Best DV Camcorders

'With Instant AF enabled, the autofocus works quickly, and the Push AF, which activates an Instant AF override in manual-focus mode, speeds manual focus considerably.'

'It's similarly comfortable to hold, especially with the slight upward curve toward the back that makes the zoom switch and photo button easy to reach.'

'Colours were bright and accurate, while the 35mm wide-angle lens did a good job of keeping everything in shot.'

'The zoom switch has a nice feel and it's pretty easy to maintain a steady rate with it.'

'Huge 240GB hard disk'

'Video looks sharp and clear in most lighting'

'streamlined user interface'

'The camera includes 32GB of built-in flash memory and supports SDHC cards, and it encodes the video as AVCHD files with data rates up to 24 mbps, the format's maximum capability. '

'The camcorder earned an audio score of Good, with noticeably better clarity and volume than rival camcorders offered. '

'impressively deep and professional manual controls'

'The playback on the camera is easy enough to use, though I miss the touchscreen on my Handycam.'

'The Sanyo Xacti SH1 boasts a 23x optical zoom, which is above average for a Full HD camcorder; most high-definition cameras come with 15x zooms or lower. '

'Supports Apple-backed iFrame format.'

'Video cameras using a memory card format are able to achieve an ultracompact design.'

'Samsung’s camcorders have been increasingly impressive over the last couple of years, with the VP-HMX20 showcasing the company’s new-found abilities.'

'It can also take 800x600 still photos, which are then interpolated to 1600x1200 (1.9 megapixels), making it a convenient photo taker, if necessary. '

'“The SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 are truly unique camcorders, starting with their eye-catching ToC design,” said Reid Sullivan, senior vice president of Audio/Video and Digital Imaging Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. '

'new Custom Key button'

'The lens is very similar to the HV30 with spectra coating (to reduce flare and ghosting), aspheric design, but adds a neutral density (ND) filter to improve performance in bright environments.'

'astonishing high definition detail and color reproduction'

'Nice basic camcorder'

'the graphical menus are very easy to navigate and comprehend.'

'Super SteadyShot® image stabilization capture sharp, clear, detailed video'

'novice-friendly Easy button'

'Good selection of outputs including USB2.0, Firewire, Component, HDMI.'

'nice little lens hood'