Inexpensive Camcorder Solution?

November 17, 2005 7:47 PM

CheapCamcorderFilter: I am looking for an inexpensive camcorder that would give adequate performance for videos. It does not need to be nice and fancy, perfectly crisp, etc. - just adequate. The CVS one-time-use camcorder offers a quality that is passable, barely. The cost though is way too high when you consider it's only 20 minutes of video for about $40 with "processing."

Anyone know of something that would give comparable performance as the CVS camcorder, but could be used more than once? I have heard of hacks for the CVS camera, but I'm not interested in doing that. I'd have to buy it all hacked and ready-to-go with the USB port. But really, I would prefer a different solution. Thoughts? Ideas? Thanks in advance!

posted by Independent Scholarship to Technology (7 answers total)

Funny you should mention this today; I was talking with my kid sister earlier this afternoon about the video camera she bought on eBay. I'm not sure who makes them but there are dozens for sale from different vendors, all for around $80-$90. They are tiny things, powered by two AA batteries, and record 320x420 video onto SD cards.
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:54 PM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Have you actually seen the quality yet?

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posted by Independent Scholarship at 8:15 PM on November 17, 2005

http://www.google.com/search?q=cvs+video+camera+hack

http://rift.org/1128/2005/03/cvs-camcorder/

http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1577

and so forth. Sorry, no time for HTML linkups today.
posted by intermod at 8:26 PM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: intermod - Thanks for the time, but I said in the OP that I'm not interested in doing the CVS hack myself:
I have heard of hacks for the CVS camera, but I'm not interested in doing that.

Thanks anyway!

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posted by Independent Scholarship at 8:36 PM on November 17, 2005

No, I have not yet seen any video from her new camera.
posted by Mars Saxman at 8:52 PM on November 17, 2005

I've seen some great deals at http://www.bfads.net/
for black friday. I believe it was either compusa or bestbuy that had some cheap camcorder deals.

Of course you'd have to contend with the mob of people also trying to buy one...
posted by meta87 at 11:07 PM on November 17, 2005

This may not be up to the quality you want but just read about this children's camcorder in yesterday's NY Times Circuits section.
posted by gfrobe at 12:39 AM on November 18, 2005