Panasonic AG-HVX200 $5,995

The Panasonic AG-HVX200 made a lot of heads turn this year with its multitude of high definition formats and P2, solid-state recording media. Like its SD cousin, the AG-DVX100, it has found its way into many production houses, big and small. We are excited to see Panasonic challenging the design and workflow of digital video. If only we had a time machine to see where the market is going, we might jump aboard the no-tape bandwagon too.

Manfrotto 560B Monopod $210

A monopod is such a handy tool. And, this particular model offers a fluid pan head (or should we say foot), which makes it even more useful. It's the first time we've seen this feature on a monopod and the results were smooth and natural looking pans. We were also attracted to the 560B's retractable feet, which give the shooter more balance and traction. If you're a serious on-the-go shooter, you'll definitely find this monopod suitable for your lifestyle.

Apple MacBook Pro 15" $2,899

Over the last year Apple has made quite a few notable improvements across all of its computing product lines. The MacBook Pro laptops are not excluded of such improvements. Remember when you couldn't run Windows on a Mac? Remember when Apple didn't have Intel chips? We were very pleased with this laptop's fast processor speeds, improved energy efficiency and versatility. You'd be hard pressed to find a laptop this year that has made so many great improvements.

Gateway E-6610 Workstation $1,622

This robust workstation nearly flew under our radar, but luckily we have a keen eye for value. The E-6610 Workstation is certainly a great value for anyone looking to do some serious editing and yet not break the bank. With room to grow, this workstation is ready to make the move to Vista and/or HD video. Throw in that 19" LCD monitor to boot and you've got a complete system capable of more than what you bargained for, or at least we think so. We wouldn't be too surprised if Gateway mysteriously bumped up the price.

HP xw8400 Workstation $5,576

If money is no object, then we can't forget to mention the quicker- and quieter-than-we-expected HP xw8400. This workstation is built to meet the highest demands of professional video editing. Although it comes at a cost, it might be well worth it for the video editor who needs a top performer for advanced video editing (i.e., compositing, 3-D animation) or rendering large projects (i.e., high definition encoding, DVD authoring, etc.).

Litepanels DV Camera Kit $785

Here is another innovative product that changes what we know about the entire category. LED light technology puts out less heat and is much more efficient than its competitors, making this light kit a very useful tool. For the working professional in event and wedding videography, this kit is on-the-go capable. The soft and even quality of light, usability and efficiency make it a clear winner.