The EZ300HD has an HD shooting mode--but don't expect true HD quality.
(Credit: RCA)Got a look at RCA's new EZ300HD Thursday and at first touch it appears to be a significant step up from the other budget camcorders in the company's Small Wonder line.
The highlights here are a 720p (1280x720) HD shooting mode, a 2.4-inch LCD with "improved viewing in bright sunlight," and a swiveling lens that gives you more flexibility when shooting. The 2GB of built-in memory gives you one hour of recording time in HD mode or six hours of recording time in the lower-resolution YouTube capture mode. The EZ300HD is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack and its memory can be expanded by purchasing a higher-capacity SD card.
On paper at least, the EZ300HD matches up well with Kodak's Zi6, which also bills itself as an HD camcorder. We had this to say about that model: "The Kodak Zi6 is technically an HD camcorder the way a tomato is technically a fruit: it meets the definition, but doesn't deliver the experience. True, the Zi6 records video in 1,280x720-pixel resolution at both 30 frames per second and 60fps--720p resolution--which technically qualifies it as an HD camcorder, but a lot of factors go into creating an image, not just a CMOS sensor capable of capturing an image at a certain resolution and frame rate."
We assume the same will be true of the Small Wonder EZ300HD, but as usual, we'll reserve final judgment until we get a review sample. At least the EZ300HD is less expensive than the Kodak Zi6, which currently costs about $175. The EZ300HD carries a list price of $159.99, but according to the PR rep, it will be sold at Circuit City for $130.
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On Sale Now: $99.99
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The EZ210
(Credit: RCA)The latest iteration of RCA's Small Wonder video cameras is now available. Along with Creative's just-released $99 Vado, the new trio of Small Wonders is competing with Flip Video's popular budget cams, which--by some estimates--have snagged up to one-eighth of the overall camcorder market.
We liked how previous Small Wonder models had a flip-out LCD, and we're happy to report that two of the new models sport this feature. It's also worth noting that all the models have some form of removable memory, which means you can always carry around an extra card with you to store more videos. Alas, RCA hasn't gone with a rechargeable battery--but the new models are pretty affordable. Two come in at less than $100, while the splash-resistant Traveler model comes in at $149.99.
There was some talk at CES about the EZ300HD, a Small Wonder that would allegedly shoot at "HD" resolution (1,280 x 720). However, that model hasn't materialized yet.
Here's the lineup:
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RCA Small Wonder EZ201
You might remember hearing about the RCA Small Wonder EZ201 just a few months ago at CES 2007. It's the follow-up to RCA's inexpensive, extremely simple digital camcorder, the Small Wonder EZ101. It's finally shipped--just in time for Mother's Day.
The $130 camcorder's predecessor fared poorly in our tests, scoring a disappointing 5.6. Thankfully, this new version makes several improvements over that version, including twice as much on-board memory (capable of recording 60 minutes of video compared to the EZ101's 30 minutes), an SD card memory slot, and a flip-out 1.5-inch LCD screen. It also quashes the irritating clicking noise the EZ101's buttons made, so it might indeed shape up to be a far better Mother's Day gift candidate than the previous model. If your mother is a technophobe who wants to shoot simple videos without much hassle or complication, this inexpensive little camcorder might be worth a shot. Keep an eye out for our review of the RCA Small Wonder EZ201 in the future.
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