New camcorder: review

This is the review I have written for Amazon about the new little camcorder I bought for my daughter to use.

***

I already have three camcorders of different ages, as well as a video recording function on my SE P990i, and I should like to buy an HD camcorder: I am not a novice.

The Busbi Video Plus Camcorder is a kind of 'Amstrad' camcorder - unadorned with bells and whistles, but extremely easy to use, and represents good value for money. It feels like using a cellphone to record video, but the resulting images are far superior. The control buttons are completely intuitive: we have not yet opened the instruction manual. My wife and my daughter's care worker have also been using the camcorder to make short videos without instruction.

The picture quality is fine and stable, although the picture becomes grainy in poor light. The colours are good. The 2x zoom is useful for framing, although being digital not optical results in some loss of image quality. The sound recording from the internal microphone is impressive.

Linking the camcorder's bundled short USB cable to a digital photoframe, we were able to watch our video clips with ease. Connecting the camcorder's bundled video cable to the television was equally straightforward and satisfactory.

I used the camcorder's USB port and the camcorder's own (presumably flash-loaded) excellent software to download the 11 video clips we have made: amazingly straightforward. The camcorder creates .AVI files, at about 20 MB / minute when set on HQ (high quality). I bought a 2GB flash memory card to support the camcorder's onboard 500 MB. The one clunkiness is that video clips are not automatically saved onto the flash card. Just to complete the process, I intend this weekend to edit and upload onto my YouTube channel a short movie based on some of the clips.

Reservations:
1) There is no lens cover.
2) The monitor screen swivels only around one axis - for example, to record oneself, and not around two axes - useful, for example when filming over the heads of people, or when shooting from close to the floor.

Uncertainties:
1) How long will the batteries last? I shall be happy if they can do a day's tourist filming.
2) How long will the camcorder continue to function? I shall be happy provided it lasts a full 12 months.
3) How robust is the camcorder? After all, most of us have dropped a cellphone at least once

For the time being, we are very happy with the Busbi Video Plus Camcorder. Should things start to go wrong, I shall write another posting to set the record straight. I award it five stars not because it boasts a high specification, but because it is highly functional, easy to use, and at GBP70 (now reduced to GBP65) it represents very good value for money.