Whereas a couple of years ago Canon might have described this as a mini camcorder, it now describes it as a compact multimedia DV camera. Certainly by comparison with the others in this month's labs it's not mini, however it does manage to pack a lot of features into a relatively small package. It is an upright camera rather than the longer, squatter shape of the MVX250i and weighs 43 grams less than its bigger but cheaper brother.

A smart mini-DV cam with more features than most

HITACHI DZ-MV208E

At just on $4,400, the 500A cannot really be considered a consumer DV camera, however, it is no doubt a camera a lot of consumers would like to own. However, the price and some annoying little problems stopped this camera from being the Labs Winner this month.

The GX7A uses a 1.23-megapixel CCD and records stills to memory card. While general image quality was good, the optical zoom was only fair and the electronic image stabiliser was not as good as on some cheaper cameras. The optical zoom produced grainy images before reaching maximum magnification and the sound track was affected by wind noise more than some of the lower priced cameras.

JVC's handycam-shaped 707 comes with a good LCD and handles changes in light well – particularly when shooting from shade into sunlight. The general image quality is good, although the camera suffers the JVC plague of poor zoom. It's fine to about 5x but falls away from there. It offers a selection of three resolutions for still photos with the highest being 1,280 x 960.

A nice little camera that uses a 0.8-megapixel CCD compared to the 1.3-megapixel of the MVX2i. As a result, it does not offer the same near-broadcast image quality. Having said that, there is little wrong with the images it produces. The MV5i has eight shooting modes; records still images; and comes with a comprehensive range of software.

This is a top of the range DV camera that packs a ton of features into a camera half the size of many of its competitors without compromising on quality at all.

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.

Despite the $600 price gap there are only a few small but important differences between the 238E and the 270E. For example, the 238E has a smaller LCD display; a black and white viewfinder; and no S-connector input. Apart from that, the technology is essentially identical: both have the same 1.16-megapixel CCD as well as 12x optical zoom. As a result, the quality of the images is similar.

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.

There is nothing new about digital video cameras being able to take still photos, or digital still cameras being able to take video clips. However, in the past the results have been very ordinary - stills taken on a video camera were usually 640 x 480 snaps suitable for the Web, and little else.

DVD is said to be to movies what CD was to music. Well-filmed DVD movies are better in all respects than those recorded on VHS, so the idea of a digital video camera recording direct to DVD disc would appear sound.

Panasonic claims this to be the world's smallest palm-type DV camera, and who am I to argue?

The digital still camera is a treat to use.

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.

Hitachi DZ-MV100E

dv camera

Hitachi DZ-MV100A