Camcorders are big business. The retail analyst GFK says that almost 900,000 of them were sold in the UK last year.

They are evolving faster than practically any area of technology and today you can snap up a top-class, high-definition (HD) model, capable of recording an entire football match onto a memory card, for just £760.

Unfortunately, such rampant change breeds confusion. Makers have flooded the market with competing formats such as tape, DVD, hard drive and flash memory. It’s a headache to understand what you’re buying, never mind whether your choice is the best.

There are two key factors to consider: which camcorder storage format to plump for, and whether to invest in an HD-calibre model.

Once, all digital camcorders stored footage onto hour-long tapes — a format known as MiniDV. But camcorder makers are gradually ditching tape for new methods of storing footage, such as a hard disk (as in a laptop), flash memory cards (as per digital cameras) and mini-sized DVDs.

A hard-disk-drive (HDD) camcorder saves the fuss of swapping tapes and can store several hours of footage. No more fumbling with tape boxes as you swing from a rope in the Ecuadorian jungle, and less fiddly fast-forwarding as you hunt for a clip. These camcorders are not as bulky or fragile as they were, but if the hard drive is full, you must empty it before you continue.

Most camcorders have a memory-card slot for taking still photos, but some now stash their video footage onto a card. In the past, low storage capacity restricted both the convenience and picture quality but the plummeting cost of memory cards and rapid advances in the way camcorders can squeeze footage into smaller files without badly impairing quality have made flash camcorders viable. Even a 8GB SDHC card (the most advanced type for camcorders) costs £72.

DVD camcorders have proved popular, but their time may be limited. They’re fine for videographers who don’t like tapes, who don’t intend to edit their footage on a computer and love the convenience of ready-made DVDs. However, the 30-minute capacity of a standard Mini DVD (not to be confused with MiniDV tape) is a limitation. The picture quality is indifferent and most DVD camcorders lack connections and features.

A conventional no-frills MiniDV camcorder represents terrific value right now. They’re easy to use, produce good-quality footage (though not as good as HD models) and are ideal for transferring footage to a computer for editing.

HD camcorders may use any of these storage systems. Canon’s HV10 uses conventional MiniDV tape while Panasonic’s HDCS1 uses a 4GB SDHC memory card.

HD footage is trickier to edit and cannot be burnt onto a normal DVD — it can only be enjoyed in its full HD glory on a computer or on an HD-ready TV connected to the camcorder.

The storage medium is just part of the story. Other relevant camcorder specs relate to optical zoom and the sensor, which captures the images. A 10x optical zoom is adequate, but a 12-15x will let you video subjects from further away, and Panasonic’s NV-GS37 has a massive 30x optical zoom. Ignore digital zooms, though. They enlarge part of the video image, but drastically reduce its quality. Long zoom ranges are worth having, but only if the camcorder has image stabilisation: digital stabilisers are okay, but optical image stabilisers are better.

Sensor size is as important in camcorders as it is in digital still cameras. The tiny sensors used in cheaper camcorders will struggle to produce good, noise-free images in low light, while larger sensors will produce cleaner, crisper footage. However, the quality of your movies is determined more by the video standard you are using (DV or high definition) than by the number of megapixels on the sensor.

Remember, too, that before buying any camcorder, you should handle it first, because the design, layout and ease of use are just as important as the specification.

Research supplied by Practical Digital Video magazine

Reviews adapted by Rod Lawton Prices include Vat and delivery

JARGON BUSTER

HDD Camcorders that record onto a hard disk

HDV Newer video standard that captures HD-grade footage onto normal MiniDV tapes

MiniDV Most popular camcorder format. Movies are saved onto digital tapes of 60 or 90 minutes

Mini DVD Camcorders that store footage onto small DVDs. Quality is poor

EARLY ADOPTER’S TREAT

Rated 5/5

Panasonic HDCSD1 — typically £1,100, or £760 from www.expansys.com

Convenience and performance; a tour de force

This innovative design captures HD video onto a special type of SD memory card (SDHC). Panasonic’s new compression standard (AVCHD), jointly developed with Sony, enabled this camcorder to record 90 minutes of HD footage on the supplied 4GB card. Better still, the three-sensor design helped it to outperform more conventional models, and overall the results were stunning. The Panasonic proved comfortable to operate and has a handy HDMI socket that connects it to an HD-ready TV, though doing so led to playback “jitter” when watching fast-moving subjects captured at higher settings. The frame of the 3in LCD screen also lacks basic start/stop or zoom controls, but all told, this is an outstanding future-proof choice.

