Review: JVC Everio GZ-HD5 HD camcorder

JVC’s Everio GZ-HD5 is a digital camcorder that uses three charge-coupled devices (CCDs) to record high-definition video to its built-in 60GB hard drive. The quality of the video captured on the GZ-HD5 was decent (though we’ve seen better), and the quirky methods necessary to transfer the video to your Mac are far from elegant.

720p in your pocket: hands on with the Flip MinoHD

Camcorders have become small enough to fit in our pockets, and now they're shooting HD video. The new Flip MinoHD from Pure Digital Technologies offers 720p video and 4GB of storage in a package nearly as small as a deck of cards. Our testing shows it's decent HD solution if you value portability and simplicity.Read More...

FireWire feedback from readers and Apple

Yesterday's discussion post about the exclusion of FireWire from the newest MacBooks generated a tremendous amount of reader feedback and discussion. We decided to take an unscientific straw Twitter poll which generated a large response, underscoring that for the Mac community, FireWire is a big deal. The responses to the blog post were largely in support of my thesis: that losing FireWire from the MacBook is a big deal and a potential (or actual) deal-breaker for many, many users. This was to be expected, as people who are upset about FireWire's disappearance are more likely to respond to an article sharing that sentiment. On Twitter, however, when we just asked, "Is the lack of FireWire on the new unibody MacBook a deal-breaker for you, yes or no?" the data was less skewed.A majority of the Twitter users that responded to our poll said "no, it is not a deal-breaker." Many commented that the loss is disappointing, but ultimately it won't prevent them from buying a new MacBook. Still, more than one third of the responses were "yes, this is a deal-breaker." Many users are considering putting off upgrading altogether; others expressed discomfort with being forced to buy a MacBook Pro (either the new units, or the now heavily-discounted older units). A note to concerned future MacBook Pro users: you can get an inexpensive cable with FW400 on one end and FW800 on the other -- no adapter needed, just a new cord for your camera or audio device. Be warned, however, that the presence of a FW400 device in the chain will drop the speed of any FW800 devices to the older standard. Reader David sent Steve Jobs (or sjobs@apple.com) an e-mail, expressing his disappointment by the lack of FireWire on new MacBooks. The response (which David forwarded and we verified had the correct mail-header information), is pretty interesting...Continue reading FireWire feedback from readers and AppleRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Review: Kodak Zi6 HD mini camcorder

The mini camcorder market is heating up. Kodak's new HD-capable device is an impressive offering and is a definite contender amongst camcorders such as Pure Digital's Flip Ultra and Flip Mino.

Review: Flip Mino portable camcorder

Although the video quality produced by the Flip Mino is anything but pristine, this affordable and useful camera—with its go-anywhere, shirt-pocket convenience and simple operation—could turn out to be one of your favorite gadgets.

Review: Pentax Optio A40 point-and-shoot camera

If you consider just the camera itself, Pentax’s Optio A40 is a good all-around performer. It’s small and sturdy enough to take anywhere, and it has very good image quality and shooting modes that make taking pictures a breeze.