Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA8 - Camcoder

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA8 is a fully waterproof compact budget standard definition camcorder. Shooting at 640x480 the VPC-CA8 outputs AVC/H.264 MPEG-4 to its 44MB internal memory or loaded SDHC card (a 1GB card can contain up to 1 hour and 20 minutes of footage). The VPC-CA8 really shines with images, as the camera sports a 8MP CMOS sensor and 8 resolution settings. While a considerably advanced SD camcorder, the pitiful 44MB onboard flash and a lack of included SDHC card seems spartan, even when standard footage takes up much less room than high definition content. A slightly cheaper version, the Xacti VPC-CA65 includes less internal memory and a 6MP CCD.

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•Fully waterproof; shoot underwater
•8 megapixel CMOS for shooting stills
•Very small
•Comfortable upright grip
•Expandable with SDHC memory cards

Cons:

•Only shoots at 640 x 480
•Can only shoot underwater up to 1.5 meters deep
•Only 44 MB of built-in memory
•Can only shoot underwater for 1 hour at a time

Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD700 - Camcoder

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD700 ($600) released in late-October 2007 is the latest HD camcorder in the Sanyo Xacti line. Sanyo claims that this is the smallest 720p camcorder in the world weighing only 6.7 oz (189 g) and occupying a volume of only 171 cc. Along with the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 (records 1080i, $1000), Sanyo has made significant improvements to their Xacti line that included the earlier Sanyo Xacti HD-2. It is a tapeless camcorder that records both video and still on a SD/SDHC memory card. It consumes very little power at 4 Watts and will give you about 2 hours of battery life with its included battery.

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•720p recording in MPEG-4 AVH/H.264 format
•Good price for its features
•Included cradle has many output options including HDMI
•Improved compression means more recording on a single SD card
•Very compact and lightweight
•Low power consumption with decent battery life

Cons:

•Lens is a very small diameter and is only X5. Same lens as used to be on HD2 would fare much better.

More information

Features

•720p SD/SDHC memory card camcorder
•Smallest 720p camcorder in the world
•1/2.5" CCD sensor with 7.38 megapixels (1 divided by 2.5 inch: 0.4 inch)
•4.08 MP movies
•7.1 MP still photos
•Video format: MPEG-4 AVH/H.264 format (same as YouTube)
•Face chaser technology recognized up to 12 faces for autofocus
•Sensitivity: up to ISO 3200
•5X optical zoom
•2.7" widescreen LCD
•Includes a docking cradle with HDMI, component, S-Video, Composite outputs
•Records at either 6 Mbps or 9 Mbps
•Record time: 2 hours @ 9 Mbps on a 8 GB memory card
•Interface: USB 2.0
•Size: (171 cubic cm)
•Weight: 6.7 oz (189 g)
•Available in silver, red, and brown
•Release date: October 20, 2007
•MSRP: $599

The DMX-HD700 is an affordable, tiny camcorder with an impressive featureset geared towards consumers wanting a very compact camcorder that can easily share and upload videos over the Internet. Its default recording mode is MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 which most video sharing sites (ie. YouTube) use. It was released in the US on October 20th, 2007 for a retail price of $599.

Sony Handycam HDR-CX7 - Home Movie Camcoder

The good: Excellent video and performance; impressive still photos for a camcorder; adequate manual controls; docking station included.

The bad: No wind filter; USB on dock only, not on camcorder; doesn't include Mini HDMI cable; no viewfinder.

The bottom line: As the flash-memory-based equivalent of the HDR-SR7, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX7 serves up the same pleasing performance and quality as its hard-drive cousin.

Price range: $611.99 - $899.99

oin me, if you will, along the slow march toward the obsolescence of tape in video. We've definitely got a long road ahead of us, but it's fun to notice how much camcorders have changed already. On the one hand, tapeless camcorders such as Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7 give product designers the freedom to make smaller, sleeker camcorders. On the other hand, we've yet to see a model that records in the AVCHD format, as this one does, match the quality of the footage we've seen from tape-based models using the HDV format. However, for an AVCHD camcorder, this does produce very nice video, and will likely blow your socks off if you're used to a standard-definition camcorder.

