Canon Vixia HF200

If you want plenty of features and quality HD video -- but you don't want to spend $1,000 on a camcorder -- reviews recommend the Canon Vixia HF200 over mid-priced offerings from Sony, Panasonic and Sanyo. The Canon is a bit more expensive, but reviews say its sharp, vivid footage and extra features are worth it. At 14.1 ounces, the palm-sized Canon HF200 is easy to tote around, but includes a generous 15x optical zoom and an easy-to-see 2.7-inch LCD screen. Testers appreciate the HF200's accessory shoe and microphone and headphone jacks, which other mid-priced camcorders like the Sony Handycam HDR-CX100 (*Est. $500) lack. Low-light performance isn't the best, however, and more expensive camcorders, such as Canon's flagship Vixia HF S10 (*Est. $1,140) shoot video that's nicer overall. The HF200 records only to SDHC memory cards (not included). The otherwise identical Canon Vixia HF20 (*Est. $815) adds 32 GB of built-in flash memory.

CamcorderInfo.com and Videomaker.com both test the Canon Vixia HF20 instead of the HF200, but the two camcorders are identical except for HF20's inclusion of built-in memory. CamcorderInfo.com conducts its usual exhaustive battery of tests, while Videomaker.com's review is more concise. CNET and DigitalTrends.com report on the HF200 in helpful but not overly long write-ups. We also found useful owner reviews at Amazon.com.