Hard Drive Camcorders

Some of my favorite family home videos from my childhood are from this time of year. Whether we watch ourselves obsess over opening THE toy of the season or cry hysterically while sitting on Santa’s lap, the holidays bring some of the best memories that I love to look back on. Personally I think videos are the best way to relive the good old days, so every family should own a video camera to capture all of the precious moments. The only problem comes when sorting through countless tapes and mini discs, as well as worrying about them losing quality. Solution: a hard drive camcorder. These have internal memory storage so your videos will be saved to the device itself, which you can then load onto your computer and create plenty of backup copies. Amazing? Yes.

I think the Flip UltraHD is my favorite because it is so compact and easy to use. It’s tiny and thin, basically the size of a regular digital camera. The design of the camera is a little unconventional so it might not be the best for long term usage, but it’s perfect for on-the-go use since you can easily throw it in your bag. It also has a built in USB connector so you can plug it into your computer and instantly upload it without spending time searching for the cord.

The JVC GZMG630 Everio Digital Camcorder series is another compact hard drive option that weighs less than a pound and comes in silver, red and blue. It has 60GB of video storage and records in high definition so it can play back vividly with 1920×1080 pixel resolution. This one is built more like a regular video camera so it might be more comfortable for long-term use, and has some fancier features like 20x optical zoom and Auto Illumi Light for low-light areas.

If you’re already set with a video camcorder for your family, I guarantee that someone on your holiday shopping list would love to unwrap one on Christmas morning!

-Katie