Camcorder HQ's Camcorder Gift Guide
We've put together a roundup of our favorite camcorders from 2008. There's something for everybody, from web-video producers to budget shoppers and high-definition junkies. Take a look at the best of 2008, and think about which one might make an excellent gift for your friends and family.
| Best MiniDV Camcorder The JVC GR-D850 earns high marks for being a reliable, high-quality, affordable camcorder. It's not the cutting edge or the most flashy camcorder available, but it gets the job done, and sometimes that's all you'll want or need. The GR-D850 records standard-definition video (in 16:9 widescreen or 4:3 square aspect ratios) to MiniDV cassette tapes. In head to head comparisons with comparable Canon and Sony camcorders, the GR-D850 offered the best performance and the most comfortable recording experience. |
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| Best Web Video Camcorder Pure Digital has instigated a revolution in video recording with their affordable, startlingly straightforward web video camcorders. Though they've inspired many copycats (like Kodak's Zi6), the Pure Digital Flip Video Mino is still the best of the bunch. Improving upon the Flip Video Ultra models, the Mino trims the already small profile considerably, and increases the video quality substantially. Perfect for budding web superstars or consumers who simply want a no-frills, point-and-shoot video recorder, the Mino would make an excellent gift this holiday season. |
| Best Memory Card Based Camcorder The Panasonic HDC-SD100 records high-definition video directly to a removable Secure Digital memory card, eliminating the need for bulky tapes with limited capacity. The memory card based camcorder is a godsend, allowing for longer, higher-quality videos and easier transfers to a computer for sharing with friends and family online. The SD100 also uses three-CMOS sensors, instead of the typical CCD sensors used in digital camcorders. This has allowed Panasonic to make the camcorder smaller without sacrificing quality. |
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| Best Hard-Disk Drive Camcorder When it comes to storage capacity, the JVC GZ-HD40 is simply unbeatable. This high-definition camcorder records to an internal 120GB hard-disk drive, letting you take more than 10 hours of highest-quality HD video before even having to worry about running out of room. The HD40 is an exceptional camcorder, and also uses a smaller CMOS sensor to provide high-quality images while reducing the size and heft of the camcorder. |
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| Best Flash Memory Camcorder The Canon Vixia HF11 may be this years most interesting new high-def release. An update on the popular and successful HF10, the HF11 doubles the storage capacity, with a 32GB internal flash memory drive. It also improves the image quality, with a bit-rate of 24MBps, besting the 17MBps present in the HF10. The 32GB drive can hold nearly 12 hours of best-quality footage (the HF11 uses AVCHD compression, that's why it can hold so much more than the JVC HD40 on a smaller drive), and can be supplemented with a Secure Digital High Capacity card. |
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