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Good news for your already-stuffed diaper bag: Today's digital camcorders weigh only about a pound. Plus, it's easy to edit and embellish footage with music, then e-mail your flicks to relatives or post them on YouTube. The format you choose affects how much you'll spend on tapes, discs, or memory, how much recording time you'll get, and how you can view your work. Here's help to make the right buy, from the editors of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products. For a free 30-day trial subscription to the website, go to ConsumerReports.org/cr/babytalk.

Mom-Friendly Features
Try the store's floor model. Make sure it's comfortable to use, the controls are handy, and that you can change the tape, DVD, or memory card and battery without trouble.
Consider a DVD-based model if you want to show off your videos without dragging out the camcorder and cables.
Think about traveling convenience. Flash-memory -- and hard-drive -- based models don't require tapes or discs, so there's less to bring along.
Look into an HD camcorder if you have an HDTV to make the most of the higher-resolution video quality, but be prepared to spend more money on it.

Copyright © 2002-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

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