Most camcorders still use tapes and discs to store the video they record.

But recently there's been a spate of devices that use memory cards instead (such as the Flip Video and the Creative Vado), which have the advantage of being cheap.

The Aiptek Z300HD-V camcorder is one such, £200 through Firebox. Storage costs extra, though, as the Aiptek device contains just 6MB of internal memory.

The camcorder is very neat, little bigger than a digital still camera, but held inside the hand, like a gun.

A 61mm screen hinges up from its side and swivels into position for viewing.

The display is clear, but not very visible in strong sunlight and icons for the camera’s various functions take up quite a bit of room around the edges.

Main controls are positioned on the back of the camera, with a mini joystick bordered on either side by mode and menu buttons. Below these are dedicated buttons for stills and recording and a spring-loaded toggle for the 3x optical zoom. This is a little slow in operation and the lens doesn't have enough magnification. There's no lens cover, but a padded wallet is provided to store the device, which should protect it from dust and scratches.

The battery is good for an hour of HD recording (it's about the same amount of HD video that a 2GB SD memory card will hold). The Z300HD-V comes in at the lower end of HD resolutions, with its five-megapixel CMOS sensor giving 1,280x720 pixels at 30fps.

Video capture is reasonable in strong light, so this camera would be ideal for recording trips out, parties in the garden and holidays. It's not quite so good indoors, as you either have a rather over-dark video or risk over-exposed frames, if you use the camera's built-in illumination.

Aiptec provides cables for direct output to component video, in an MPEG4 format that is compatible with Quicktime and Windows Media Player. There's also a USB cable for computer connection and a separate power supply for recharging the battery. This is a good little fun camcorder, but you get what you pay for and the video it produces doesn't stand up against that from the big-name boys.