2. Camcorders: Handling

Although it was announced as the world’s smallest DVD camcorder, the Canon HR10 is still a tad more imposing than a hard-disk or memory-card unit. The space taken up by the DVD transport is clearly visible in the form of a block on one side of the unit. Still, it’s handsome which bespeaks careful design; the gold-colored buttons on the side are a nice touch, but the quality of the plastics leaves a lot to be desired.

A Bit Stingy

The HR10 bundle includes a power cord, rechargeable battery, YUV cable, USB 2 cable, Corel software, and a remote control. There’s no HDMI cable, even though the camcorder has a connector for it, nor is there a blank DVD - so you’ll need to stop off at the corner store before you start shooting with your new camcorder. MiniDVDs are priced at around $5.50 for a 2.8 GB DVD-R that can hold an hour of video; a rewritable DVD-RW will cost you about twice that.

The Panasonic HDC SD5 uses SDHC format memory cards. It’s pleasing to look at and very compact, with an elongated design. It has a solid look and feel, the plastics are strong, and the unit is nicely finished. Panasonic has done a nice job on this camcorder.

Very Complete

The HDC SD5’s bundle is very complete. Our pre-release model came with a 4 GB memory card, all cables (including HDMI), plus a remote control. The camcorder comes with two battery packs, so one can be plugged in for recharging while you continue to use the unit. Memory cards sell for approximately $78 for a 4 GB model.

The Hitachi DZ-BD70E model uses mini Blu-ray recordable disks. Surprisingly, the model with the most innovative technology on paper is also the one that’s the least sexy-looking - its highly plastic look doesn’t really inspire confidence. The finish is terrible, the case scratches very easily, and the buttons look really cheesy. In short, at first glance the Hitachi Blu-ray doesn’t make a favorable impression.

A Complete Bundle

In its defense, one Blu-ray disk comes in the box (a good thing, given the prohibitive price of the media). Also, numerous accessories are supplied along with the camcorder, including a remote control and HDMI cable for connecting the camcorder directly to an HD display. The generosity of the bundle disposed us a little more favorably toward this model.

Finally, the Sony HDR-CX6 uses MMS Pro Duo memory cards, a proprietary format that Sony uses for all its cameras, PSP and PS3 gaming units and so on. The first impression we had is that the HDR-CX6 and the Panasonic SD5 seem to have been cast in the same mold - compact appearance, careful design. The Sony is a bit larger, but plastics are just as carefully chosen and finished. Interestingly, there’s a hotshoe on top for fitting the camcorder with a microphone or flash/lamp.

Docking Station Included

Like the Panasonic, the HDR-CX6 comes with a full gamut of accessories: a memory card, all the cables, and a very useful separate battery pack. In addition to the usual remote control, Sony has also included a base docking station that includes all the connectors for the camcorder, and can also recharge it via AC.