RCA EZ210

There's no shortage of cheap, ultra-compact, straight-to-YouTube camcorders. Pure Digital is making waves with its Flip Mino (now customizable). Earlier this fall, we put the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi6 through their paces. The tide continues with our review of the RCA EZ210 (MSRP $149.99), the first of RCA's Small Wonder lineup to come through our labs. The results were disappointing, at best. The video performance is plagued by compression and exposure problems. Although RCA has dubbed the EZ210 the 'Traveler,' it can't handle sunny outdoor conditions very well. It's also larger than most of the competition, and it isn't water-resistant (despite the vaguely submergeable look of the thing). Wherefore Traveler? Considering that the rugged exterior is this camcorder's best asset, it's no small wonder that the Flip Mino is winning the competition.

The Front (5.25)
One look at the front of the Traveler and you can see that RCA is marketing this camcorder to the hiking/camping/outdoors crowd. Everything from the durable plastic to the rugged shape and the black and green color scheme would fit right in at Cabela's, REI, or Eastern Mountain Sports. It's not the sort of thing you would expect to see in the camcorder section of an electronics store.

The main feature on the front of the EZ210 is, of course, the small fixed lens. A fixed lens means no moving parts for adjusting zoom, focus, or aperture, but that's hardly a surprise. Even if RCA could manage to cram more parts into this thin frame, the Small Wonder would be less affordable and, therefore, less desirable.

The result is less flexibility in how you shoot video: the fixed aperture is f/2.4 and there is no optical zoom—just a 2x digital zoom. You'll also find no auto focus element shifting as your subject moves from background to foreground. Instead, there's the fixed focal length covering 3.9mm to infinity. (Though we suggest keeping everything at least a foot away, depending on available light.)

Keeping the lens company, you'll see the built-in microphone and recording lamp mounted to the right and a miniscule shiny bit that RCA markets as a 'mirror for self recording.' It isn't very functional; in fact, it's just ridiculous. Even if you can make yourself out on the tiny reflective surface, centering your face in the mirror will not actually center the camcorder on your face. You'd be better off with the head of a brass thumbtack. Thanks a lot, RCA.

The front is also home to the large, hidden battery/media compartment. There's a release mechanism on the bottom that allows you to remove virtually the entire face of the camcorder. Beneath the cover you'll find slots for two AA batteries and an unusual SD card slot. Instead of the customary spring-loaded slot, the card rests in a sort of bed... Using your thumb to slide the card out feels strangely like removing the battery cover on your television remote.

The RCA EZ210 (also known as the Small Wonder Traveler) has a fixed lens and 'mirror for self recording.'	The facade lifts off to reveal the battery compartment and unusual SD/SDHC card slot.

The Right Side (3.5)
Both sides of the Traveler have a strip of rubberized plastic for improving grip and durability. On the right side, this strip is interrupted by a standard AV output and a small switch for alternating between 'web quality' and 'high quality' video recording. (See Compression.) Finally, there's the release button for the Traveler's 'carrying handle.' The soft rubber button looks like a port cover, but pulling it off won't get you anywhere. Just push it in to remove the plastic bar that covers the USB connector.

The AV output, recording quality switch, and 'carrying handle' release.

The Back (4.5)
Dominating the back of the RCA EZ210 is a 2.4-inch sun-filtering LCD screen.

The back of the EZ210 has a 2.4-inch LCD and all the key controls.

But it's below the LCD where most of the magic happens—all the buttons for recording and playback are here on the back. There isn't a lot of variety when it comes to designing these ultra-compacts, but the Traveler does have its own take. The red Record button is nestled at the center of the controls, including a typical four-way directional pad. In video mode, up and down on the d-pad operate the camcorder's digital zoom; in playback mode, they adjust speaker volume. Also during playback, you can use left and right on the d-pad to skip from one clip to the next and fast-forward/rewind during playback. Surrounding the directional pad: Play/Pause, Delete, On/Off, and Web Photo. The latter is a shutter button for capturing still photographs—a feature absent from the Flip series and the Creative Vado.

Below all those buttons is one last feature: the built-in speaker for playback audio.

Control interfaces of various ultra-compact camcorders
RCA EZ210	Pure Digital Flip Ultra	Creative Vado

The Left Side (3.25)
The left side of the Traveler is home to just a single feature: the sliding switch for extending the USB connector arm. At first glance, the button seems inoperable—no amount of pushing, pulling, or forcing will move that button until you first remove the 'carrying handle.' With the handle out of the way, the USB arm slides easily out from the top of the camcorder.

The left side of the RCA EZ210—with and without the USB arm extended.

The Top (2.5)
The top houses one of the most critical features of the RCA Small Wonder Traveler: the USB connector. Strangely, it's hidden beneath a hard plastic 'carrying handle.' Those quotation marks will accompany the term throughout this review, since we can barely stifle our laughter at the thought of tremulously toting the Traveler by this small, awkward protrusion. There's no sensible way to attach a neck strap either, so it seems to us more of a rollbar for protecting the camcorder from undo buffeting. But if you remove the rollbar using the button on the right side, you can use the switch on the left to extend the USB connector from its hidden cove.

Don't be alarmed by the empty surface—the 'handle' on the EZ210 can be removed to reveal the extendable USB connector arm.

The Bottom
There isn't much to discuss on the bottom of the EZ210: a tripod mount, release switch, and wrist strap anchor. The tripod mount is made of plastic—much like the one on the Creative Vado that broke so easily during testing—and its natural resting position caused the camcorder to be crooked on the tripod. Next to the tripod mount is a sliding switch for gaining access to the batteries/memory card. Unfortunately, this is a two-handed process: one hand holds the switch in the 'unlock' position, while the other pulls off the front panel. And finally, there is the small wrist strap anchor. Wearing the wrist strap should minimize the number of times you test out the durability of that 'rollbar.' It might also keep you from accidentally dropping the Traveler through a sewer grate.

A wrist strap anchor, release switch, and tripod mount: nothing else to see on the bottom of the RCA Small Wonder Traveler.