On test: Sony DCR-SR 80
One of the biggest first decisions to make right now when buying a camcorder is whether to get one that records to MiniDV, to mini DVDs or to a hard drive. MiniDV, and mini DVDs offer great value for money and convenience with home DVD players, respectively, but you can't deny the convenience of never having to buy or carry around tapes ever again.
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Reviews on Camcorder
"Sony Handycam DCR-SR80"
Published on: 10/2006
"Canon HV10"
Published on: 10/2006
On test: Canon HV10
Canon puts high-definition video recording in your pocket, although to make room in said pocket requires removing more than £800 from it. Still, that makes the Canon HV10 the cheapest, smallest HDV camcorder to date.
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"Sanyo Xacti C6"
Issue: 49/2006
"Sanyo Xacti VPC-C6E"
Published on: 9/2006
On test: Sanyo Xacti VPC-C6E
One of the strangest devices that we've seen in a long time, the Xacti VPC-C6E looks more like a Dictaphone that's been cross-bred with a camcorder than a digital camera. Love it or loathe it, Sanyo deserves credit for the brave design of the C6E – but it could put off more people than it attracts.
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"Panasonic NV-GS500EB-S"
Published on: 9/2006
On test: Panasonic NV-GS500EB-S
The Panasonic NV-GS500EB-S is an extremely good camcorder that offers a host of controls, shoots extremely realistic video and is very flexible.
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"Canon DC10"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Canon DC 10
DVD is undeniably superior to the ageing VHS tape format in the world of home movies, but you might be surprised to learn that the same is not necessarily true in the land of the camcorder. Though DVD camcorders offer a far more convenient method of storing footage, the output still lacks the resolution and vibrancy of tape-based MiniDV camcorders.
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"Sony Handycam DCR-DVD205"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Sony DCR-DVD 205 E
One step above Sony's bottom-of-the-line DVD105, the Handycam DCR-DVD205 is essentially the Handycam DCR-DVD305 without the impractical extras: standard stereo recording rather than Dolby 5.1, no media slot for still photos -- they're saved to the DVD instead -- no accessory shoe, and no analogue input for copying your old tapes to DVD.
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"Sony Handycam DCR-HC46"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Sony DCR-HC 46 E
It's hard to tell Sony's line of MiniDV camcorders apart just by looking at them. That's because the entry-level Sony Handycam DCR-HC26, the step-up Handycam DCR-HC36 and the mid-level Handycam DCR-HC46 all have the same basic shell and extremely similar feature sets.
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"Sony Handycam DCR-HC36"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Sony DCR-HC 36 E
The differences between Sony's entry-level MiniDV camcorders, the Handycam DCR-HC26 and the DCR-HC36, don't add up to much. The biggest is the HC36's Memory Stick Duo Pro slot for still-image recording. But, since the camera's 1/6-inch CCD outputs stills at a resolution of 340,000 pixels, you shouldn't expect to get decent prints from it.
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"Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 digital camcorder"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1
If we had to make a wish list of features for a digital camcorder, then the Sanyo's latest would tick pretty much all the boxes.
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"Hitachi DZ-BX35E"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Hitachi DZ-BX35E
Prices for DVD camcorders have been creeping down in recent years, and the 2006 entry-level model from Hitachi, the DZ-BX35E, can be had for less than £300.
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"Sanyo Xacti VPC-C6"
Published on: 8/2006
On test: Sanyo Xacti VPC-C6E
Last month I reviewed the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1, a hybrid still/HD video camera. I was impressed by its unique abilities, especially its HD video mode, as well as its futuristic style and exemplary build quality. I was less impressed with its price. ...
This week I’m taking a look at its junior sibling, the sleek and rather lovely VPC-C6, which shares Sanyo’s ambitious hybrid still/video design ethos.
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"Hitachi DZ-GX3200E"
Published on: 7/2006
On test: Hitachi DZ-GX 3200 E
As the little sibling of Hitachi's DZ-GX3300E, the DZ-GX3200E serves up an almost identical feature set and similarly pleasing performance, including better than average low-light performance.
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"Sony Handycam DCR-HC26"
Published on: 7/2006
On test: Sony DCR-HC 26 E
The Sony Handycam DCR-HC26 packs a powerful 20x zoom into an extremely compact, lightweight chassis at a very low price. But while this easy-to-use, touch-screen-controlled MiniDV camcorder won't break the bank, its grainy footage and poor low-light performance won't win any awards, either.
