Shop for digital camcorders

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: While it's got a great shooter feature set and good video quality, the Canon Vixia HF G10 still feels a bit expensive for what it offers. Read review

Specs: HD CMOS Pro, 19.2 oz, 10 x x Zoom lens - 4.25 mm - 42.5 mm - F/1.8-2.8, 3.1 in, Canon VIXIA HF G10 - Consumer - Flash card, Camcorder, 5.9 in, 3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 21 reviews

The Bottom Line: An extremely minor upgrade from the HV20, the Canon Vixia HV30 remains a quality HDV camcorder with a couple of performance issues. Read review

Specs: CMOS, Built-in flash, 1.2 lbs, 3.2 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 6.1 mm - 61 mm - F/1.8-3.0, 5.4 in, 3.5 in, Canon HV30 - Camcorder - Consumer - Mini DV (HDV)

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Vixia HF G20 announced at CES incorporates a new sensor and lower price. Read review

Specs: HD CMOS Pro, 1.3 lbs, Camcorder, Canon VIXIA HF G20 - Consumer - Flash card, 10 x x, Zoom lens - 4.25 mm - 42.5 mm - F/1.8-2.8, 3.1 in, 3 in, 6.3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.9 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 19 reviews

The Bottom Line: Canon's XH A1 and XH G1 are excellent camcorders for entry-level professionals and independent filmmakers, with hard-to-beat prices for what they offer. Read review

Specs: 3CCD, None, 4.7 lbs, 13.8 in, 20 x x Zoom lens - 4.5 mm - 90 mm - F/1.6, 6.4 in, Canon XH A1 - Camcorder - Consumer - Mini DV (HDV), 7.4 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: A larger sensor and longer lens are among the improvements Canon incorporates into its top-of-the-line consumer and compact pro models. Read review

Specs: HD CMOS Pro, 27 oz, 7.2 in, 3.3 in, Camcorder, Canon VIXIA HF G30 - Consumer - Flash card, 4.3 in, 20 x x, Zoom lens - 3.67 mm - 73.4 mm - F/1.8-2.8

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Despite a perceived lull in the camcorder market, Sony announces 10 models at CES. Read review

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Camcorder flash light, 20.3 oz, 5.4 in, 10 x x, Zoom lens - 3.8 mm - 38 mm - F/1.8-3.4, Camcorder, Sony Handycam HDR-PJ790V - Consumer - Flash card, 2.9 in, 3.3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: Though they're an excellent trio of camcorders, the Vixia HF S21, HF S20, and HF S200 are significantly more expensive than their respective competitors, especially since the S20 and S200 lack electronic viewfinders. If you can forgo some of the subtleties of the manual controls, you can probably get what you need with a cheaper camcorder. Read review

Specs: CMOS, Built-in flash, 16.6 oz, 3 in, 2.9 in, Canon VIXIA HF S21 - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card, 5.8 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 6.4 mm - 64 mm - F/1.8-3.0

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 55 reviews

The Bottom Line: This outstanding performer raises the bar for prosumer MiniDV camcorders. Read review

Specs: 3CCD with Pixel Shift, None, 2.6 lbs, 5.4 in, 4.6 in, Canon GL2 - Camcorder - Consumer - Mini DV, 20 x x Zoom lens - 4.2 mm - 84 mm - F/1.6-2.9, 12 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: A solid first effort in a nascent category, the Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 nevertheless needs some conceptual refinement. Read review

Specs: Exmor APS HD CMOS, External, 2.9 lbs, Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card, 5.2 in, 3.8 in, 11.6 in, 11 x x Zoom lens - 18 mm - 200 mm - F/3.5-6.3

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Camcorder flash light, 19.6 oz, Sony Handycam HDR-CX760V - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card, 10 x x Zoom lens - 3.8 mm - 38 mm - F/1.8-3.4, 6.5 in, 3.5 in, 4.3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 26 reviews

The Bottom Line: Canon returns to the state of the art in DV but doesn't set a new standard. Read review

Specs: 3CCD, None, 7.7 lbs, 8.9 in, 20 x x Zoom lens - 5.4 mm - 108 mm - F/1.6-3.5, Canon XL2 - Camcorder - Consumer - Mini DV, 8.7 in, 19.5 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 31 reviews

The Bottom Line: A bargain for a three-chip camera, the Panasonic PV-GS250 is a great choice for an amateur with serious aspirations or just a discerning eye. Read review

Specs: 3CCD, Built-in flash, 1.1 lbs, 2.9 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 2.85 mm - 28.5 mm - F/1.6-2.8, Panasonic Palmcorder Multicam PV-GS250 - Camcorder - Consumer - Mini DV, 5.7 in, 3.2 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 1 review

