I don't know exactly what it is you guys try to do when you're looking for a cheap solution because you compromise way too much. I don't do that! Here is what consists of the common scenario you want to record:
You wish to document any and all potential threats. Doesn't have to be yourself or others. It could just be a situation you discover that needs to be chronicled quickly and efficiently without(like I said above) compromise. Ideally you want this to be in the form of audio/video and it must be high enough quality that you don't have trouble pinpointing fine details. So battery life isn't usually a problem unless you're a LEO or a security guard that doesn't belong in the field.
So far the most ideal set in this thread is the Sportsman Eyewear Model 465. I cannot suggest better. I can only suggest what you should find. Assuming the startup time is far shorter than the pen, you have a winner. The quality is okay, but you should be looking for higher quality recording capability if you need to capture fine details. Resolutions follow the trend: higher is better. 640x480 being the bare minimum standard, 800x600 being slightly better. If you ever find anything that records in 1024x768 and higher, chances are it's really awesome. Just make sure it records in a USEFUL video format like AVI or DivX. You don't want some cheap quality overpriced crap like my JVC camcorder that does 640x480 recording
and uses a completely useless outdated Quicktime format that was dropped fromcode support. RAW formatting is something I can work with. Proprietary formats that no longer have any form of editing support are next to impossible. If I can do it, so can you.
As long as the framerate touches 8 or 15fps you're generally okay. If you need to record something fast pace, 30fps is great. The most ideal recording state is 60fps. You will never find it at the price you're willing to pay so don't worry about that number. Just be careful about recording in dark areas. Like the above, higher is better. Just remember that companies that make these products make a bad habit of cutting costs because it's
too expensive for mass production! This means the audio quality sucks(if you even get that option).
Remember-
Recording startup time: < 100ms (usually not a problem)
Resolution: >800x600
Framerate: >15fps
Record type: AVI, DivX, MPEG, XViD
Storage: >256MB
This BOM isn't ideal, it's just the bare minimum. If you can beat all of those specs, you have something worth holding on to. Don't let it go to waste. For those of you that find storage to be an issue, I haveUSB host features so I don't have that problem. I generally stick to audio like LEOs do. It just isn't necessary for me to need a snapshot device if I just need to record what I hear. For video, I'll use my N810 or some high quality snapshot device. The time for it will come but now isn't that time for me.
