Shop for digital camcorders

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 6 reviews

The Bottom Line: Like its cousin, the flash-based HF11, Canon's Vixia HG20 delivers excellent HD video quality and performance albeit in a slightly larger, heavier package. However, you do get more storage space and a lower price. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 12 x, Flash card, Hard disk drive, 16.4 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 35 reviews

The Bottom Line: Sony's Handycam HDR-SR11 and SR12 60GB hard-drive-based AVCHD camcorders deliver top notch performance and image quality. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, ClearVid CMOS, 12 x, Hard disk drive, 1.2 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: While it has its flaws and is a bit expensive, the ultrasimple Flip Video MinoHD produces impressive video for a camcorder of its size. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 21 reviews

The Bottom Line: One of a pair of Canon's first flash-based camcorders, the Canon Vixia HF100, delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 12 x, Flash card, 13.4 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: An extremely minor upgrade from the HV20, the Canon Vixia HV30 remains a quality HDV camcorder with a couple of performance issues. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 10 x, Mini DV (HDV), 1.2 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 22 reviews

The Bottom Line: Canon's first flash-based camcorder, the Canon Vixia HF10, delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 12 x, Flash card, 13.4 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: Convenient, well-designed camcorders that look pricier than they are, models in the Canon FS series--FS11, FS10, and FS100--nevertheless deliver typical budget video in line with their budget price tags. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CCD, 37 x, Flash card, 9.2 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 7 reviews

The Bottom Line: While bigger than most of its competitors and high priced for a mini camcorder, the Kodak Zi6's attractive design and decent video quality adequately compensate for some usability drawbacks. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 2x, Flash card, 1.6 megapixels, 3.8 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.9 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 7 reviews

The Bottom Line: Canon's XH A1 and XH G1 are excellent camcorders for entry-level professionals and independent filmmakers, with hard-to-beat prices for what they offer. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 20 x, Mini DV (HDV), 4.7 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 10 reviews

The Bottom Line: Sony's Handycam HDR-SR11 and SR12 60GB hard-drive-based AVCHD camcorders deliver top notch performance and image quality. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, ClearVid CMOS, 12 x, Hard disk drive, 1.2 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Creative Vado HD may fall slightly short of the Flip Video Mino HD in terms of video quality, but it's stronger feature set may tempt you. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 3.5 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.2 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 12 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Sony Handycam DCR-SR45 has a good design and reasonable feature set for its price, but the video quality doesn't measure up to the rest of the package. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, Advanced HAD CCD, 40 x, Flash card, Hard disk drive, 12.3 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Like its sibling the HF10, Canon's flash-based Vixia HF11 delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package. However, the HF11 delivers a bit more value for its lower price. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 12, Flash card, 13.4 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 21 reviews

The Bottom Line: With improved video quality, a slightly trimmer design, and upgraded software package, the Flip Video Ultra is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the emerging low-end digital camcorder category. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 5.6 megapixels

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: Convenient, well-designed camcorders that look pricier than they are, models in the Canon FS series--FS11, FS10, and FS100--nevertheless deliver typical budget video in line with their budget price tags. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CCD, 37 x, Flash card, 9.2 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 11 reviews

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. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, ClearVid CMOS, 10 x, Flash card, 15.9 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 26 reviews

The Bottom Line: A solid hard-drive based HD camcorder, the Canon HG10 nevertheless has its share of annoying quirks. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 10 x, Hard disk drive, 2.07 megapixels, 17.8 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  Not yet rated
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 25 reviews

Specs: Camcorder, CCD, 42 x, Hard disk drive, 12 oz

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 7 reviews

The Bottom Line: Despite some minor flaws, Pure Digital's Flip Video Mino is the best mini camcorder for straight-to-Web video currently available--but it also costs more, and it can't match the features of a video-savvy point-and-shoot camera. Read review

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz