Sony is set to launch the Mobile HD Snap Camera to Canadians. But is the Snap a powerful challenger in the minicamcorder space or is it simply a crafty copycat?
Sony doesn’t want to be left behind: the tech company is jumping into the minicamcorder race in Canada by releasing its new Mobile HD Snap Camera. Its U.S. version, the Sony Webbie HD, came out in April.
The Snap (as we’ll call it from now on) is up against some powerful rivals in the pocket-sized camcorder market. Most notably, the Snap is trying to steal market share from the Flip line from Pure Digital (Cisco recently purchased Pure Digital). But does Sony’s new gadget have all the goods to take on this much-lauded leader? After all, it’s going up against a competitor it almost bought before Cisco stepped in with the winning bid.
DigitalJournal.com tested the Snap before it was launched in Canada. We reviewed the MHS-PM1 unit, which retails for $230 CAN.
As aesthetics go, the Snap is attractive and lightweight. It measures 4 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide by 0.9 inch deep. It weighs 4.2 ounces with the lithium ion battery. By comparison, the Flip Mino weighs 3.3 ounces.
The Snap, like the Flip, fits nicely into a pants pocket. It’s easy to grip, and looks quite sleek. It comes in three colours: purple, orange and silver.
But what about its function? It shoots high-def video at 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second as well as the more typical 720p. The video we shot was good, if not a tad noisy in low light. When viewing the footage on a high-def TV, we found the video to be noisier during a quick zoom. It picked up sound relatively well, though.
We enjoyed the most innovative feature of the Snap, its swivel lens. It lets you record your face while checking yourself out on the sharp 1.8-inch LCD (this will be a huge hit for the YouTube confessional crowd). It can also be used as a covert way to shoot video if the camera is just being held at your side. Swivel the lens up and you can record that frustrating conversation with that cop.
The swivel lens also comes in handy as an on-off switch: when you swivel the lens open, the Snap turns on. And when you swivel the lens inside the camera, it’s protected from any clumsy accidents.
Since the Snap doubles as a camera, we tested the still images. The 5-megapixel sensor snapped decent pics, but the shutter lag was deplorable. It usually fires after two or three seconds. Because of the lag, moving images are very difficult to capture without any blur. It’s merely a small step up from a cellphone photo.
To provide a comparison, the Flip lets users grab screen shots from videos to use as photos in the post-production process. Its software can allow you to take any screen-grab from a clip and automatically save it as a photo. Flip wanted simplicity by just focusing on video first, whereas Sony tried to merge photo and video functions.
While we appreciate some nifty options with our gadgets, we couldn’t help but shake the idea that Sony is obsessed with feature creep. Look at its five “scene selection” modes. You can also display a histogram and a self-timer. Useful features, sure, but the Flip is so simple your grandmother can use it. When it comes to number of features on a device, it’s about personal taste. If you want more settings options, you’ll have them in a Snap. But if you want simplicity in your minicam, the Flip’s the way to go.
We can’t help but point out another gripe with the Snap: we could only recharge the battery through the bundled charger. At least with the Flip you could recharge the battery with a simple USB hookup to a PC. Or the Flip lets all those road warriors use two rechargeable or AA batteries.
The PM1 comes with 12MB of available internal memory — basically, that’s not even a commercial’s worth of video. You’ll have to spring for a Memory Stick Duo card, a Sony proprietary accessory, which will add a few more bucks to your purchase. Getting a 4GB card is recommended, especially for a high-def camcorder like the Snap. It’s a shame, though, that Sony couldn’t spring for more bundled memory, at least 1GB, so it wouldn’t force customers to shell out more money for a card.
Looking at all the setbacks, the Snap isn’t close to touching the ease-of-use and consumer-friendly options offered by the Flip models. But that’s not to say Sony won’t learn its lesson with the first-born and craft a better sibling in the coming years. What is has to do, though, is learn a few lessons from minicam fans on what these diehard customers want. Right now, it looks like Sony is imposing its vision on the market.
As a postscript, we’re happy Sony changed the product’s name for Canadians. We feel sorry for Americans who have to buy the Webbie, easily confused with the Webby Awards. The Snap might not be the most original name for a camcorder but, then again, the Snap is not the most original idea.
