1. Four HD Camcorders Tested

High Definition (HD) camcorders are all the rage right now. They are available based on a variety of recording media, including models that use memory cards, DVDs, hard disks, and now even Blu-ray. We’ll look at four of them from the point of view of handling, image quality (using a series of tests), features, options, and also how easy it is to export and reprocess your video. Since time was short, we weren’t able to include a hard-disk camcorder in this roundup, but we’ll be adding a model as soon as possible.

The Sony HDR-CX6 has a 6.1 million-pixel CMOS sensor and uses a Memory Stick Pro Duo memory card. Their small size, (relative) stability, and constantly increasing capacity seem to be making memory cards the recording medium of choice. The Sony cam sells for around $1,405.12.

The Canon HR10 uses a 1/2.7" CMOS sensor and records to MiniDVDs. The medium is fragile and access times can be relatively long; DVD can also cause recording errors due to sudden movements or lens problems. On the other hand, the format is more appropriate for direct play on a living-room DVD player without having to connect the camera to the TV. A MiniDVD costs between $5-10.

The Panasonic HDC SD5 uses a 1/6" tri-CCD sensor. The recording medium is an SDHC memory card, a format that has the advantage of costing less than Sony’s MMS. And the SD5 itself sells for "only" $1,327.06.

The Hitachi DZ-BD70E has a 1/2.8" CMOS sensor and is one of the first models to use Blu-ray media for recording, a medium that was created expressly for HD. The major disadvantage is the price, with a mini Blu-ray disk costing close to $30. For its part, the camcorder costs $2,029.62.