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Spotlight on Compact Camcorders Buyer's Guide

Whether you hit the lake or the beach, a theme park or your own backyard, think about shooting the fun with a handy dandy compact cam. Our guide to the best and most versatile camcorders will help you get started with your summertime fun!

In addition to the standard definition (SD) digital video formats, the consumer and professional market in the last three years has seen an explosion of high definition (HD) camcorders. However, Mini DV is still a major force in acquisition choices.

There are also new options in terms of where the footage is recorded. Traditionally, there is tape, and Mini DV tapes can record either DV or HDV footage. But with new advances in digital storage, the options of recording to a DVD-R or a hard disk drive (HDD) are now easier than ever.

Hybrid camcorders exist now, which combine both the DVD and HDD recording options. The new Hitachi DZHS300A gives enthusiasts several nice options, including true widescreen (16:9), the ability to record an entire event on HDD and transfer only one moment to DVD, and much, much more.

Panasonic has its own HDD or SD Memory Card camcorders that record in both HD and DV. Many of them are three-CCD camcorders, giving better overall image and color quality, as functions are spread to each CCD. These camcorders include the HDC-SD1 (high definition, records to a card) and the SDR-H20 and H200 (DV, with the option to record to either HDD or card).

For a smaller option, the SDR-S150 packs a punch and records to a card. It has three CCDs in its small body. DVD-based camcorders from Panasonic include the VDR-D210, D230 and D310. The D310 is a three-CCD unit.

One way to keep camcorder costs down is to put the functions of imaging onto either one CCD or one CMOS. Technology has so advanced that a one-chip camcorder captures footage very well, especially with a CMOS-based camcorder.

The costs are even lower with a CMOS unit in some cases, based on how the chip is built vs. a CCD. One other advantage a single-chip camcorder has over three is the size of the sensor, which gives more pixels and higher quality.

JVC offers some excellent single-chip HDD camcorders, including the Everio series. The camcorder records all footage to a drive, which can be accessed quickly when hooked up to a computer. Its hybrid camcorders record both video and high-quality stills to either HDD or an SD Memory Card. The GZ-MG555 has been making waves with its five-megapixel CCD.

They also have several one-chip consumer camcorders that record to tape, such as the GR-D series, which includes the 350, 395 and 796. A couple of these camcorders offer native 16:9, which is impressive for a non-high-definition consumer camcorder.

In the HD realm, the company offers a high-definition version of the Everio (not HDV, however) and the GR-HD1, the first low-cost high-definition camcorder.

Sony also offers several hard disk-based camcorders, which have single CMOS and CCD chips. Its tape-based camcorders are also competitive within the field, with some single-CCD chip sizes reaching 1/3-inch, which most sub-$10,000 SD and HD camcorders have.

Sony introduced CMOS to its small HDV camcorders in 2005 and again in 2006, with its AVCHD camcorders, helping to keep costs down. The new single-CMOS HDV camcorders from Sony include the HDR-HC5 and HC7.

Both Panasonic and Sony support AVCHD. Sony recently released the HDR-UX5 and UX7, both of which record to DVD.

The one-CCD Canon HV10 and HV20 have the largest sensors of all low-cost high-definition camcorders, since more pixels can affordably be packaged onto a larger single chip. Canon also offers some great DVD camcorders, including the DC50, DC230 and more. For a little more money, the three-CCD GL2 (Mini DV) is an excellent consumer and professional-style camcorder.

Sanyo offers small, handheld camcorders that record both standard- and high-definition video to an SD Memory Card, including the VPC-HD2 Xacti Media Camera, which records in 720p. They also have some affordable standard-def camcorders.

Like the other manufacturers, Samsung offers Mini DV, DVD and SD Card-based camcorders that record in standard definition. The new SC-D372 Mini DV camcorder records in widescreen (16:9), for a cinematic feel.

Before you hit the road on your summer vacation, consider some options when you are checking out a camcorder for that vacation. Do you want a tape-based camcorder or do you prefer something that records to a hard disk drive, DVD or both?

Does the number of CCDs or CMOS chips matter to you? You can sometimes save money, but the overall image quality may suffer somewhat with a single-sensor model. What about the relatively new, but all-important question of standard-definition vs. high definition? Do you have an HDTV at home?

With those considerations in mind, choosing the right camcorder for your summer fun will be a lot easier. See you at the beach!

Heath McKnight is a filmmaker and writer who recently co-wrote HDV: What You NEED to Know, Volume 2, from VASST.