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As you can see in the photo to the right, both the Isonic Snapbox HD665 and the RCA Small Wonder are about the same size - and both are the same size as the Flip Video models.

When I decided to buy a mini digital video camera earlier this year, I went with the RCA over the Flip for one feature: because the LCD screen flips both ways on the RCA Small Wonder, making it easier to frame a self-video. Happy as I’ve been with the RCA, I just bought the Isonic Snapbox camera so that I could shoot HD widescreen video.

I’m not so sure I’m impressed with the HD665…

What I’ve done is create two videos for you - one with my RCA Small Wonder, and the second with the new Isonic Snapbox HD665. To keep the comparison as clean as possible, I took both videos side by side in the same location, published them both using the same settings, and uploaded them both to YouTube:

Video 1 - RCA Small Wonder

Video 2 - Isonic Snapbox HD665

For a fair comparison click play on both videos and watch them at the same time. And of course it would be best to view each video on YouTube, and click the “watch in high quality” or “watch in HD” link just below the player on each. Here are the links to each video on YouTube:

Video 1 - RCA Small Wonder
Video 2 - Isonic Snapbox HD665

I love the idea of the Isonic Snapbox as it has tons of cool features - which I’m still figuring out as I go. For example, in addition to being a media player and voice recorder… you can hook it up to your laptop or PC and use it for live video conferencing or to send video emails.

That said, as I mentioned above - I’m not all that impressed with it just yet. The RCA Small Wonder is incredibly easy to use, while the Isonic Snapbox HD665 is a little more complicated. Or at least makes some assumptions about your video knowledge. As you can see here, I was feeling quite frustrated:

Frustrated from Lynn terry on Vimeo.

Smell my frustration there? Blah. Of course, it helps if you’re not a complete video idiot -lol. And to be sure, I’ve had my moments… one of which I learned a great lesson from:

That explains the fuzzy quality of my Christmas video Duh!

Minutes after I shot that nifty little video tip (heh), I shot this 2nd video with my handy-dandy RCA Small Wonder. Again you’ll notice the range is much broader with this cam:

Notice the difference in the size of the YouTube player on this video, compared to the two above? You have the option of embedding the 425 width, or the 480 width when posting the videos to your blog or on a website.

Even if your video is not widescreen, it will fill the 480 width player without any black space on either side - it just adjusts the height proportionately.

But if you are watching videos on YouTube, they automatically use the widescreen player. So any non-widescreen videos have the black spaces on the left and right of your video.

If this is the only real perk to the new camera, I dont know that it was worth the upgrade. I’m quite sure (in my case at least) that most people view my videos on my blog - unless I specifically link to them on YouTube (which is rare).

Honestly, how many people are going to click through to YouTube, and then click again to watch a video in HD or in high quality mode? Wouldnt you normally just click play and watch the video wherever you found it - ie embedded in a blog post or on a web page?

What about Video Quality?

Meh - I’m not seeing a dramatic improvement in quality. I’ve watched the video from the RCA Small Wonder, and the video from the Isonic Snapbox HD665 side by side - the first in high quality and the second in HD. I also watched them side by side with both videos in normal quality mode.

I do notice a slight improvement in video quality with the Isonic Snapbox camera… but nothing to write home about (in my opinion).

The color seems off on the Isonic Snapbox videos to me. A little green, maybe?? But there again, it could be something in the settings. Not something I’ve ever had to worry about with the RCA Small Wonder (just unbox & use!).

Also, the RCA Small Wonder has a flat bottom and will stand up on a flat surface on its own. The Isonic Snapbox has a rounded bottom and wont stand up on its own. Luckily my mini flex tripod fits both cameras, but its a pain to have to screw in the tripod for a quickie…

I’m thinking very seriously about returning the Isonic Snapbox HD665, and ordering an RCA EZ300HD Small Wonder instead, which is the HD version of my original RCA Small Wonder.

If I must go HD, that is. Keep in mind that we’re talking amateur mini video cameras here, for amateur use - obviously these models dont compare in quality to professional cameras.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Is the Isonic Snapbox HD665 a crappy camera, or is all this HD talk just noise when it comes to amateur cameras? Do you really notice *that* big a difference?

I confess that I’m exhausted trying to learn the new camera (I’m a bit slow with those things, though) and worn out comparing the two… so I may be jumping the gun giving the Isonic Snapbox a less than glowing review. I could really use your input here.

Best,

p.s. Be sure to read the comments below for updates on this ongoing review, and subscribe to ClickNewz for future reviews & comparisons. You’ll also find reviews & product details on Amazon.com for each of the 3 products mentioned:

• Isonic Snapbox HD665
• RCA EZ300HD Small Wonder
• Flip Video MinoHD

Trisha Lyn Fawver posted a useful collection of affiliate advice from folks in the industry, Top 14 Tips for Affiliate Success, at the New Edge Media Blog.

Tips included are from Jim Kukral, Michael Buechele, Sam Harrelson, Scott Jangro, and a handful of others.

Here is what I shared:

Few affiliates are using video, so you should jump in and fill the void. Your computer probably has the software you need (Windows Movie Maker on PC and iMovie on Mac), so make videos with a digital camera, edit, upload and dominate your niche.

Check out all of the tips at http://www.newedgemedia.com/blog/index.php/2008/11/top-14-tips-for-affiliate-success.

Today’s product review takes a look at the Pentax Optio M50 8mp Digital Camera with 5X Optical Zoom. Pentax has been around quite a while in the photography industry. Let’s see how their entry level digital camera stacks up against others in the same price range.

Review Continued Below…

A quick look at the specs tells us the following about the Pentax Optio M50.  It has a 5X optical zoom with digital shake reduction, 9 point autofocus, rechargeable battery, built-in flash, macro focus and several other features you would expect a well equipped, lower price, digital camera to have. It has a generous 51.1 MB of memory, while this is small by today’s standards it’s better than many other cameras in the same price range that stop at 16MB or 32MB. This can be upgraded via the SD memory slot though.

The Pentax Optio M50 digital camera is available with a light blue and pink metallic finish as well as silver at a slightly higher price. This makes it attractive to teens and tweens who want a digital camera of their own. Given the price range that you can find this camera for these days, it would make a good gift item for someone in this age range.

There are a few neat features that the Optio M50 has such as the ability to take pictures in B&W and Sepia tones if you feel artistic and don’t want to fire up Photoshop to do the work for you. The panorama mode is also a nice touch. There’s also a ’smile capture’ feature built into it’s face recognition technology. This is a fun feature although it isn’t perfect.

The few gripes I have about the Pentax Optio M50 are much like others I have with lower end digital cameras. First, there is no viewfinder so you have to frame your picture in the LCD screen. Call me old-fashioned but I find that I frame shots much better with a viewfinder. The digital features, like the shake reduction and auto face recognition are rather weak as compared to higher end digital cameras. As long as your expectations are in line with the price range you probably won’t be disappointed though.

The picture quality of the Pentax Optio M50 digital camera is quite good, perhaps the best I’ve seen in the $75-150 8mp price range. While the color tones aren’t as good as a nice analog 35mm camera or higher end digital cameras they are quite adequate for ordinary every day picture taking.

My bottom line on the Pentax Optio M50 8mp Digital Camera with 5X Optical Zoom is that it’s a good value for the money with very good picture quality and a plethora of features that should satisfy most casual photography needs.