A capable cam that'll take the knocks and matches it rival, the Panasonic HDC-SD1. It can’t quite better Canon’s HV20 on sheer performance though

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

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

HD camcorders enter the mainstream once and for all. With image quality like this, there’s little reason to spend more.

Good things often come in small packages and that's the case with Sony's PC108E. It is only fractionally larger than the JVC GR-DX77 (the smallest camera in the lab) but weighs in 65 grams lighter. Sony has kept it compact by providing a separate docking station that contains the USB, DV and S-Video ports. There also are AV and additional microphone connectors on the camera itself.

Sony's DVD201E HandyCam is a good example of how far DVD cameras have come and what a bit of commonsense can do when selecting the right format. Unlike some of the earlier DVD cameras which opted for the unpopular DVD-RAM rewritable format, Sony elected to go with the more common DVD-RW format.

Prices have come down in recent times and there is no better example than the Sony TRV 355E. Compromising on size and portability, but not on video quality or features. Despite its size, it's still lighter than many VHS cameras but has more features and equals most for image quality.

At just under $1,800, the TRV18e is well priced for what it offers. Like others in its price range it uses a 0.8-megapixel CCD, which produces surprisingly good quality images. It handles low light and water reflection well and has one of the better LCDs, making it a good all round DV camera at a reasonable price.