Hands-on the Small Wonders EZ200 Camcorder

If I had to choose between one of the many ultra-compact disposable camcorders out there, I'd probably go with RCA's Small Wonder camera for three reasons: affordability, ease of use, and expansion slot. The company released four camcorders recently, and I got my hands on the Small Wonder EZ200 MyLife, which I will review for you in this post.

My first impression of the EZ200 was that it was very compact and very stylish compared to the original model. The camera's lens is in the center of the device, with a microphone cleverly placed next to the lens. On the opposite side of the camera is a flip-out screen for self-recording. Behind that is a flip-out USB connector that plugs straight into your computer, a small speaker, and a cluster of buttons to operate the camera.

It runs on AA batteries so you can start using it right out of the box, and it has a microSD expansion slot so you can record for as long as you want--just make sure you pack extra batteries and memory cards. The package includes a few extras like an AV cable, a USB extension for desktop owners, and a protective case. This particular camcorder is only available in black, but you can personalize it with skins from SkinIt.

When you turn the camcorder on, you'll see the recording time displayed on the screen along with the status and the video quality. Users can choose to record videos in Web quality or high quality by switching a button on the side of the camcorder.

Videos looked 100 percent better when recorded in high quality, especially in low lighting, but keep in mind that if you record in HQ you'll need a bigger memory card because HQ videos will cut your recording time in half. Still, I think it's well worth it.

These types of camcorders are designed for those who want to quickly upload their videos to places like YouTube, so ease of use is very important. Video editing software is automatically loaded to your computer the first time you connect your camcorder, so no disks or downloads are needed.

The software is very basic with three tabs to view videos, edit videos, and share videos with others. I created a few clips with no problems, although I kept getting errors when using the YouTube uploading feature.

I uploaded a quick hands-on review video to both YouTube and Blip.TV for comparison, so you can see how much video quality degrades when it goes online. The videos stored on my computer looked a lot better, even when I watched them in full size.

Overall, it's a good camcorder for teens, but I won't exactly recommend it to capture memories you really want to show the kids when they grow up.