HD camcorders deliver excellent video and performance and are becoming increasingly affordable for consumers. Home movie makers and pros alike will greatly appreciate the dramatic improvement in video quality. Here are the top overall choices, representing the best combination of performance, features, and value.
This feature-rich and compact HD camcorder offers excellent video quality and lets you record at a 24Mbps bitrate. This camcorder does not include any internal memory, so it requires a SDHC flash card. The HF200 features a 15x Genuine Canon optical zoom lens with an image stabilization system that corrects against camcorder shake when filming handheld. An HDMI port lets you watch video directly to a HDTV.
The HF200 provides users with more control and creative freedom than many other consumer cameras. In addition to its 1920 x 1080 Full HD recording mode, it offers a 24p Cinema Mode and a 30p Progress Mode. You gain added control with Auto Exposure Modes such as AV (aperture priority) and TV (shutter priority) modes, giving you greater control over depth of field and shutter speeds.
While not a professional camera, the HF200 offers a superior feature set for those that want to go beyond making common home videos. The sleek, lightweight design and its outstanding video quality will not disappoint. It also takes great 3-megapixel stills for a camcorder and offers face detection technology. Those that would rather have some internal memory should opt for the otherwise identical Canon HF20, while those seeking a higher-end camcorder should consider the Canon HFS100. But for consumers looking for a superb all-around camcorder at a reasonable price, the HF200 is a terrific choice.
The HFS100 is a higher-end camcorder than the HF200 but also comes in at a higher price. This compact HD camera records excellent quality 1920x1080 60i video and it takes excellent 8.0 megapixel still photos with its genuine 10x Canon HD lens. Video and still quality is further enhanced with the SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization that greatly reduces shake when zooming into distant objects.
The HFS100 provides users with more creative control options and allows for more professional video production. Users can record in 24p Cinema Mode and a 30p Progressive mode; both recorded in 60i at a max of 24Mbps. Several preset modes for different shooting environments are available. There is even a programmable dial and buttons for mapping the most frequently used functions to easily accessible buttons.
While not a professional camera, the HFS100 does come close, falling into the category of “prosumer”. Note though that it does not contain any internal memory, but supports SDHC memory cards for recording video. A maximum of 6 hours and 5 minutes of Long Play (LP) mode video can be recorded onto a 16GB SDHC card. For those that prefer have some internal memory, consider the HSF10 which is otherwise identical to the HFS100 but contains 32GB of internal memory.
The Canon HG20 allows you to capture full HD video with great brightness and sharpness at an affordable price. This camcorder records movies in full 1920 x 1080 resolution and delivers excellent video quality for the money. It records to a 60GB hard drive, which provides plenty of storage space and added convenience. There’s a 12x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization helps with shooting steady shots. 24p and 30p modes are offered for more creative freedom. It also captures 3.1 megapixel still images and there’s an HDMI output for quickly and easily watching recorded movies on an HDTV. This fun, easy to use camera is a great choice for amateurs that want to shoot high quality HD video at an affordable price.
The Sony HDR-XR500V is a high-end consumer camcorder that's very light and compact. It offers excellent video quality overall and records full 1080p (1920x1080) HD video to its built-in 120GB hard drive. This HD camcorder has two unique features not found in other camcorders. First, it has built in GPS for geotagging photos and video. Second, and more importantly, it is the first consumer camera to use a new Exmor-R back-illuminated CMOS sensor. This sensor places the photosite layers above the electronics and should theoretically increase light sensitivity of the sensor in low light situations.
This camcorder's 15x zoom coupled with its optical image stabilization system allows you to zoom in close and take detailed videos and stills without having to worry about blurriness caused by shaking while holding the camcorder in your hand. There is no full manual control, but several program modes are offered that will suit almost all lighting and movement conditions. This camcorder records in 5.1 surround sound which makes videos sound great when watching them through a 5.1 surround sound system. The large (3.2 inch) widescreen LCD display is bright and crisp. Overall, this is a great camcorder.
While the Sony HDR-XR500V is often touted as being able to take 12.1 megapixel photo stills, this is not entirely true. The camcorder’s sensor is 6 megapixel and it can take 12.1 megapixel interpolated stills, but this is not true 12.1 megapixel. Nonetheless, it still offers good still photos for a camcorder.
The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is the successor to the very popular Flip MicroHD Camcorder. This pocket-sized HD camcorder can record up to 120 minutes of HD video onto its 8GB of built-in memory. It is a bit bigger than its predecessor due to its larger screen. The battery is removable and it comes with a replaceable AA rechargeable battery pack. Due to its compact size, there is no optical zoom, but it still features 2x digital zoom. The built-in FlipShare software allows for easy editing and sharing of videos through email or through social sites such as YouTube and MySpace. There is even a convenient flip-out USB arm plug that can connect directly to a Mac or PC computer to launch FlipShare. An HDMI port is also included in this camcorder for outputting directly onto an HDTV. This camcorder packs lots of features into a small form factor and is great for the average person that wants to record video but doesn’t want to deal with an overcomplicated and large camcorder. It’s also very affordable and packs a lot of bang for the buck.