Though it's been on the market in various camcorders for a while now, the AVCHD format has been slow on the uptake in software for editing and playback. Lori Grunin's recent blog post outlines which software titles are compatible and notes whatever glitches she has found when using those programs. Ultimately, the easiest way to watch your HD video is still a direct connection to your HDTV, but there is a modest, and slowly growing, list of software out there if you like to watch on your computer or edit your footage.

Sony's designers definitely made the most of the fact that the HDR-CX7 records its video to MemoryStick Pro Duo cards. The camcorder is little more than a lens and LCD screen in terms of size, though that's both a positive and negative thing. Sure, you can fit the CX7 into almost any bag, and even a large jacket or sweatshirt pocket, but the ergonomics of the grip are a little off. It's certainly more comfortable to hold than Panasonic's SD-based HDC-SD1, but since there's no eye-level viewfinder, I often found myself holding it higher than I would some camcorders, and at a slightly odd angle. Also, since your hand basically covers the right side and top of the CX7, Sony was forced to put a handful of buttons on the left side, behind the LCD screen. That's never a very good move, since you can't readily see that spot when you're shooting, and if you do need to use one of those buttons while capturing video, you'll likely shake the camera horizontally while pressing it. Of the buttons placed there, the backlight compensation button is probably the most worrisome, since it's highly likely you'll use it on the fly, while most of the others would be used before or after shooting.

As usual, the HDR-CX7's main interface is its LCD touch screen. Even though the LCD is 2.7 inches in size, it still felt a bit small as a touch-screen interface. The main virtual buttons are big enough, but ancillary buttons, such as the OK button in the upper-left, or the X (cancel) button in the upper-right of some screens are rather tiny. On more than one occasion, I accidentally hit one of the bigger buttons when trying to hit the tiny ones. Combine that with the fact that the touch screen requires such an extensive tree of submenus, and the thrill of a touch-screen interface starts to wane pretty quickly. Still, some people say they like this kind of interface, so make sure you try it out in a store first to see if you like it before you buy.

Following a recent trend in camcorders, the CX7 doesn't include a minijack microphone input. If you want to add an accessory mic, you have to use one of Sony's in the CX7's Active Interface Shoe (aka proprietary hot shoe), which provides an interface and power for accessories. You have two options to send video to your TV directly from the camcorder. You can either use a mini-to-full-size HDMI cable, or use the composite AV breakout cable included with the CX7. Given that they are rather rare right now, it would've been nice for Sony to include the special HDMI cable, as Canon does with the HG10. A third option is to use the dock, which has the same composite AV out as the camcorder, as well as a component output (also via a breakout cable), and a Mini USB jack to connect to your computer. I was surprised that Sony didn't include a normal-size HDMI jack on the dock. It would've been a really nice touch.

Sony did include some great features though, such as the automatic lens cover, flash for still photos, and a nice complement of manual controls. While it doesn't include the SR7's shutter speed control, the CX7 does have the same exposure shift; manual, indoor, outdoor, and auto white balance; Spot Focus and Spot Metering; Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization; and Super NightShot infrared mode for shooting in the dark. Since the CX7 doesn't include Sony's CAM CTL dial (as the SR7 does), you have to adjust focus on the touch screen, which isn't quite as nice as the dial, but works well nonetheless.

Since the HDR-CX7 records its video to a MemoryStick Pro Duo card, you should plan on buying at least one high-capacity card. On a 4GB Pro Duo card, the HDR-CX7 can fit 32 minutes of best-quality, HD video. Stepping up to an 8GB Pro Duo ups that to a little more than an hour. By contrast, the HDR-SR7 can fit up to eight hours of the same level footage onto its 60GB hard drive.

