Exemode DV308 pocket SD camcorder / MP3 player
By Darren Murph 
posted Aug 22nd 2006 4:46PM
posted Aug 22nd 2006 4:46PM
If you've been eyeing all these glitzy SD camcorders, but can't conjure up the coin to afford such niceties, Japan's Exemode has released the DV308 for pocket-sized recording on the cheap. While Panasonic's latest effort may sport 3CCDs, and Sanyo touts 720p, that's not the DV308's game -- with a plain 'ole 3.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, the inability to play nice with SD cards over 2GB, and the not-so-legendary Japanese ODM build quality, this device provides a no frills, inexpensive way to record to SD. The biggest boon is its ability to utilize XviD compression rather than the more typical MPEG-4 / 2, which reportedly allows up to 1.5 hours of recording on a single 2GB card. An apparent last ditch effort to boost the feature set sees an MP3 player thrown into the mix, but this isn't likely to become your DAP of choice anytime soon. While you won't find stunning attributes nor remarkable storage capabilities on this SD camcorder, your wallet will greatly thank you after dropping just ¥19,800 ($171) on the DV308 in late August.[Via Impress]
Wow. Good price. But it doesn't use DVD's or mini DV's, so you might not have enough space for your music collection and you holiday. Looks good though.
These little cams are best as in pocket documentors, not tha much happens in pockets. The one I picked up for less than $200NZD travels with me everywhere, doesn't need a case and I'm not going to kill myself if I drop it or forget it. The chip and specs on mine are the same as the Sony with the same design and $700 cheaper. Must say, I don't use the MP3 or voice recorder too much, but hte still photo and video combo work nicely.
However, I miss having a zoom and the light adjustment is a bit slow, overall, though, for what it is it's quite good. A YouTubers dream... See examples here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mcdonellabella
Protoplasm, Albatros, 20 degree down angle, Probe XG9086a, and Quantum Ion Filed Computing were all shot with this a unit with these specs.
Actually, I believe I bought my dad one of these for $100 in a crappy New York discount store this past Fathers Day. It had a 3.2 megapixel sensor, recorded to Compact Flash, did video, audio and pictures as well as acted as a webcam when connected via USB. And it used XViD for video.
Something cheap like this is handy to have around for when you just want to have fun and fool around - you don't have to worry as much about dropping it or losing it or whatever.