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The increased emphasis on portable design of camcorders, coupled with the popularity of video streaming on Youtube, Blip.TV and Vimeo, has led to a resurge in demand for the products.

For the less demanding who enjoy taking candid video shots for everyday sharing, the pocket-sized Flipshare Ultra HD can record video for up to 2 hours in 720p resolution. It has a 2-inch screen to allow easy playback, empowered with an 8GB memory and USB connectivity for convenient storage and uploading. Preloaded with the Flipshare software, the gadget is also a handy camera for still snapshots.

According to Stuff TV, Samsung has also launched two new high-performance pocket camcorder models this season – U15 and U20 – which have flip-out USB and full 1080p video capture. U15 can offer better performance in taking still pictures at a resolution of 14 megapixels, while the U20 model has a 3x optical zoom that can cater to close-up actions. Both models feature hyper image stabilisation function which ensures more stable and consistent quality in video and photo taking. The models are also available in a wide range of colours: black, silver, blue or red.

Meanwhile, highly portable in its design and with an attractive price that rivals a Flip camcorder, HP has recently launched its latest camcorder model HP V1020h, which features a stylish purple design, 2.5inch LCD display, up to 2x digital zoom,  720p HD recording with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The product has a USB connector to allow easy video uploading to social networking and video sites.  

Toshiba’s Camileo S20, a slim model with reasonable functionality at an affordable price, comes with a 4 x digital zoom, 720/30p HD, and supports WVGA and VGA video. It is also good at taking still shots, and empowered with a 16mp high quality function. The product comes in a choice of four colours – pink, red, silver and black – and includes a full set of accessories including an HDMI cable, a mini tripod, adaptors, cleaning cloth and pouch. 

For full HD professional users who require high performance rather than portability, Panasonic’s new 7000 series models offers a 3MOS high definition range, complete with ultra wide 35mm lens, motion megapixel count of 9 million, POWER OIS and face recognition functions. The camcorders can shoot 14 megapixel images and are equipped with 12 x optical zoom, manual focus rings, sound system with five microphone plug-ins and noise cancelling feature. Product prices are yet to be provided.

Given the considerable investment in buying a camcorder, consumers likely to use the product intensively or for an extended period may save more on repair or replacement costs in the long run from a gadget insurance plan that offers replacement in case of accidental damage or breakdowns with a worldwide cover.