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"Sony Handycam DCR-SR100"
Published on: 7/2006
On test: Sony DCR-SR100
Sony may not be the first manufacturer to enter the hard drive camcorder market -- that distinction goes to JVC's Everio models. But with excellent video quality and fluid operation, the Sony Handycam DCR-SR100 puts all but the more expensive JVC 500 series models -- as well as Sony's own DVD-based models -- to shame.
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"Panasonic NV-GS500"
Published on: 7/2006
On test: Panasonic NV-GS500EB-S
While the Panasonic NV-GS400 is highly regarded for its rare blend of automation and manual controls, its successor, the NV-GS500, doesn't so much improve on the NV-GS400 as simplify it.
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"Hitachi DZ-GX3300E"
Published on: 7/2006
On test: Hitachi DZ-GX 3300 E
Hitachi's DZ-GX3300E won't blow you away with its middle-of-the-road image quality, but a quick start-up time and the ability to edit video in the camera might appeal to less particular amateur videographers. Similarly, the camera's 10x optical zoom, 3-megapixel CCD and fairly standard feature set will neither wow nor disappoint.
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"Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1"
Published on: 7/2006
On test: Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1
As I’ve reported before, many manufacturers have tried and failed to produce the perfect hybrid of a digital still camera and a digital video camera. In theory it shouldn’t be too hard; after all they both use the same core technology. They both use compact high-powered zoom lenses, both use rechargeable batteries and both capture their images using CCDs. However for some reason no attempt so far has been truly successful. The last one I reviewed was the dismal Sony DSC-M2, which suffered from appalling handling and incomprehensible controls. However there is one manufacturer that has been making hybrid cameras longer than any other, and one that is often overlooked by many reviewers.
Sanyo’s Xacti range of still/video cameras has been around since 2004, although previous models have suffered from poor picture quality and limited shooting time on standard SD cards. However the latest model, the VPC-HD1, looks a lot more promising, so I got one in for closer scrutiny.
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"Canon MVX460"
Published on: 6/2006
On test: Canon MVX 460
Canon's MVX460 is more compact than its entry-level MV models. The step up to MVX means a larger, higher-resolution CCD sensor, which can serve up larger 1-megapixel still images, in addition to better video resolution.
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"Review: MobiBox H22 DV Camcorder"
Published on: 6/2006
On test: MobiBox H22 DV
The MobiBox H22 DV Camcorder is far more than its name suggests, almost impervious to definition it is truly a gadgets gadget.
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"Canon DC40"
Published on: 6/2006
On test: Canon DC 40
With its broad, useful feature set, zippy shooting performance, attractive design and good video quality, the Canon DC40 cements a place among the best of the DVD camcorders.
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"Sony HDR-HC3E - HD Camcorder"
Published on: 6/2006
On test: Sony HDR-HC3
Sony seems intent on dominating the High Definition camcorder market before any other company has even joined in. Although Canon has released a competitor to Sony’s top-of-the-range professional HVR-Z1 (the Canon XL-H1), there’s nothing at all to compete with Sony’s offerings below that in the UK. We thought Sony’s first attempt at consumer HD was pretty stunning (see HDR-HC1E review ). But scarcely six months later, Sony is upping the ante once again, this time breaking below the magical £1,000 barrier – well below. So what has been removed to get the new HDR-HC3E’s price nearly £300 lower than its predecessor?
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"Canon DC20"
Published on: 6/2006
On test: Canon DC 20
The argument remains that tape-based MiniDV camcorders capture a better picture and offer longer record times than DVD camcorders. Still, there is something alluring about ejecting a DVD from the Canon DC20 and popping it straight into your domestic DVD player.
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"Canon MV890"
Published on: 5/2006
On test: Canon MV890
The Canon MV890's list price suggests a bare-bones MiniDV camcorder, but the opposite is true -- it's a surprisingly well-appointed model, one that shares impressive core specs -- including a widescreen LCD, plenty of manual controls -- with Canon's MV930 and its pricier MV960. What's the catch?
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"Canon MV930"
Published on: 5/2006
On test: Canon MV 930
Opting for a MiniDV-based camcorder might seem like an odd choice given that a range of hard-disk and DVD camcorders are starting to appear on the scene.
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