Camcorders Reviews

Since digital camcorders hit the market, analysts have predicted the eventual demise of analog camcorders. Analog models now have distinct disadvantages compared to digital camcorders (see "Analog vs. Digital" below). While Canon, Hitachi, Panasonic, Samsung Sharp and Sony have discontinued their analog product lines, JVC still makes two models. Reviews say analog camcorders are fine for those who don't own computers and don't care about digital bells and whistles. Analog camcorders are slightly less expensive than the cheapest digital models.

We found a good but outdated article on analog camcorders from Videomaker magazine. Though editors stop short of recommending specific models, reporter Charles Fulton says that most current camcorders stand up well. CamcorderInfo.com is an excellent source for reviews on digital models, and although we did not see any reviews for current analog models. Although Consumer Reports has nearly stopped reviewing analog models in favor of digital, editors did include one model in their 2006 report, but in their most recent testing, no analog camcorders are tested or rated. Retailers like CircuitCity.com and Amazon.com are the best places to find owner reviews of analog camcorders. Interestingly, the most universal complaint we read was from people who mistakenly bought an analog camcorder thinking they could hook it up to their computer.

Budget digital camcorders are available for under $150 so they don’t cost much more than an analog camcorder. ConsumerSearch has a separate report on digital camcorders .  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

We did not see any professional reviews for current analog camcorders. We think the JVC GR-SXM38 is the best option. Unlike the now-discontinued Sony camcorder, it has image stabilization. Compared to the slightly less expensive JVC GR-AXM18, it has higher S-VHS resolution, an included video light and a cassette VHS adapter.