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.

A bargain can be defined as something for which you pay less than you budgeted for, and for which you get more than you expected. Under those criteria the Sony TRV 250E qualifies as a definite bargain.

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.

A smart mini-DV cam with more features than most

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.

Sony has done a good job of packaging a top quality camera into such a compact size. While it's not the smallest of the Sony range, it'll appeal to those who don't want anything too bulky.

The problem with making a camera too small is that they can become difficult to handle; the DCR-IP55e overcomes this by swinging the battery holder down to form a pistol grip.

This camera is so small you can put it in your pocket just like a mobile phone, yet it packs quite a punch. Compared with earlier cameras, the DCR-IP7 has been improved and added to, and is no longer just a video camera for home movies and still shots.

There is barely an area of consumer electronics that Sony does not have a hand in, and its contributions are seldom substandard in quality.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the size and performance of this digital format. The cameras are a fraction of the size of the old camcorders we used to lug around the countryside, the batteries last longer, the tapes get smaller and, the quality gets better.