Footage from the CX7 is very nice. The camcorder's Zeiss T lens is very sharp and Sony's Super SteadyShot does an excellent job of taming hand shake. Its 10X optical zoom might seem tame next to the 30X+ zooms now finding their way into lower-end models, but at a 400mm 35mm-equivalent on the telephoto end (in 16:9 mode), it's got plenty of reach. Plus, by keeping the optical zoom range within reason, you get more reliable stabilization across the entire zoom.

Both the autofocus and metering systems perform quite well, adjusting quickly to changes in subject, lighting, and environment. I was particularly impressed with the autofocus' ability to keep up with changes in zoom and quick changes between near and far subjects. The camcorder's white balance does a very good job. While colors aren't quite as neutral as I've seen in some other models, it's still very close and colors are well saturated and look realistic. Still images are definitely above average for a camcorder. Depending on the shooting conditions, you should be able to get pleasing letter-size or smaller prints.

As long as you don't mind the limited software compatibility and added cost of buying a few high-capacity Pro Duo cards, Sony's Handycam HDR-CX7 is a really nice AVCHD camcorder. As software catches up and flash memory prices continue to drop, it will only become that much more attractive, and the smaller physical size that goes along with a flash-based camcorder will wow your friends and make it more practical to have your camcorder with you when you want it. If Mini-DVDs appeal to you more than flash-memory cards, Sony also makes the HDR-UX7, which can record AVCHD video onto 8cm DVDs and is very similar to this model, though not quite as small in size.

Panasonic SDR-H18 - Camcoder - Budget

The good: Records to hard drive or SD card; optical image stabilization; 32X optical zoom; comfortable grip.

The bad: No macro mode; menu button a bit hard to reach with a thumb; USB jack hidden behind battery; awkward manual control switch.

The bottom line: Combining the simplicity of SD recording, a roomy 30GB hard drive, a long zoom, and pleasing image quality, the SDR-H18 is a good choice for a standard-definition, hard-drive camcorder.

Price range: $902.96

Hard-drive camcorders have been slower to catch on than I would've thought. Sure, they cost a bit more than their DVD- or tape-based equivalents, but the convenience of having such a large storage capacity--and not having to deal with tape--make them appealing. However, some buyers can't get past the idea of not having removable storage, which is why Panasonic is so keen to point out that their new SDR-H18 can record to either its built-in 30GB drive or to a SD/SDHC flash memory card, without any difference in quality. Of course, it also helps that the company is part of the SD Card Association, and has been on a big push to champion SD memory cards as the next big storage medium for consumer video.

Unlike the awkward body designs we've seen with some recent SD-based camcorders, the SDR-H18 is very comfortable to hold. Part of the reason is that designers had to find a place to put the camcorder's hard drive, which finds its home in the right side of the body--creating an iPod-sized block that is just the right shape for a hand to wrap around. Almost all the camcorder's controls are also on the right-hand side; most of them can easily be reached with either a forefinger or thumb. While I had a hard time reaching and pressing the menu button with my right thumb, you still can access the most frequently used controls--such as backlight compensation, white balance, and shutter and iris controls--by pressing the joystick, so this isn't much of a problem. It would've been nice for Panasonic to put the menu button somewhere more convenient, however.

At its heart, the SDR-H18 sports a single 1/6-inch, 680,000-pixel CCD sensor. When recording in 16:9 mode, it uses 460,000 pixels to capture video or still images. That drops to 340,000 pixels when capturing 4:3 video or 350,000 when capturing 4:3 stills. Panasonic's online specs are a bit misleading, in that they hint that this model has three CCDs when it doesn't. Since the H18 has the same instruction manual as the higher-end H200, it's a simple error, but one that happens way too often on the company's Web site.

