Sony is aiming the HDR-TG5V HD camcorder at a market dominated by Flip, the company recently acquired by Cisco Systems. Can Sony usurp Flip's dominance with a device that costs 10 times more?Camcorders from Flip have quickly come to dominate the YouTube tribe. It’s
easy to see why; some of Flip’s devices retail for as little as $99 and are
very easy to use. Of course, Sony wants some of that market and has introduced
the HDR-TG5V camcorder, which is Flip sized
and almost as easy to use—but the real kicker here is that Sony expects to get
a grand for those little gems.
Naturally, Sony has gone top shelf with the HDR-TG5V—the
unit shoots 1080p high-definition video, takes 4-megapixel photos and has 16GB of
internal memory—enough for 6 hours of hi-def video. The company also went with
Carl Zeiss optics featuring a 10X optical zoom, top of the line indeed.
But, at $999, the unit is priced out of the very market the device is aimed
at, the YouTube crowd, consisting of mostly of amateur videographers with small
budgets (or allowances).
That market is better served by the low-cost offerings from Flip, DXG and
APtech, all of whom offer higher-end devices that do what the Sony HDR-TG5V
does at a fraction of the cost. But, those looking for the very best, and where
money is no object, the HDR-TG5V is the
camcorder to have.
For those looking to save a few bucks, the Flip Ultra for $149 should do the
trick, or they may want to consider the DXG-595V for under $180, which offers a
5X optical zoom and most of the features found on the pricy Sony.
Channel News and Analysis 
