Pocket-sized digital camcorders are becoming more capable all the time. We round up ten of the best

A fully featured hard disk AVCHD camcorder with plenty of recording space

A fully featured hard disk AVCHD camcorder with plenty of recording space

No match for Sony’s SR12 on features, but incredibly easy to use and an ideal ‘my first HD camcorder’

New HDR-TG1 Handycam weighs in at 280 grams - or less than two iPod Classics. Add a titanium body and 10x optical zoom and we're drooling.

Better HD image quality than you’d expect for such a small camcorder, but the price is still a little high.

Great image quality and plenty of enthusiast features for a very reasonable price

The marker has been laid down. Sony's pulled off another AVCHD stunner that will be hard to beat this year

A great value camcorder that’s capable of some decent results.

Two Kodak cameras and each capable of rich looking 720P HD video. Whether you’re looking for a big zoom or a pocket snapper, these two models have it covered.

An entry-level HD camcorder with an identity crisis, but at this price, it puts quality in the hands of everyone.

A good price coupled with outstanding image quality – a good budget alternative to the Panasonic HDC-HS9

Impressive optical quality and storage space, though a touch expensive

Canon’s first hard disk-based AVCHD camcorder gets it mostly right, with a good level of features and the best image quality we’ve yet seen from the format.

A dinky AVCHD camcorder, with respectable video performance and a reasonable price.

A great combination of new features and the usual Nikon image and build quality make this a superb camera.

A new interface, smart albums, guided editing and photo merging keep Photoshop Elements ahead of the pack

Small, sleek, easy to use and capable of producing excellent results, no matter where you are.

Movie industry boffins have come up with another weapon in the war against people who sneak video cameras into cinemas and make crappy copies of blockbuster movies to sell at car boot sales.

High resolution stills and laudable quality for the money, but image stabilisation isn’t the best