FAMILY FRIEND

Rated 4/5

JVC Everio GZ-MG57 — typically £425, or £325 from www.amazon.co.uk

Compact, well-priced, unfussy all-rounder

Why pay for an HD camcorder if a fuss-free workhorse offering standard DVD quality suits? Enter then, the Everio MG57, which is ideal. Compact, yet reassuringly chunky, it handles well and is an excellent choice for novices. Despite the lack of a manual focus ring, some controls are included for experimental movie-making. The 15x zoom gave sharp, colourful results and the digital image stabiliser helped deliver shake-free long-range shots, but struggled in low light. JVC has long championed hard-disk camcorders and the built-in 30GB drive captured up to seven hours of footage at top settings, or 37 hours in lowest resolution mode. Once the hard drive is full, you must empty it before shooting any more; all the same, it’s a fine piece of kit.

ENTHUSIAST’S DREAM

Rated 4/5

Canon HV10 — typically £950, or £750 from www.empiredirect.co.uk

Excellent, keenly priced HD cam, despite flaws

Unconvinced by MiniDV tape? This high-definition video (HDV) Canon might change your mind. It captures HD footage onto normal MiniDV tapes, but unlike the other HD models under review, its video is less compressed, so the image proved crisp and luminous, with faultless colours that were rich even in low light. The 10x zoom range is merely average, yet worked smoothly, with effective antishake. The so-called Instant autofocus feature was actually slow, and although the pistol-grip design is compact, the HV10 felt a tad bulky, with awkward menus and daunting controls. The Canon also lacks an HDMI socket for connecting it easily to a television set, but picture quality is class-leading at the price.

BEGINNER'S BARGAIN

Rated 4/5

Panasonic NV-GS37 — typically £250, or £225 from www.pixmania.co.uk

Solid back-to-basics choice for movie newbies

Guess what? You don’t need a high-definition camcorder, clever hard-disk storage or posh three-chip sensors to shoot good movies. The GS37 employs standard MiniDV tapes and of all the nonHD cameras under review, it took the best footage. And the modest price means you’ll be happier to let your nephew take it to the beach. The simple yet sturdy design and well thought-out controls make it beginner-friendly, and features such as the exceptional 30x optical zoom and optical antishake system mean this Panasonic does not disappoint. As with many low-cost, single-chip camcorders, while the close-ups were crisp, it lost detail on busy landscapes, and although there is a built-in light for extra illumination, footage grew grainy in gloomy conditions. Nevertheless, it’s a steal.

EXTREME SPORTS KIT

Rated 3/5

Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA6 — typically £300, or £170 from www.purelygadgets.co.uk

Flawed hybrid ventures where most will not

Camcorders tend to take poor photo stills and most digital cameras shoot wobbly video clips; uniquely, the pocket-sized Xacti claims to handle both tasks well. It shoots video onto an SD memory card (not supplied), and it totes an impressive 6Mp digicam. The pistol-grip body is weatherproofed, so skiers and climbers can venture where they wouldn’t dare take a camcorder, and the microphone is positioned to cut out wind noise. Photo stills were great, but video footage was a tad mushy and really only suitable for use on websites, which tend to be undemanding. A 5x zoom is ungenerous, and the 2in LCD proved small and not that sharp. But so what? This wee (175g) Sanyo is easy to use, and all about fun and portability rather than serious movie-making.

DAYLIGHT CHAMP

Rated 3/5

Sony HDR-SR1 — typically £950, or £829 from www.purelygadgets.co.uk

Superb HD footage, poor low-light imagery

Hard to beat for quality and capacity, this Sony uses the same AVCHD compression format as Panasonic to capture four hours of HD footage on its 30GB hard disk — even at the top setting. However, like other hard-disk-drive (HDD) cameras, once the disk is full you must either transfer footage to a PC or erase it. In decent light, footage was staggering: fast-moving objects were smooth and colours bright. But in darker conditions details got grubby and colours weakened; unfortunately there’s no light to help rectify matters. The Sony is a big beast and, at 720g, uncomfortable to hold for long. It lacks advanced manual operation, and the controls are awkwardly placed, although its menus are nice and clear. Staggering point-and-shoot quality, but outgunned elsewhere.

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