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Camcorder flash light, 1.2 lbs, 3.4 in, 6.4 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 3.8 mm - 38 mm - F/1.8-3.4, 4.2 in, Sony Handycam HDR-PJ710V - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.3 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 13 reviews

The Bottom Line: If this camcorder cost $500, we'd give it a much higher rating. But for its quadruple-digit price, we expect far better performance and video quality from the JVC Everio GZ-HD7. Read review

Specs: 3CCD, 1.5 lbs, 3 in, JVC Everio GZ-HD7 - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive, 10 x x Zoom lens - 3.3 mm - 33 mm - F/1.8-1.9, 3.6 in, 7.3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 45 reviews

The Bottom Line: Canon's HV20 camcorder is a great choice for HD-happy amateurs, but its low-light performance could have been better. Read review

Specs: CMOS, Built-in flash, 1.2 lbs, Canon HV20 - Camcorder - Consumer - Mini DV (HDV), 5.4 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 6.1 mm - 61 mm - F/1.8-3.0, 3.5 in, 3.2 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 29 reviews

The Bottom Line: A solid hard-drive based HD camcorder, the Canon HG10 nevertheless has its share of annoying quirks. Read review

Specs: CMOS, 2.07 megapixels, Built-in flash, 1.1 lbs, 5.1 in, 3.2 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 6.1 mm - 61 mm - F/1.8-3.0, Canon HG10 - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive, 3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Despite a perceived lull in the camcorder market, Sony announces 10 models at CES. Read review

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Built-in flash, 16.2 oz, 10 x x, Zoom lens - 3.2 mm - 32 mm - F/1.8-3.4 G, Camcorder, Sony Handycam HDR-TD30V - Consumer - Flash card, 2.8 in, 2.5 in, 5.2 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.1 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews

The Bottom Line: As a scaled-down version of JVC's GZ-HD7, the GZ-HD3 ditches some of the fancier features, but its price is still higher than we'd like for this camcorder. Read review

Specs: 3CCD, 1.3 lbs, 6.1 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 3.2 mm - 32 mm - F/1.8-2.4, JVC Everio GZ-HD3 - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive, 3.2 in, 3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 1 review

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Built-in flash, 26.1 oz, Camcorder, Sony Handycam HDR-TD10 - Consumer - Flash card, 5.9 in, Zoom Lens, 10 x x 2.9 mm - 29 mm - F/1.8-3.4, 3.4 in, 2.9 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 23 reviews

The Bottom Line: An uninspiring entrant in Sony's HD camcorder lineup, the Sony Handycam HDR-SR5's video quality and performance simply don't deliver for the price. Read review

Specs: ClearVid CMOS, Built-in flash, 1.2 lbs, 3.2 in, Sony Handycam HDR-SR5 - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive, 5.5 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 5.1 mm - 51 mm - F/1.8-2.9, 3 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Sony Handycam HDR-XR550V fares well compared with the competition, though its video could be a bit sharper and the interface less cumbersome. Unless you absolutely need to store a lot of video on the camcorder--which I don't suggest--or have large hands and therefore could benefit from the extra grip the hard drive provides, the cheaper and nearly identical flash-based CX550V is a better deal. Read review

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Built-in flash, 1.1 lbs, 2.9 in, 5.6 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 3.8 mm - 38 mm - F/1.8-3.4, 2.8 in, Sony Handycam HDR-XR550V - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive, - Flash card

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 23 reviews

The Bottom Line: The hard-drive-based analog of the HDR-HC7, the Sony Handycam HDR-SR7 finally delivers a cutting-edge HD video experience, complete with great video and compatibility frustrations. Read review

Specs: ClearVid CMOS, Built-in flash, 1.3 lbs, 10 x x Zoom lens - 5.4 mm - 54 mm - F/1.8-2.9, 3 in, Sony Handycam HDR-SR7 - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive, 5.9 in, 3.2 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The most interesting thing about the new model is its ability to work with the new power zoom lenses. Read review

Specs: Exmor APS HD CMOS, 22.9 oz, 5.1 in, Sony Handycam NEX-VG30H - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card, 11.1 x x Zoom lens - 18 mm - 200 mm - F/3.5-6.3 PZ OSS, 3.6 in, 8.8 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Exmor R CMOS, Built-in, 16.2 oz, Sony Handycam HDR-TD20V - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card, 2.5 in, 5.6 in, 2.8 in, 10 x x Zoom lens - 3.2 mm - 32 mm - F/1.8-10

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: MOS, 4 lbs, Panasonic AVCHD AG-AC7 - Camcorder - Professional - Flash card, 16.8 x x Zoom lens - 2.9 mm - 48.7 mm - F/1.8-2.6, 8.5 in, 8.8 in, 17 in