allowance of multishots, and night mode for low light settings. There are four resolutions available in which you can take pictures: 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels.

LG Neon GT365 downsides

For videos, you can shoot in 320×240 and 176×144 resolutions with a 2x digital zoom. The small footage can last up to 32 seconds, so you can send it to your friends via MMS. Nothing sophisticated and falls short compared to other models.

Still, you have the audio player that supports MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA. You can create playlists, adapt the equalizer and switch to other applications while you are listening music.
As for memory, you have up to 14MB for internal storage, and a microSD memory card slot that allows for 4GB in expansion. You can store up to 1000 contacts. The Bluetooth is A2DP and it includes all profiles available such as stereo headphones that are quite good. Internet browsing capabilities include sending email by Yahoo!, AOL, and hotmail and similar, as well as instant messaging and Java 2.0 support.

Overall, it’s a very good option if you look for something not too fancy but that at least has a great quality for what you want to do.

The iPod Nano 5G can now record up to 8 hours of video and supports all H.264 and MPEG-4 formats available in 30-FPS and a resolution of 640×480. He could actually be right. The quality is still outstanding for a MP3 Player. Also you can forget about the nightmare of having to convert your cellphone recorded AVI or MPG videos to the Apple format.

iPod Nano 5G new features

Now you have the option of adding special effects to your videos as you scroll through, transfer them to your PC or MAC and upload them to Youtube or Facebook. The missing FM dial now present in this model lets you listen to your favorite shows and current music. It has the very intelligent feature of showing you what and who you’re listening and you can hit pause for 15 minutes, just as if you were pausing a DVR recording.

The device now comes with a mic for voice recording. You can record voice memos, classes, interviews and anything of the sort in stereo sound MP3 files.

Other improved feature is the iTunes tagging. You can tag the songs and have them as sort of a bookmark for easier access, given that you would have around 2000+ songs, which is always a plus is you don’t want to scroll around for that specific artist or album or song.

iPod Nano 5G advantages

And for fitness and casual jogging enthusiasts, the iPod Nano 5G comes with a pedometer that marks every step you take during your routine and the voice over feature that tells you the artist and the song you’re currently listening. It doesn’t matter which language the song is, VoiceOver supports over 30 languages.

One thing I noticed in relation to the 4G model is that the battery lasts less than the advertised 24 hours of music and 5 hours of video playback. And, if you want to use your docking station, you’ll have to buy another one since the output was reversed in order for the video and mic to fit in.

Such are the downsides of adding new features without considering thoroughly their impact in design and thinking only of getting something out quickly.

All in all, just when you thought they couldn’t improve more the best sold iPod model ever, Apple can still come with new improved features that set them above the competence.

The 3MOS system is provided of three full HD sensors and the audio can record a 5.1 channel surround sound with five microphones. This camera records specifically in AVCHD mode, and can give you a resolution of 1080×1920 and higher, but that translates in a bigger size for the final video file.

Panasonic HDC-TM300 features

But don’t worry; you have at least 32GB of memory at your disposal in your HC card, with the option to expand it to more. But believe me; the outstanding quality just makes it up for all. You can shoot perfectly in low light indoor settings.

The touch LCD screen is easy to use. You can select which videos you are going to use and which ones are you going to delete. The manual ring on the side allows for focus, zoom and exposure control, which is a refreshing change, considering that other models have these features in automatic mode, so you’re free of getting the image you actually want.

Panasonic HDC-TM300 advantages

The playback function also lets you see the greatest footage put together from one shooting. The automatic stabilizer helps you in keeping the image object in focus, even if it changes constantly. It compliments itself well when connecting it to LCD screens and computers; the only thing is that you will need to buy the mini HDMI cable separately.

The real problem, though, emerges with the editing. The HD Writer software it comes with is fairly decent and manageable for arranging files to upload them to youtube. Panasonic has a proprietary format for their files and unless you strictly work under that, you can’t really do much in terms of converting. The same goes for the use of mini-DVD’s that have to be of the same brand. So, be aware of this when buying Panasonic.

If you want a great camera with three CCD’s with the best resolution possible and high color depth at a good price, this one is for you.

