The best full HD waterproof pocket camcorders 2011

There are a lot of minicamcorders on the market, but not all of them can withstand a 5-foot drop or a dunk in a pool. And actually, last year you really couldn't find any that could survive those things. This year, though, you can pick models from Kodak, Panasonic, JVC.

Consumer camcorders including 3D and now after testing the waters of the pocket camcorder market with the Panasonic HM-TA20, Kodak PlaySport ZX5, JVC Picsio GC-WP10 , which all of them can withstand a 5-foot drop or a dunk in a pool.

The leaders here are Kodak PlaySport Zx5 and Panasonic HM-TA20. The Panasonic is more expensive than and isn’t as full featured as the PlaySport, but it’s still less than $200 and does just enough. It also seems better designed for keeping water and dust out. However, it has a large 3-inch touch screen that’s destined to be covered in scratches.

Pocket camcorder technology continues to evolve at the same pace as full size camcorders, so with many things the best of something depends on your needs and use and we thought that our categories represent what each one needs and uses. As you well know, there are many different waterproof pocket video camcorders on the market. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, so read this full HD waterproof pocket camcorders 2011 to help  you to choose when you are looking through waterproof pocket camcorders.

Top1: Panasonic HM-TA20 with night version

The new Panasonic HM-TA20 waterproof HD pocket camcorder is dustproof, shockproof to 1.5 metres and waterproof to 3 metres with a tough design for active outdoor shooting. Panasonic HM-TA2 pocket camcorder records Full HD 1920×1080 30p video and 8MP stills, and is equipped with Night View mode which lets you shoot with twice the brightness of the previous model HM-TA1. Night View mode automatically detects dark scenes and the mode selector button lights up on the large 3 inch LCD screen which has touch operation.



An electronic image stabilizer is included, a linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) system records sounds that are faithful to the original, and a tripod stand is included. The new Panasonic HM-TA2 pocket camcorder is the cheapest in the new range of Panasonic camcorders and sells for under £150.

Top2: Kodak PlaySport Zx5, The All-Terrain Most Attractive

Shockproof, dustproof and waterproof up to 10 ft, the Kodak PlaySport  Zx5 pocket camcorder records Full HD 1080p in MP4 format and 5 MP stills, incredible low-light performance with 1/3.2-type CMOS sensor to 128 MB internal memory + SD/SDHC card slot (up to 32 GB) with a 4X digital  zoom.



Digital image stabilization and smart face recognition, auto focus which is good even underwater, on-camera editing, macro mode the ability to focus from 4 inches to infinity with automatic detection or user selectable, even being able to record in macro under water and a mono microphone with speaker.

Top3: JVC Picsio GC-WP10

The JVC GC-WP10 is a waterproof camcorder with some unforgivable design flaws. True, the camcorder did well in our performance tests, but using the WP10 was one of the most frustrating experiences we’ve had with a piece of modern technology. Its touchscreen interface was terrible, as was its thick and clunky design, and the processing power of the camcorder was abysmal. The WP10 would freeze up for a few seconds after you selected any menu option, and the process of simply moving from one menu screen to another took much longer than it should have.

We’re not crazy about the design of the Panasonic HM-TA20 either, but it is definitely better than the JVC GC-WP10. It has a thinner frame and a slightly better grip (although it’s still not good). We also like the touchscreen and interface on the Panasonic quite a bit better—even though both camcorders have some strong flaws. When it comes to waterproof camcorders with touchscreens, it seems both Panasonic and JVC have a long way to go, but Panasonic is at least a bit farther along at this point.

Top4: Panasonic HM-TA1

The Panasonic HM-TA1 was Panasonic’s first foray into the world of ultracompact or Flip-type camcorders. There was a lot we didn’t like about the TA1, but we usually expect a number of faults in a first-generation product. The HM-TA20 isn’t the direct successor to the TA1, as that would be Panasonic’s HM-TA2, but the TA20 is part of the company’s second-wave of ultracompact models (the TA1 and TA2 are not waterproof, thus they are more compact, but have most of the same features of the TA20).

We love the addition of a waterproof camcorder into Panasonic’s repertoire, and there were a few design improvements that helped make the TA20 a less frustrating camcorder than the TA1. The touchscreen interface has its problems, but the overall durability of the TA20 is far better than what we experienced with the TA1. The image quality of the two camcorders isn’t all that much different, and you could even argue the TA1 has a slight edge, but we did find the TA20 to be superior in low light. In the end, the two camcorders are probably even in overall video performance.

Tips: Panasonic HM-TA20, Kodak PlaySport ZX5, JVC GC-WP10 and Panasonic HM-TA1  record full HD video, but if you want to import theses camcorder HD video to iMovie’11, FCE, FCP for further editing, you will need convert HD video to MOV, HD video to MPEG-4 with video converter for mac lion.

If you are on Windows, please refer to video converter.

Related: Panasonic HM-TA20 waterproof pocket review