Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black) Right now

First off, this isn't designed to replace your full-size camcorder. Furthermore, this isn't meant to be taken to a recital or athletic events. One day, possibly very soon, they will have technology to cram all the functionality of a full size camcorder into a small, palm-sized unit such as this Vado, but not today. Not yet.

I carry this around to catch funny moments that seem to happen often when you're chasing a toddler. Vado has a digital zoom, but forget about it. Just walk closer. So your toddler is er, toddling toward the sleeping cat... You know little kids and pets, especially sleeping, twitchy ones, together is comic gold. Whip it out and you'll be recording before your kid steps on the cat's tail and the cat jumps about 3 ft in the air. With full-size camcorder... Well, I'd have to run to the office to get the thing and... You get my point.

I haven't had any issues with battery life or recording space. It's easy to pull out of pocket and starts to record almost instantly, so you don't feel like you'll miss important moments by turning it off and putting it back in your pocket. And ease and speed of Vado encourage quick, cogent clips, not meandering 40 minute long clips that has maybe 2-3 funny moments.

Video quality is pretty good but you definitely need good lighting. It can be kind of twitchy in your hands if you're not steady, as there is no motion compensation. But unnecessary panning and zooming are hallmarks of amateur videos anyway. Frame the shot, shoot, stop, move to another framed shot, shoot, and so on and so forth. Your video will look better and your family and friends won't suffer through motion headaches. However, every time you stop, Vado creates a separate clip so you'll need to join them and edit them. I haven't looked into it that much but my modest attempts so far with divx suite and Windows movie program ahve not yielded a good result.

All in all, I think this is an excellent product.Get more detail about Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black).