SHOOT-OUT; Suddenly, affordable minicams are everywhere. How will you know which to buy? We took them for a test drive.

By Catherine Mallette
Published August 10, 2006

Pure Digital Point & Shoot Video Camcorder

Size : Like an iPod

Ease of use: A 12-year-old figured out how to shoot, save and delete in 10 seconds, without reading any directions; the directions provided were simple enough for the 12-year-old's techno-wary mom to follow, too. How the recording works : Press a button to turn the device on, point in the direction of what you want to shoot, press the red record button, then press that red button again to turn it off. Delete segments by pressing (yes!) the button labeled "delete."

Video quality: Pretty good -- you can zoom in and out a bit. Not great for long distances. How to get the video off the camera: Plug the thing into your computer's USB port and it instantly downloads the software you need. A screen pops up and you can easily follow the directions to watch your clips and email your clips (if you don't have broadband, this takes about one minute per minute of film). If you want to make a CD copy of the film, insert a CD-R and follow the simple directions on the screen. (Note: These will only play on computers that have the software, so don't think you can make a bunch of copies for the grandparents UNLESS they have the software, too.

How to make DVDs: Take the camcorder to a film developer and for about $13, they'll make a DVD of your clips that is easy to use and fun to watch on TV. Note: Make sure the clerk knows that you need your camcorder back. Ours had never seen one of these before and assumed it was disposable until we screeched at him!

Possible problems: We couldn't make this work with one of our computers -- the monitor plug was right beneath the USB ports and blocked us from being able to plug the camera in. You may need to find some kind of USB extender if you have a similar situation.

Price: About $125

Where to get it: Target

Recommended? Yes! We took it on a trip through Tennessee and had a blast.

Grade: A