Genius G-Shot DV1210: Camcorder for under £150

By Rich Trenholm on 16 August 2007, 11:30am

Genius is a word that gets used all too often these days. We're not sure the dinky little Genius G-Shot DV1210 is exactly Einsteinian, but it's still a cute little camcorder with some neat design touches. It measures 125mm long and 50mm broad, and is pretty light. The shape is bogstandard, with a fold-out 61mm (2.4-inch) swivelly screen.

Video is recorded to SD card in MPEG-4 at 640x480 or 320x240-pixel resolution. Still images are also available with a 5-megapixel sensor, but the major sacrifice to cost-cutting is the absence of optical zoom. You'll just have to stand closer. It does some of that there converging business, however, with an MP3 player and FM radio built in.

One cool feature is the option to replace the included lithium-ion battery with readily available AA batteries should the juice run out halfway through shooting. The battery charges by sitting upright in a cute little dock. Fairly pointless, sure, but hey, how often do you see boring old clunky, boxy chargers and wish someone would make one that looked a bit prettier? Anyone?

Videos, images and music are stored on SD card, which does limit the amount you can store to 1GB or 2GB, but SD cards are cheap and plentiful. The DV1210 makes quick-changing cards a cinch, thanks to a spring-loaded hatch in the side. It's blue and translucent and looks purty.

The G-Shot DV1210 is available now and will set you back a staggeringly cheap £130. A full review is coming down the pipe like Einstein down a waterslide. -Rich Trenholm