Support for latest video formats and a batch-media encoder, but supporting apps have seen little upgrading.

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

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

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

It may not be a looker, but in all other respects this Panasonic is a stunning camera

Huge storage for the money, but quality can’t match the more expensive models in this group

Good quality optics and lots of storage, but not the most portable of camcorders

Impressive optical quality and storage space, though a touch expensive

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

Key improvements over the SD5 make this a still more enticing pocket HD camcorder prospect

A great next-generation camcorder, but it lacks editing support for the recording format

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

AVCHD support and some useful new effects keep this as the leading entry-level video editor.

For many years, After Effects (AE) was the only real choice for PC video compositing - everything else was in a different price/hardware league. But in the last couple of years, with the steady improvement of Pinnacle's Commotion and the huge price drop in Discreet's Combustion, AE isn't alone anymore.