This model comes in 2, 4 and 8GB if you use an additional memory card. The design is simple yet fashionable with materials such as a velvet-like rubber that prevents dirt and dust from getting on the device, not to mention slipping out of nothing.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze features
The control wheel is made of a light matte plastic that allows for more control, instead of the rubber one. The screen of the Fuze model is inferior in resolution to the View (224×176 pixels) but at least is crisper and less shimmery or cheap looking than its predecessor.

The battery can last 24 hours but the video definitely falls short of the announced 5 hours. But you will be impressed by the responsiveness of the user interface. It makes it more straight forward and intuitive to use. You can go through the menus with ease either by rotating the wheel or clicking it up and down.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze downsides
The supported audio formats are MP3, WMA, WAV and AA. Sound quality is great, equal or better than the Clip. The entire spectrum of highs and lows is clear. If you want to improve the whole experience, you can buy better headphones.

The video only supports MPEG-4 at 20 FPS Divx. Not functional at all and again it falls on the ‘bonus feature’. Although you can use the Sansa media converter to make it fit, any long file can easily reach 1 GB in size. Is this worth your time? No. Just as the rate and bookmark option. For some reason you can do bookmark videos but not songs.

But great improvements that make up for it are the excellent reception of the FM radio, the more stable firmware, the audiobook and podcast support, the quasi photo viewer, the voice recording, and the microSD slot that can allow you to add up to 32GB of memory.

Audiobooks and podcasts can be organized and you can pause and play between each period. You can record on WAV files but the device doesn’t tell you the duration until you transfer it to the pc.

For barely the prices of around $260, and even less today, depending on your service provider, if you like to hear great quality music and use a fast internet connection, as well as sending pictures to your friends and relatives through SMS, MMS or email, this Nokia model will mean heaven for you.

According to the manual, the battery lasts 4.4 hours of talk time and 14 days of standby. As with most similar models, this estimation is untrue if you use all the media features regularly as they drain the battery quickly, so you’ll need frequent recharge.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic characteristics

The high definition touch screen or 3.2” (640×360 resolution with 16M colors) can definitely compete with that of the iPhone, along with the size that can easily fit the palm of your hand without being too lightweight and slippery.
The controls are very intuitive but the plastic fabric of the device can easily get dirty, dusty and even greasy with recurrent use, so it’s necessary to buy a screen protector separately, whether you use stylus pen or not.

The interface continues to be steady with the latest Symbian software. There’s a media bar that allows instant access to music, web browsing, photo and video features with barely one touch.
Then, the contacts bar highlights the most frequent and important people on your home screen, facilitating the access to call, text messaging and emails.

The music player can also be reached via Bluetooth. It has an 8 graphic equalizer, bass booster, stereo widening, and compatibility with MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, and WMA formats. Additionally, you can tune into your favorite radio programs with the stereo FM radio

The internal phone memory is up to 81Mb and that’s a good amount to storage photos and files. But if you want more space, there’s a microSD card slot available for 8GB and 16GB memory cards.
The 3.2 megapixel camera and camcorder makes a significant difference, being the highest resolution at its time of launch and the feature of uploading them to Youtube.

The camera’s lens is a Carl Zeiss, with a 640×480 and 640×352 widescreen resolution for videos; either at 15 or 30FPS, which is impressive as you can plug the device to a TV. Not to mention that you can shoot small videos at 176×144 15FPS for sharing by email, or MMS. Could you actually ask for more?
So is the media player with high-resolution widescreen video and surround sound and stereo speakers. The supported formats are: MPEG4 and WM9 at high definition.

The Internet connection and browsing is still one of the best in the market with the 3.5G technology for GSM/EDGE. You can use it as a dial-up modem.
The GPS system is supported by Nokia Ovi maps that provide assistance of address and directions in any country you are located in, whether you are a driver or a pedestrian. You can download information about key places, such as restaurants, hotels, mall center, specific companies, buildings, airports, and more.

Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic downsides

All being said, you can still choose to be overwhelmed by all the little gadgets and good things this phone has, or not. I’ve found that the interface is not exactly the most user-friendly if you’re not used to touch screens.
The photo/video camera can shoot outstandingly well for a cellphone in outdoors and indoors, as long as there’s not an excess of light or absence of it.

