This was my first attempt at time lapse video. I shot the video from my Manhattan office window and used the new HTC RE camera that I got for Christmas. It is a nice little low profile handheld point and shoot camera that captures HD video and 16 megapixel still photos. The camera also has a built in Time lapse feature and a built in wide angle lens for capturing everything you put in front of it.
The camera is also waterproof up to one meter (3.3 feet) for up to 30 minutes without an additional housing. The HTC Re is a periscope-shaped heir to the Flip and pistol-grip Sanyo Xacti pocket cameras while offering some of the durability of cameras like the GoPro. I have a Contour Roam camera that I regularly use when riding my bike and the RE stacks up very favorably to the action camera in terms of features and image quality.
I love it because the HTC camera is pure simplicity. In fact, there are only two buttons one the entire unit. The first is a single button for taking photos and videos. The second is a button switches from recording regular video into a slow-motion mode capturing 720p video at 96fps. There is no power button. The RE has capacitive touch sensors built into it and turns on as soon as you pick it up. Unlike with your smartphone or other pocket cameras, there is no unlocking or launching of apps; you just pick it up and press the shutter. This will save a ton of time if you need to catch a quick shot. I know that I had missed a ton of great footage by relying on my cellphone camera.
You can purchase the RE from Amazon for around $180.