1. Sony HDR-SR8 - £899
This high-definition (HD) camcorder has a massive (100GB) hard drive. There's effective image-stabilisation, advanced colour fidelity, and an eight-megapixel stills camera.
www.amazon.co.uk;
0800 279 6620
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2. Panasonic SD9 - Price as yet unknown
Due out in the spring, this latest HD machine from Panasonic uses memory cards, so it’s small, but impressive. It matches a comfortable size with lots of clever features.
www.panasonic.co.uk;
0844 844 3852
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3. Sanyo Xacti HD1000 - £499
The latest in a series of light, pistol-grip HD models from Sanyo, this records to memory card. It has full 1,080-line HD resolution. In low light the Xacti struggles.
www.sanyo.co.uk;
01923 246 363
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4. Hitachi DZ-BD70E - £700
The world’s first Blu-ray camcorder – Blu-ray is one of the two next-generation high-definition disc formats. Each disc holds an hour of action.
www.hitachidigitalmedia.com;
08457 581 455
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5. Canon HG10 - £699
Film for up to 15 hours and store it all on this camera’s 40GB hard drive. You can play back the footage on your HDTV using HDMI. Neat, stylish and lightweight.
www.comet.co.uk;
08705 425 425
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6. Canon DC50 - £450
This standard-definition camcorder records to mini-DVD and uses some technologies developed for HD. It’s especially easy to use, with a 10x optical zoom and widescreen recording.
www.canon.co.uk;
08705 143723
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7. Sony HDR-CX6 - £750
Like the Samsung, the Sony is tiny because it records to a memory card. Sony’s advanced colour capabilities make footage look vibrant, and it records in surround-sound too.
www.sony.co.uk;
0870 111 999
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8. Panasonic SDR-H20 - £200
The standard-definition H20 records to a 30GB hard disk as well as memory card. It’s comfortable, easy, and includes a 32x optical zoom. Currently half price at Argos.
www.argos.co.uk;
0870 600 1010
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9. Samsung VP-HMX10 - £499
Flash memory is small, so this is light too. The drawback is that flash memory is expensive, so to have lengthy recording times you’ll need to shell out on cards.
www.johnlewis.com;
08456 049 049
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10. JVC GZ-HD7 - £1,049
JVC pioneered hard-drive camcorders, and this 60GB model is advanced and effective. It has a sharp, bright screen and an excellent (and quite large) lens.
www.jvc.co.uk;
0870 330 5000
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10 January 2008, Chosen by David Phelan