Playing along with the über-zoom craze, the H18 includes a 32X optical zoom lens, which sports a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-3.7. The variable zoom lever atop the camera is easy to get used to and gives a nice range of zoom speeds. As usual, the image stabilization doesn't effectively cover the entire zoom range, but does a good job out to approximately 75 or 80 percent of the zoom. That's pretty impressive, when you consider that you end up with a stabilized zoom range of about 24X, which is more total zoom than you could've expected in a similar-level camcorder just a few years ago (though it wouldn't have been a hard-drive or SD camcorder). If you like to shoot very close to your subject, you should note that the H18 doesn't include a macro mode. You'll have to step up to the H200 for this option.

Image quality impressed us, considering that this camcorder uses a lone, sub-megapixel imager. We saw ample detail given this restraint, even at the far end of the zoom, and colors look generally accurate, though a bit washed out. While not perfect, the H18's automatic white balance does a very good job of neutralizing colors across different light sources. We did notice that fluorescent lighting yields a minor, but noticeable, greenish cast--so you're probably better off setting the manual white balance in this shooting situation. If you like to use white balance presets instead of auto, you'll be pleased to know that you can change the white balance while recording. This means that you can move from a room with fluorescent lighting into a room with incandescent lighting and seamlessly switch from one white balance preset to the other without interrupting your footage. Not all camcorders let you do this. Autofocus reacts quickly and does a nice job of maintaining focus while zooming. Of course, everything isn't tack sharp as you zoom, but once you stop, the camera locks in very quickly.

If you tend to shoot in auto-mode, or only occasionally use more advanced functions, you'll most likely be pleased with Panasonic's SDR-H18. The footage isn't overly marred by compression artifacts that so often ruin video you get from lower-priced camcorders, and yields better footage from a sub-megapixel sensor than I've seen in a while. Add to that the benefits of hard-drive recording and the option of using removable SD media, and you've got a solid camcorder that should appeal to a wide range of users. It's not without its quirks, but none of those take away too much from the usability of this model.

Creative Vado VF0570 - Camcoder

The Creative Vado is an inexpensive handheld camcorder that's focus is on ease-of-use and simplicity. The camera has a USB connection built-in so that it's easy to transfer video to your computer, or even directly to YouTube or Photobucket. The Vado has 2GB of built-in memory and 2 hours of battery life, which can be recharged through USB. The Vado aims to be your everyday camcorder, with its small size and easy publishing capabilities, it is intended for YouTube-style video sharing (meaning it's not super high resolution).

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•Great value for the price
•Lightweight
•Easy to publish online
•Easy to transfer to your computer
•Built-in battery, rechargeable through USB

Cons:

•No extended memory option
•No Mac software
•No optical zoom

More information

Features

•Video resolution: 640 x 240
•Video format: MPEG-4 AVI at 30 frames per second
•Sensor: VGA CMOS
•2x digital zoom
•2" LCD
•Built-in speaker and microphone
•2GB memory - 2 hours video at good quality, 1 hour at top quality
•TV-out
•USB connector
•2 hours battery life
•Dimensions: 3.9" x 2.2" x 0.6"
•Weight: 84g

Panasonic HDC-SD9 - Camcoder

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 is an SD-card high-definition camcorder. The SD9 is in the same line as the Panasonic HDC-HS9, without the built-in harddrive. The SD9 records in 1920x 1080 progressive recording with 5.1 surround sound audio recording.

Pros:

•3CCD recording
•Capable of recording FullHD 1080p @ 24 fps
•Very small and lightweight
•58 hours record time on 32 GB SDHC memory card
•HDMI output

More information

The SD9 also features an "Intelligent Shooting Guide" which gives the user tips on recording, real-time, taking into account the current conditions. This can help a beginner videographer who isn't sure how to use the more advanced features.

