Why Buy a Hard Drive Camcorder

Camcorders that use a hard drive are much more convenient than conventional camcorders that use a tape or discs. There is no need to worry if you're going to record over Suzie's dance recital or if the tape is in the correct spot. It is always ready to record when you are. Transferring your content to a computer or DVD burner is as simple as plugging in a cable. Hard drive camcorders can record hours of video without ever having to change tapes. This is especially handy for times when you want to record more than one hour without a pause.

Hard drive camcorders are typically smaller than their mini DV counterparts. Since there are no tapes or discs, there is no need for a media transport mechanism, allowing manufacturers to slim down the chassis and save a little weight.

All your footage gets stored to the hard drive. As a result, it is very easy to manage clips and even rearrange them in different orders. Typically, every time you hit the record button, the camera will create a new clip. This makes it easy to go back and delete the ones you don’t want.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to Hard Drive camcorders, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side–by–side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which camcorder is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS — We do the research so you don’t have to.

What to Look for in a Hard Drive Camcorder

Hard drive camcorders have many different features, and can vary from one to another. The best ones will have the following features:

Software
Electronics
Web Services
Movies
Music
Games
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2008 Hard Drive Camcorder Review

Never Buy Another Disc Again

The beauty of Hard Drive camcorders is they don’t use tapes or discs. Never again you will have to scramble to find removable media to record that special event.

Click to read   "Why Buy a Hard Drive Camcorder"

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2008 Hard Drive Camcorder Review

  Electronics » Camcorders » Hard Drive 1-10 of 49 | Next
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Reviewer Comments
Lowest Price
$659


$469


$699


$469


$549


$435


$712


$712


$399


$749

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Overall Rating
Ratings
Features
Value
Expert Reviews
User Reviews
Features
Hard Drive Size 40 GB 40 GB 30 GB 60 GB 30 GB 30 GB 40 GB 40 GB 30 GB 30 GB
LCD Screen Size 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in.
Low Lux rating 0 lux 1 Lux 1 Lux 0 lux 2 lux 1 Lux 2 lux 0 lux 1 Lux 5 Lux
Battery Life 1.5 hrs. 1.5 hrs. 1 hrs. 1.5 hrs. 1.17 Hours 1 hrs. 1.5 hrs. 1.5 hrs. 1.17 Hours 1.5 hrs.
Image Stabilizer Optical Digital Optical Digital Optical Digital Digital Digital Digital Digital
Optical Zoom 10 x 10 x 10 x 12 x 32 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x
Still Resolution 6 MP 3.98 MP 3.1 MP 1 MP .3 MP 5.04 MP 3 MP 2 MP 2 MP 3.05 MP
Warranty 90 days 90 days 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 90 days 90 days 90 days 90 days 1 Year
Night Mode                    
Aperture F/1.8-2.9     F/1.8-2.5 F/1.8-3.7     F/1.8-2.9 F/1.2-2.0 F/1.8-2.9
Built-In Flash                    
Built-In Light           Yes        
Camcorder Depth 5 in   4.76 in. 4.6 in 5 in 4.6 in   5.5 in 4.3 in 5.87 in.
Camcorder Height 3.1 in   3.27 in. 2.7 in 2.9 in 2.8 in   3.2 in 2.8 in 2.72 in.
Camcorder Weight 1.3 lbs   1.01 lb. 14.1 oz 15.2 oz 16.6 oz   1.2 lbs 12.5 oz 1.3 lbs
Camcorder Width 3 in   2.98 in. 2.8 in 2.8 in 2.9 in   3 in 2.6 in 3.23 in.
CCD Quantity 1   3   1 1   1 1 1
CCD Size 1/2.9 in   1/6" 1/5.5 in 1/6 in 1/2.5 in   1/3 in 1/3.9 in 1/3"
Digital Zoom 20 x 80x 700x 800 x 1000 x 300x 80x 80 x 200 x 120x
Focal Length 40 - 400 mm   3 - 30 mm 3 mm - 36 mm 2.3 mm - 73.6 mm   5.1 - 51 mm 5.1 mm - 51 mm 3.8 - 38 mm 5.1 - 51 mm
Memory Card Slot Memory Stick   SD Memory Card   SD Memory Card SD Memory Card   Memory Stick SD Memory Card Built-in Memory
Still Camera                    
Widescreen Mode                    
Product Details Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail
Rank #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10
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