This little digital camcorder is giving Flip some competition, finally! My primary complaint about the Flip is that it has internal memory only, so if you want more recording time you have to upgrade your Flip to the newest model or download the video to your computer and erase the recordings on the Flip. With this camera, you can just upgrade to an 8 GB micro SD card (if the 2 GB included card is not enough for you).
The RCA Small Wonder Traveler has solved a lot of problems for our family. First, both of our Flips have broken over the past year and a half, so that put me in the market for a replacement. I stumbled upon this, and was decided to give it a try.
There are several reasons why this is superior to the Flip. First, it comes with a 2 GB micro SD card that will record one hour of "high quality" or four hours of web quality. We have been using the high quality mode which does a great job adjusting for the various lighting conditions whether or not we are indoors or out.
Secondly, this comes with a lens cap to keep your lens free of debris and scratches when stored.
Additionally, this is a very rugged camera and would be great for outdoors and use by less than careful children. If you find that one hour of high quality recording (or four hours of web quality) is not enough time, you can upgrade to an 8 GB micro SD card to quadruple your time. This camera has been dropped a couple of times without injury.
Although the buttons are similar in function to the Flip, I was surprised to find a still photo button, so that makes it easy to use this as both a still camera and a video camera. Although the quality is certainly not as good as an 8 MP digital camera, I think this would make a nice back up camera or child's camera since it's so rugged and has both video and still modes.
This camcorder also comes with a tripod screw mount, so it works with the
Joby GP1-01EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod (Grey) for easy attachment in various places such as door handles, dressers, tables, chairs, buckets, railings, and more.
A USB extension cable is included to make it easy to hook up to your computer, as well as a carrying strap and pouch, 2 AA batteries, and a set of AV cables so it can be hooked up to the TV for instant playback.