Features

3CCD camera system
Dimensions: 65mm x 67mm x 126mm
Weight: 275 g
1920x1080 HD progressive recording
5.1 surround sound audio recording
Face detection
Optical image stabilizer
Leica Dicomar lens
SD card for storage
Up to 2 hours battery life with option for a bigger battery

Canon HV30 - Camcoder

The Canon HV30 is the successor to the award winning HV20 camcorder, building upon the same core as the HV20 adding some extra features in response to fans and critics. On the surface the cameras look very similar with the HV30 coming in black instead of silver and retaining the same barrel shaped form factor to accommodate the 10x optical zoom lens. Alongside the same lens the HV30 uses the same progressive capture 1/2.7" CMOS sensor that records video in the HDV format (1440x1080 resolution) onto miniDV tapes. The major improvements come from fixing some annoying design decisions of the HV20 and the addition of a 30p recording mode for Internet content.

Pros & Cons

Pros:


•30p mode is a very welcome addition
•Same great recording performance as HV20
•Much improved hot shoe cover that doesn't fall off
•Great manual controls
•Fast auto focus

Cons:

•No focus ring
•Worse than Sony for ease of use
•Auto-Focus snaps to focus instantly

More information

Specs

10x optical zoom lens
3.1MP CMOS sensor
up to 1080i video recording
miniDV tapes for storage
2.7" LCD monitor, 211K pixels
Internal lens cover mechanism
Battery life: 1 hour
Data ports: USB2.0, Firewire
Video ports: Component, S-Video, HDMI

The instant auto focus mechanism uses a separate AF sensor to determine distance to the subject, with the image processor handling the finer adjustments. In good lighting conditions and using the standard 60i recording mode the AF takes about 2 seconds to work. The number decreases when the lighting is lower and can be dramatically increased if the AF sensor is covered, and the 24p/30p shooting modes are used.

The 24p shooting mode is a carry-over from the HV20 and attempts to simulate the more blurred motion of natural film movies. Canon also includes the cine shooting mode that changes gamma and color settings to achieve a more muted film-like look. New for 2008 is the introduction of the 30p mode. This mode captures a progressive image at 30 frames per second. The benefit of 30p is that it converts better to Internet formats that are usually viewed at 15 frames per second. Alongside the natural blurring that occurs at the 24p/30p modes, these slower capture rates have the added benefit of better low light performance.

Sony Handycam HDR-HC9 - Camcoder

The Handycam HDR-HC9 is the upgrade to Sony's 2007 miniDV camcorder, the HC7. With this 2008 offering Sony provides minor improvements over the award winning HC7. The camera retains its barrel-shaped form factor that houses the Carl Zeiss lens with 10x optical zoom. HDV footage with a resolution of 1440x1080 is recorded onto the miniDV tapes, standard definition DV footage can also be captured through the menu settings. The HC9 retains the same touch-screen menu based interface and offers a host of manual controls from white balance and infinity focus, to peaking functionality and colored outlining.


Pros & Cons

Pros:


•HDV is a standard format that all video software recognizes
•Plenty of manual controls
•Good selection of outputs including USB2.0, Firewire, Component, HDMI
•Great video capture quality
•Internal, automatic lens cover
•Black design is better than silver
•Better quality compression for MiniDV over solid-state media formats

Cons:

•Still limited to proprietary Sony accessories


More information

Specs


- 10x optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens
- 3.2MP CMOS sensor
- up to 1080i video recording
- miniDV tapes for storage
- 2.7" LCD touch screen monitor, 211K pixels
- Internal lens cover mechanism
- Records video with x.v.Color (need a compatible TV to view)
- Data ports: USB2.0, Firewire
- Video ports: Component, S-Video, HDMI

Differences between HC7 and HC9

Body - the HC9 comes in a black color while the HC7 is silver.

Memory stick support - The HC9 supports a memory stick duo capacity of 8GB while the HC7 is limited to 4GB.

USB support - for transferring data the HC9 uses a USB2.0 interface which is significantly faster than the HC7's USB1.1 interface.