HD Camcorders: Reviews

Updated December 2011

Our research revealed that you can find a high quality, easy to use HD camcorder for well under $1000. Reviews look at video quality under a variety of conditions and report back on the overall quality, as well as how easy the camcorder is to operate, and how easy it is to share your videos once you're done shooting. Hundreds of user reviews offer a range of opinions from novices and enthusiasts.

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Best pocket HD camcorder

Samsung HMX-W200

*Est. $145 Compare Prices

Little pocket camcorders sacrifice a lot in their race to be the smallest and simplest, but experts say the Samsung HMX-W200 delivers surprisingly good 1080p HD video for its class -- even in dim light. It's rated as… expandwaterproof to 10 feet, shockproof to 6.5 feet and dustproof. There's no built-in memory (you have to buy your own micro SD card), but the W200 does offer some nice features for its class. It can snap still photos, has an HDMI port (to hook up to your HDTV) and face detection (to focus automatically on the people you choose). However, although the camera itself is Mac-compatible, its bundled software is not. Experts say the W200's footage looks remarkably crisp and colorful for a pocket camcorder, but it's definitely not in the same class with full-fledged camcorders like the Canon Vixia HF M40 (*Est. $475). collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CamcorderInfo.com: The Samsung HMX-W200's bright-light footage looks "sharper than any other budget camcorder we tested in the past year," Jeremy Stamas says.

CNET: With very good video quality for its class, the Samsung HMX-W200 makes it onto CNET's list of the best pocket camcorders, but Joshua Goldman finds some drawbacks.

Engadget.com: Darren Murph spends a few weeks testing the rugged Samsung HMX-W200 in Hawaii.

TrustedReviews.com: The Samsung HMX-W200 shoots the best low-light footage in its price range, tester James Morris says, making it particularly well-suited for underwater video and a Recommended camcorder here.

PCMag.com: Jim Fisher isn't particularly impressed with the Samsung HMX-W200.

ConsumerReports.org: Editors here test 16 pocket camcorders, including the Samsung HMX-W200.

Amazon.com: With more than 15 owner reviews posted, the Samsung HMX-W200 averages 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Buy from Amazon for $99.99
Beach Camera.com for $103.84	eBay for $127.95	BuyDig.com for $129.99

Best HD camcorder overall

Canon Vixia HF G10

*Est. $1,400 Compare Prices

Experts say the Canon Vixia HF G10 is basically a pro camcorder shrunk down into a smaller, less expensive body. Canon's flagship consumer camcorder uses a pro-grade image sensor, so footage is clear and colorful even in… expandthe dimmest light. It can also shoot in true native 24p, a feature usually found only on professional camcorders. Extensive manual controls include a lens ring for manual focusing, and there's an electronic viewfinder in addition to the 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD. Nearly three hours of best-quality footage will fit into the camcorder's 32 GB built-in flash memory, and dual memory-card slots let you expand the memory even further. If you don't need all of the advanced features, the Canon Vixia HF M40 (*Est. $475) boasts the same image sensor and similar video quality for a fraction of the price. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CamcorderInfo.com: "With the HF G10, you're essentially getting a professional camcorder in consumer body," Jeremy Stamas says.

CNET: The Canon Vixia HF G10 delivers "some of the best video quality I've seen in a consumer camcorder," senior editor Lori Grunin says, awarding it a spot on her list of the best HD camcorders.

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org tests the Canon Vixia HF G10 alongside more than 50 other full-featured HD camcorders.

Which? magazine: This British consumer testing agency rates 123 full-featured camcorders, including the Canon Legria HF G10 (as the Canon Vixia HF G10 is known in the U.K.).

Wired: Dan Havlik is particularly impressed with the Canon Vixia HF G10's ability to shoot "sparkling HD footage" even in low light -- he gets great shots of a child illuminated only by birthday candles, for example.

Amazon.com: The Canon Vixia HF G10 gets overwhelmingly positive ratings from owners, averaging 4.5 stars out of 5 in over a dozen reviews.

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Buy from Amazon for $1,309.99
Crutchfield for $1,349.99	BuyDig.com for $1,399.00	Adorama for $1,349.00

Best budget HD camcorder

Canon Vixia HF M40

*Est. $475 Compare Prices

The Canon Vixia HF M40 is a fantastic bargain, critics say. It uses the exact same CMOS Pro image sensor as the flagship Canon Vixia HF G10 (*Est. $1,400) -- and shoots similarly spectacular HD video -- for about a third… expandof the price. The HF M40 does omit some of the HF G10's features, but it doesn't skimp on versatility. You'll get dual memory-card slots in addition to the 16 GB of built-in flash memory, a hot shoe and external microphone jack. There's no viewfinder, and reviewers say the HF M40's touch-screen LCD can be frustratingly unresponsive to touch commands. Canon does sell a version with a viewfinder and 32 GB of memory, the Canon Vixia HF M41 (*Est. $650). collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CamcorderInfo.com: With the same image sensor -- and "virtually the same stellar performance" -- as Canon's flagship HF G10 camcorder at about a third of the price, tester Kaitlyn Chantry concludes that "the HF M40 is a sure thing."

CNET: Lori Grunin recommends the entire Canon Vixia HF Mxx series.

ConsumerReports.org: Editors compare the Canon Vixia HF M40 with more than 50 other full-featured HD camcorders, ranking them from best to worst based on their performance in video, photo and audio quality tests, as well as ease of use and other measures.

Macworld: Thanks to its great image sensor, the Canon Vixia HF M40 is the top-rated full-featured camera at Macworld.

Amazon.com: With over 40 owner reviews posted, the Canon Vixia HF M40 averages 4 out of 5 stars.

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for $746.59

3D-capable camcorder

Panasonic HDC-TM900

*Est. $990; 3D lens sold separately Compare Prices

The Panasonic HDC-TM900 can do one thing no Canon camcorder can: It can shoot in 3D, provided you buy Panasonic's optional 3D lens (*Est. $285). Experts say the 3D feature does work, but you have to be careful to shoot in… expandexactly the right conditions, and you have to have a pricey 3D TV to view your footage. You can't preview 3D content on the built-in LCD, however. The real reason reviewers recommend the TM900 is that it's a great 2D camcorder, with full manual controls and smooth 1080/60p (progressive) HD video. It can't quite match the low-light prowess of the Canon Vixia HF G10 (*Est. $1,400) in tests, and the Panasonic lacks the Canon's film-like 24p mode. But for several hundred dollars less than the Canon, critics say the Panasonic offers plenty to please the advanced videographer. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CamcorderInfo.com: Despite some disappointments -- Jeremy Stamas says Panasonic didn't improve the HDC-TM900 enough over the HDC-TM700 -- it's still "one of the better camcorders we've used" and one of CamcorderInfo.com's top picks.

TrustedReviews.com: The Panasonic HDC-TM900 is the only camcorder to earn a perfect score of 10 at the U.K.'s TrustedReviews.com.

CNET: With "generally excellent video quality," the Panasonic HDC-TM900 makes CNET's list of the best HD camcorders.

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org has tested more than 50 HD camcorders, including the Panasonic HDC-TM900.

Which? magazine: Editors of this ConsumerReports.org-like British publication test 123 full-featured HD camcorders, including the Panasonic HDC-TM900.

Amazon.com: The Panasonic HDC-TM900 gets overwhelmingly positive reviews from more than 40 owners here, averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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