Toshiba Camileo S30

Toshiba Camileo S30

It seems like everyone's now got a reason to use a digital camcorder, from the citizen journalist to the kid's-first-steps documenter. Luckily, shooting high-definition video has never been easier or more affordable. The Toshiba Camileo S30 ($179.99 direct) is a pocket camcorder aimed at that crowd, and it's got plenty of advantages: it looks and feels like a camcorder thanks to a big, 3-inch flip-out LCD and a pistol-grip body, and it packs a huge load of features and options. Where the Camileo suffers, though, is in its too-complicated interface and only-average video quality. Unless you truly prefer the Camileo's form factor, you're better off buying a Cisco Flip UltraHD ($149.99-199.99, 3.5 stars) or the Editors' Choice Sony Bloggie Touch 8GB ($179.99-199.99, 4 stars), both of which deliver better user experiences and higher video quality. At first glance, the closed Camileo S30 is a thin, rectangular candy bar, like the Flip or the Bloggie Touch. It measures 4.3 by 2.4 by 0.8 inches (HWD), and at 4.9 ounces is certainly pocketable - in your hand, it feels like a smartphone. It's made of plastic, black on the front and back and silver on the sides, and while it feels a little flimsy at first, in use it's very sturdy.