This is one of the few models in which I can actually go on and on about features. All I have left to say is that Nokia just played to put all the eggs in one basket at an incredibly inexpensive price of around $260-$300 and it blew the competition out of the water for quite some time (until the next generation of iPhone emerges, maybe?).

On the back there’s a 2 megapixel camera that lets you shoot pics, file them and send them as messages or emails to your friends or relatives, or use them for caller ID’s and for the main theme. Not bad for a start. You can take pics in 1600×1200, 1024×768 and 640×480. There’s the always necessary balance and color setting.

Blackberry curve 8330 features

The LED light turns on automatically in low light indoor settings, but the photos have some noise as expected of a 2 megapixel resolution. One additional feature is that you can now shoots small videos with audio, of 240×176 and 176×144 resolution, but you must storage them in your microSD card.

The video and audio quality suffers and stutters constantly. You can barely watch a 5 minute video without any interruption. The media player application is standard, with the basic playback controls, playlist and shuffle options. It plays MP4 files well, but forget about trying to play the WMV format.

Blackberry curve 8330 issues

You can listen to your MP3 and AAC files through an incorporated headset. The microSD card slot is great for additional memory, up to 4GB or 8GB. The only problem is that it’s located under the battery slot and of course you must turn off the device to put it, not to mention that it’s really slow to access it.The call quality is great and clear, whether you use GSM or CDMA technology. The hands free and headset profiles via Bluetooth are even louder.

As for Internet browsing, page rendering has improved considerably with advanced support for full HTML sites, Javascript, cookies and cache storing. Some pages can be rendered in 3 columns instead of 2 or the full view, so this can still be improved.

The Blackberry Curve demonstrates that it has the leadership when sending emails and the sort. The easiest and fastest interface you will see on the market. The rendering of elaborated HTML email is still an issue, though, with lots of broken pages, unless you have additional apps like BBSmart or Empower solutions.

One of the main new features were the GPS system with Blackberry maps that help you go through any city of your choosing without getting lost. The performance is fast an accurate for being a small, yet very practical GPS interface with routes, directions and voice guidance that you can even send to your friends, be it by email, SMS or PIN.The classic features are still there with the SMS, MMS and IM messaging, contacts, calendar, notes, tasks and such, as well as the BrickBreaker game.
The battery lasts an average of 4.3 hours of talk time and 11 days of standby mode. But if you use all the features together you will really need to charge every day. All being said, this phone is not afraid to make a statement about quality.

Obviously you lost the optical zoom and LED light in the process. This makes it an outdoor-use only camera.  You could still use it for particular events outside that may be worth capturing, and then easily processing it through the flash memory card it comes with expandable properties (up to 16GB). Aside from that, forget entirely about shooting indoors and other uses.

This model of Sony camcorder can record in H.264 high definition, and allows for 1440×1080/30p, 1280×720/30p and in SD (640×480/30p) format, and a selection between 5 shooting or scene modes that include Lowlight settings, but I’m not sure about the quality. The interface is user friendly with the buttons ‘Movie’ and ‘Still’ that lets you switch easily between modes.

Sony Webbie MHS-PM1 HD downsides

Other downside is that you have to pan slowly, otherwise the image will distort and yes, even pixelate a bit. At least the format of the video files is supported by iMovie and iPhoto since there’s always a certain yellowing of the shots. The 4X digital zoom has this same problem too, and it makes it frustratingly less versatile.

The advantage of the removable battery is that it can last 2 hours straight of shooting video, which makes it superior to Flip cameras that can barely shoot 60 minutes.

Sony Webbie MHS-PM1 HD camcorder features

This model features a swivel lens that allows you to shoot from all angles, to a maximum of 270°, including filming yourself. You can also take 5 megapixels stills which can be improvable but this quality is acceptable.

However, Flip cameras still take the cake regarding video quality in low light and night settings, and the audio picks sound really loud, even when you swivel the lens, so you’ll have to take extra care or that will mean more editing work for later.

Overall, this model is meant to be used as a second or even third camera if you don’t want to sweat it much when going to an event and filming a bit of what’s happening.