Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season.
Photos make great mementos for important moments, but a picture of your kid taking her first step or writing his first blog post isn't quite as meaningful as a full-motion video of the event in question. That's why a video recorder of some sort is a must-have, and while your average compact camera is capturing better footage than ever, sometimes you need something a little more dedicated. That's when you need a camcorder, and this year we even have a bunch of 3D models to choose from. Which ones are right for you and for your budget? Click on through to find out.
Stocking stuffers
Flip disappointed us this year by releasing only the underwhelming Slide HD, but plenty of imitators cut in to take up the slack. GE is one of the least expensive, with its durable DV1 which, for under $100, will record 1080p video to SD and do so underwater. Sure, it might be a little cold for swimming now, but warmer days are coming. |
Viewsonic 3DV5 - $169 and up | GoPro HD Hero 960 - $179 |
Oh, you shouldn't have
Last year's $150 Xacti VPC-CG100 is still a great choice and a great bargain for 720p video recording, but if you need something that will capture a few more pixels and do so while you're hanging 10 (or just hanging out) on the beach, the DMX-CA100 (aka the VPC-CA102) is your shooter, managing 1080p through a 6x optical zoom while also surviving 10 foot plunges into the depths. |
Zoom Q3HD - $299 | Canon 60D - $999 |
We can't afford the rent now, can we?
Stepping up to the big money now, and the big quality. The HDC-SDT750 is one of Panasonic's higher-end consumer models, packing a 3MOS sensor and 1080p shooting. But, clip on the included 3D conversion lens and you're shooting in stereo -- though at half the resolution. |
Sony NEX-VG10 - $1,769 and up | RED One Mysterium X - $25,000 | ||
Panasonic AF105 Micro Four Thirds - $4,795 and up |