Best Budget Camcorder
Budget camcorders are ideal for families, amateurs and first-time buyers that want to shoot quality home videos without breaking the bank. These models will still run you a couple hundred dollars and can’t match the video quality or features found on more expensive camcorders, but are solid performers for the money.
Why it's best:
The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is the successor to the very popular Flip MicroHD Camcorder. This pocket-sized HD camcorder can record up to 120 minutes of HD video onto its 8GB of built-in memory. It is a bit bigger than its predecessor due to its larger screen. The battery is r... read full review
Price Range:
$179.00 - $199.99
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STAPLES $199.99
Buydig.com $199.00
Why it's a best pick:
The Creative Vado HD is similar to the Flip UltraHD in terms of size, design, and function. It’s extremely easy to use and records up of 720p HD video to its 8GB internal memory. It also features a mini HDMI output that lets you watch videos directly on an HDTV; as a b...
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Sears.com $229.99
Why it's a best pick:
This sleek, compact camcorder records video to its built-in 60GB hard drive and offers an impressive Carl Zeiss 60x optical zoom lens. While its video quality won’t blow you away and it does not record in HD, the Sony DCR-SR47 is a great choice for casual users and fam...
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$309.99 - $399.99
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Crutchfield.com $349.99
Beach Camera $329.00
Why it's a best pick:
The Aiptek Action HD GVS 1080P belongs to a class of very inexpensive camcorders that can record 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. While you shouldn’t expect the video quality to come close to higher-end HD camcorders from Sony or Canon, the Aiptek’s video ...
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$197.99 - $215.99
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AllAmericanDirect.com $197.99
Mwave.com $215.99
Why it's a best pick:
The Flip Video Ultra is an extremely affordable, portable, easy to use camcorder that offers impressive video quality and sound quality for its size and price. Rather than recording HD video like the Flip UltraHD, the Flip Ultra records up to 120 minutes of 640x480 (VGA) vid...
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$129.95 - $149.99
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STAPLES $149.99
PC Connection $129.95