Video in your pocket

Pocket camcorders are ideal for those who want an alternative to a full-sized camcorder. At $100 to $200, these minimalist models are significantly cheaper than their larger siblings. They're also smaller, lighter, and easier to use, with fewer controls or buttons. Plus they often have onboard software for easy editing and sharing of videos. The downside is that video quality has been middling at best.

Now a new crop of pocket camcorders has arrived, claimed to be high definition. We tested six to see if they could compete with the quality of traditional HD camcorders. The video quality of all six models was inferior to that of full-sized camcorders, though the Creative Vado HD, $100, and Pure Digital Flip Video Ultra HD, $200, performed better and were easier to use than the others.

They can record video at high-definition resolution, but that's only part of the picture. For example, the video quality of tested pocket models was far softer than that of any HD camcorder we've tested. Most decent standard-definition camcorders produced video that was much clearer in detail than the pocket HD models. And in low light, the pocket models performed far worse than the full-sized models.

Bottom line

Pocket camcorders can be handy for grabbing video when you don't want to take along the full-sized setup. But you don't need to pay extra for an HD version if a standard-definition version will do. A pocket camcorder can be fine for posting Web videos but probably won't land you a Hollywood contract.