Gadget: Sony Bloggie PM5K HD Camcorder

A high definition Sony camcorder for less than 180? The Bloggie definitely sounds like a bargain and is designed to be quicker on the draw than John Wayne.

One press of the record button and it's capturing your escapades in 1920x1080 high definition. Apart from the usual sumptuous Sony build quality, the first thing that stands out is the Bloggie's rotating 270 degree swivel lens. Twist it to record yourself or swing it to capture the dive bombing seagull just about to claim your ice cream. It's easy to see everything on the 2.4in LCD screen.

I was intrigued to try out the 360 degree video shooting mode. This works by plonking Sony's mini conical mirror-like gadget on the top of the Bloggie. Once uploaded to your PC, the bundled Sony software whips the doughnut-like fish-eyed image into a video panorama.

It's quite amazing – as long as you're recording in daylight. One limitation of the Bloggie is that it's scared of the dark. With no flash for still photos and image stabilisation only in the lower quality 720p video mode – night shooting is not its forte. On the plus side, the 5 megapixel snapper and face detection in both still and video modes just about make up for this shortcoming.

The Bloggie comes with a 4GB Memory Stick, which will hold hundreds of photos and at least a couple of hours of video footage at 720p resolution. Uploading to your PC is a simple: swing out the built in USB arm and your video will be on Facebook, YouTube or Picasa in no time.

Although the HD and 360 degree video panorama mode may be the headline grabbers, the Bloggie's talent is capturing those special moments with a single button press. Just make sure you've got the lights on at the time.

This article was first published in the Scotsman, May 8, 2010