TECH411.ORG

By Jon M. Cohen

Now as we see the dip in the economy the sales of low cost consumer electronic technology is going to increase. An odd trend you may say, well think of it like this; when times are hard and people are down the idea of buying or receiving a gift really helps lift ones spirits. Therefore the sub $200.00 price range is going to see a lot of increase of sales, plus more and more manufactures and retailers will be pumping out low cost products to please the majority of consumers.

Most people have a want for video in their lives, but in the past video cameras have been either priced to high or too large to carry around, with these small portable devices which in most cases are around the same size as a cell phone, I assume to see more and more people out and about using them.

One consumer product line that has seen a huge increase in sales are the ultra portable digital video camera. Ultra portable digital video cameras feature a good range of price while remaining below $200.00 and have a huge range of features. With companies like Flip Video, Creative, Kodak, DXG, and even Best Buy’s house brand “Insignia”, we see the options for these small devices going through the roof.

Some of the nice things you can do with these video cameras include quick upload to social media websites (such as YouTube, Facebook, MySpace). As well they offer very simple video editing software built right on to the camera’s internal memory. The ideal consumer levels for this products are teens all the way to seniors. Because it is so simple to use even the most non-techy person will be able to pick up this unit and get going right away.

Some key tips for the first time users are the following; Tip 1. Remember that a steady hand is needed, thus if you can use a tripod that would be best. If you find yourself not able to use a tripod then make sure you keep you arm still, if not it will look like you are getting sea sick while you are watching the video playback. Tip 2. Lighting is very important! These cameras are low priced and because of that they don’t offer great performance in low light or night shooting. So if you want to have video that you can share and watch it is very important that you are in the right lighting condition. Tip 3. Don’t waste time editing on the fly, instead do edit once you get home. The more you edit the more people want to watch! Add music, transitions, titles, and any other bells and whistles that make the video look great.

Fun times are ahead, go out and capture your life on video, whether it is for your own personal use, to share with friends and family, or to share on the web. You never know what you will see out there, and you never know when you will want to watch a video you have taken. Remember have fun!