SETUP
If you were expecting a rechargeable battery and an AC adapter, image stabilization and optical zooming, you're reading the wrong review. But the Small Wonder does include two AA batteries. Insert them in the camcorder, press the On/Off button, and you're ready to watch the 1.5-minute demo that pretty much covers all the features. The built-in speaker is a necessity, since the single A/V output won't accommodate your earphones. You can insert your own SD card for extra recording time, but you may not need one since the camcorder's built-in memory is sufficient for between 25 and 30 minutes in the HQ ("high quality") mode and up to 60 minutes in the LP ("long play") mode. A tab on the side of the camcorder switches between them.
One of the Small Wonder's most interesting features is a pop-out USB connector that lets you plug the device directly into your PC for uploading your videos. A standard extension cable is provided in case of adjacent port congestion. (An attached EZ201 needs to clear 6-inches in front of the USB port.) You also don't have to worry about misplacing the Small Wonder applications CD-ROM (there isn't one) or an Internet connection to download them, because they're built into the camcorder and upload directly to the PC when you connect the device (sorry, no Mac support yet). And the USB port supplies power to the camcorder, which should put your mind at ease over the disposable batteries petering out mid-transfer.
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The Short Form
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| Price $130 / rca.com / 800-336-1900 |
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Snapshot
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| A no-frills point-and-shooter for a family inclined to capture video clips spontaneously for posting on a Web site or emailing to friends and relatives. |
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Plus
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| •Small enough to carry in pocket •Camcorder attaches directly to PC's USB port •Built-in speaker and tripod thread •Anyone can use the editing software |
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Minus
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| •Difficult to see what's on viewscreen in bright daylight •No external microphone input or optical zoom (only 2x digital zoom) •Mediocre video quality •Camcorder can't take stills |
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Key Features
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| •Foldout 1.5-inch display/viewfinder •Up to 30 minutes recording time at HQ (best) quality via 500 megabytes of internal memory •SD/MMC slot for more recording time •Editing software uploads to PC from camcorder •Outputs: Popup USB connector (extension cable provided); A/V jack for composite video and stereo audio •2.5 x 4.5 x .75 in; 5.25 oz |
For my first video subject, I decided to capture the maiden voyage of a radio-controlled flying insect, the FlyTech RC Dragonfly from RadioShack. The EZ201 turned out to be a true point-and-shoot camera. Because the LCD is tough to make out in bright daylight, and there's no hood or dedicated viewfinder, I found it more useful to point the camcorder in the general direction of my subject and simply shoot. That way, I could use my full vision to track the erratic flight path, and, luckily, my aim must have been pretty good: On playback, the Dragonfly stayed in frame. The built-in microphone captured my nearby voice too well as I shouted, "Watch out for the branch," drowning out the buzz from the fly. There's no way to attach an external microphone.
The next day I used the EZ201 to record my niece blowing out her birthday cake candles. Inside, I had no trouble seeing the screen, and the camera was able to capture faces in the dim light even after the candles were extinguished.
I connected the EZ201 to my 50-inch HDTV using the included composite-video/stereo-audio cable (the only A/V output provided on the camera). Bumped to a big high-def screen like that, the video quality in the HQ (best quality) mode reminded me of a VHS EP (Extended Play) tape, while the LP mode was just about unwatchable. Though both HQ and LP modes deliver video at 30 frames per second, HQ resolution is just 640 x 480 pixels and LP a meager 448 x 336. The EZ201 uses MPEG-4 to capture video at 2.5 megabits per second (HQ) and 1.4 Mbps (LP). I made a run for my computer.
The EZ201's best feature may be the Small Wonder Memory Manager application built into the device that uploads into the computer. Editing down the funniest parts of the Dragonfly clip was a matter of dragging start and end pointers along the clip's time line. I then posted the clip to YouTube, which you can view at http://youtube.com/watch?v=D85oyx166Oc. And I emailed the birthday clip of my niece to all the relatives. The Memory Manager software converts files to the Windows Media Video (WMV-V9) format for upload at 320 x 240 pixels (250 kbps) and email at 240 x 180 (160 kbps).
Though most camcorders and cell phones double as still cameras, enabling you to take VGA or better pictures, the Small Wonder just shoots video. Once in your computer, though, the Memory Manager software enables you to grab a frame at a resolution based on whether the video was recorded in HQ or LP mode. It's not an ideal way to save images, but it does keep the camcorder's own functions to a minimum.
BOTTOM LINE
TV screen size and resolution in the living room have so dramatically increased over the past decade that source components, including camcorders, have struggled to keep up. When it comes to capturing a family's important life events, anyone interested in home video would be hard pressed to recommend anything less than a miniDV camcorder, if not a high-def model. But RCA didn't design this product as the wedding videographer's weapon of choice. It's no surprise that the video and audio quality of this toy-like device will seem sub-par in a home theater, but that's not the point. The RCA EZ201 Small Wonder camcorder is really meant for shooting spontaneous moments and then leveraging the sharing power of the Internet. It's amazing how forgiving the YouTube generation is when it comes to quality if the video is funny or dramatic enough. For them, any video trumps no video. Besides parents taking an EZ201 with them without a second thought when they leave home, the Small Wonder is a fine first camcorder for a child full of wonder.
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