Digital Cameras For The YouTube Craze

The recent release of the Flip Mino is aiming to make video easier to take and upload to the Web. Not everyone can afford to have a camera crew follow them around to customer sites and industry events, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be documented. More and more the urge to be seen and heard on the Web is taking over. The Flip Mino is primarily a video camera that can take some quick snaps. Digital cameras have been taking pictures since their inception but more and more are able to take videos. Check out these cameras that will let you, like YouTube says, broadcast yourself.

Flip Mino by Pure Digital Technologies

The Flip Mino is the latest, ultra portable digital camera to hit the market. Coming in under 4 inches tall and less than 2 inches wide, the Mino fits easily into a shirt pocket. With 2GB of internal memory and 60 minutes of recording time, the Mino makes it easy to get an interview or record the details of an interesting keynote. Power up time takes less than four seconds. Pause, fast forward and rewind buttons make it easy to review video and see if you really are the next Sorcese. Included in the package are USB cables making it easy to connect to your computer and get your work up on the Web in no time. The Flip Mino is priced at $179.

QuickCam Orbit AF by Logictech

Webcams may be classic, but Logictech's Orbit AF continues to show that online video calling doesn't have to be grainy and hard to see. Motorized tracking means that you don't have to stay stationary to be seen. The Orbit AF tracks your movements keeping you in the middle of the screen, and, paired with autofocus, ensures that your message always gets through. Link the camera up with your AIM, Skype, Yahoo Messenger and others and you can talk to your clients (or mom) face to face. The QuickCam Orbit AF is priced at $129.

M1033 by Kodak

Kodak introduced the first digital camera way back when, so it makes sense that they'd enter the video arena as well. The Kodak M1033 is a 10 megapixel camera with 3X optical and 5X continuous digital zoom. The camera is equipped with a microphone to add sound to its QuickTime and MPEG 4 video files. When shooting in HD the M1033 offers up to 30 minutes of high definition video. An optional dock allows video to be shared on your desk before you upload it to YouTube. The M1033 is priced at $199.

T737 by Polaroid

Polaroid has come a long way from printing out pictures with big white frames. In the past, the closest thing to a video the iconic company offered was watching your friends shake the picture until the image showed up. The t737 is a seven megapixel camera with 3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom that can also take AVI video clips with audio. The 16MB memory packaged with the camera is smaller than others on this list, but it still offers the chance to catch a sound bite or show off that shiny new toy in the data center. The Polaroid t737 starts around $120.

DZ-BD7HA by Hitachi

Classic camcorders turned everyone's grandmother into an amateur auteur. Hitachi has decided to ditch the VHS tape in favor a decidedly modern medium: Blue Ray discs. The DZ-BD7HA is Hitachi's flagship camcorder and offers two ways to record your meetings and memories. The 30GB hard drive can record up to four hours of 1920 x 1080 high definition video or eight hours of 1440 x 1080 high def video. Running out of space on the hard drive? The DZ-BD7HA can copy video from your hard drive directly onto a blue ray disc in the camcorder. Adding an HDMI cable to the mix allows video play back in high definition on an HDTV. The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA starts around $1,299.

NV40 by Samsung

The Samsung NV40 is a solid camera with video capabilities. The 10.5 megapixel camera with 3X optical zoom will wow novice shutter bugs with its clarity. But its high quality video recording is what'll get the good stuff up on YouTube. With a 1BG memory card, the NV40 can shoot up to two and half hours of video at 640 X 480 resolution. Video editing is a built in feature and allows for shake correction, shot continuity and video extraction. The Samsung NV40 starts around $250.

BlackBerry Perl 8130 by BlackBerry

Once camera phones were introduced it was only a matter of time until video became an option. Everyone has seen embarrassing snaps of their favorite celebrity taken by a casual passerby on their cell phone. With the BlackBerry Perl 8130, the mobile computing giant offers video capabilities. Featuring a built-in 1.3 of 2.0 megapixel camera, you can now snap a picture, record a video, email it to a friend and upload it to your favorite social networking site within seconds. While the 2.0 megapixel camera might be behind the curve in the market, BlackBerry's native video ability puts it ahead of the iPhone which can only snag 4-second clips at a time. The BlackBerry Perl starts at $269 through Verizon before rebate.

DSC-W300 by Sony

The Cyber-shot DSC-W300 features a robust 13.6 megapixel camera and a 2.7 inch LCD to preview those sharp images. Unfortunately for instant Web video upload, the details on the video capabilities are few. You can capture VGA audio and video clips at up to 30 frames per second and the length is dependent on the size of your storage media. And that's it. This one is more of a point-and-shoot, capitalizing on smile recognition technology -- it takes a picture when it senses a smile without having to push a button. The Sony DSC-W300 starts at $349.

PowerShot TX1 by Canon

The PowerShot TX1 by Canon looks like a futurist cross between a camera and camcorder. Equipped with a USB port for easy computer connection, the ELPH sized camera offers a slew of video options. Depending on the type of movie you want to shoot, you can count on between 1 minute and 42 seconds or a recording time all the way to 9 minutes and 19 seconds -- more if you add more memory to the camera. The flip out view finder adds a professional touch to your shoot. The PowerShot TX1 is priced at $499.

FE-280 by Olympus

The Olympus FE-280 is a slim 8-megapixel camera capable of recording movies in AVI Motion JPEG. The 48MB of internal memory won't allow for sprawling, epic video, but adding a memory stick to the equation should get the run time up to a respectable length. Still, the stylish silver case and ease with which the FE-280 can slip into a pocket makes it a pretty attractive choice for budding videographers on the go. The Olympus FE-280 starts at $199.

CoolPix P5100 by Nikon

The P5100 by Nikon is an impressive 12.1-megapixel camera. The 5100 isn't a traditional point and shoot camera and is compatible with an external flash, telephoto and wide-angle converter lenses. A USB port is standard and keep uploads to the Web simple and quick. The 5100 comes with 53MB of internal storage and accepts memory cards to expand the size of the video you want to capture. Feeling artistic? The offering from Nikon has a time-lapse and a sepia movie mode to give that key note a Wild West feeling. The CoolPix P5100 starts around $400.

HP Photosmart M537

The great thing about the internet is that there is a very low entry barrier to surfing the Web. Most people have computers these days, but even if they don't libraries -- remember those places with all the books? -- usually offer free access to the Web. The Photosmart M527 by HP pairs allows everyone into the digital video realm by offering an inexpensive camera with audio and visual capabilities. The 6-megapixel camera allows you to take video and upload to the Web. The HP Photosmart M537 starts around $99.