HD Camcorders

Although Consumer Reports' last full review of HD camcorders was in November 2007, a mini-update in July replaced out-of-date models with current ones. The magazine rates two to five camcorders in several… categories: miniDV, DVD, flash memory, hard disk and combo-memory models. Camcorders are rated on their picture and audio quality, ease of use and other important features. However, individual writeups on each model are brief, and you must be a subscriber to read the report.

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Even though they are not very long, the camcorder reviews done by this British publication have lots of details. Editors are not bashful about pointing out flaws, and even the best camcorders don't escape… completely unscathed. Although camcorders are only rarely compared, an objective overall rating (as well as sub-ratings for build quality, features and value) makes it easier to see where each stands relative to the competition. Most of the camcorders reviewed, including the Canon HG10, are also available in U.S. versions.

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Choice is an Australian magazine that's similar to Consumer Reports. It provides expert reviews for a wide variety of products, rejecting all advertising to remain unbiased. Choice tests ten HD camcorders,… scoring each on its picture and sound quality, battery life and more. Each model gets an overall score, and the camcorders are ranked accordingly. All three of Choice's top HD picks are available in U.S. versions, but you must be a subscriber to read the report.

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Videomaker's camcorder coverage is aimed at the professional and the serious hobbyist. While the magazine reviews a number of professional camcorders, several consumer-grade HD camcorders also get a… once-over. The reviews are critical and well done, but cameras are not compared to each other, nor is an objective rating system used. In fact, in the past year, Videomaker hasn't reviewed an HD camcorder it didn't like. However, the Sony HDR-SR12 (along with its smaller-capacity sibling, the HDR-SR11) gets the highest praise, with the reviewer concluding that the long hard-drive recording time and nifty, fun features are worth the somewhat high price.

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Although editors at DigitalTrends.com don't review as many camcorders as others, reviews are easy to read and provide plenty of details. While camcorders are not directly compared to each other, they do… receive numerical scores. One thing that makes these reviews harder to use is that lots of discontinued models remain listed. Three current HD camcorders rise to Editor's Choice standards: the Sony HDR-SR12, JVC Everio GZ-HD6 and Sony HDR-CX7.

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Macworld looks at camcorders through the lens of a Macintosh computer user. Macworld tests new models every few months -- usually models that are highly rated elsewhere, such as the Sony HDR-SR11 Handycam… and Canon VIXIA HV30. Camcorders are not rated against each other, but each model is given a numeric rating, which makes comparisons easier. The narrative reviews are informative and based on testing, and they include lists of pros and cons as well as pricing information.

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