High definition electronics are the wave of the future. HDTV sales are through the roof and Blu-ray has officially won the high def media war. High definition camcorders’ prized feature is their ability to record in high definition. HD camcorders can record more than twice the resolution of standard digital camcorders creating a cleaner, crisper and clearer image with every frame.
Many camcorders will use the same mini DV tapes that you already have, while others will use some sort of internal memory or hard drive.
The cost of high definition camcorders has decreased dramatically. Just a few years ago, a high definition camcorder would have cost over $3500. Now, you can easily find one for under $1000.
In this site, you’ll find articles related to 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 High Definition CamcorderObviously, you are buying an HD camcorder for its resolution capabilities. There are other things to consider as well.
Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate HD camcorders:

| Rank | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
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Canon VIXIA HF S10 | Sony Handy Cam Hdr-hc1 | Sony Handycam Hdr-hc5 | Sony Handycam Hdr-hc3 | Sony Hdrfx7 | Jvc Everio Gzhd7 Hdv | Sony HVR-A1U | Sanyo Xacti Vpc-hd1 | Sony HDR-XR520V | Sony HVR-Z1U |
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| Reviewer Comments |
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| Lowest Price |
$909.00 |
N/A |
$999.99 |
$670.00 |
$1,749.00 |
N/A |
$1,749.00 |
$233.00 |
$1,413.99 |
$3,899.00 |
| Overall Rating | ![]() |
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| Ratings | ||||||||||
| Features | ![]() |
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| Expert Reviews | ![]() |
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| User Reviews | ![]() |
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| View Specifications | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! | Go! |
| View Screenshots | ||||||||||
| Features | ||||||||||
| CCD Resolution | 8.59 Megapixels | 2960K pixels | 2.1 megapixels | 2200K pixels | 1.12 megapixels | 1670K pixels | 1080K pixels | 5.1 megapixels | 12 Megapixels | 1080K pixels |
| LCD Screen Size | 2.7 in. | 2.7 in. | 2.7 in. | 2.7 in. | 3.5 in. | 2.8 in. | 2.7 in. | 2.2 in. | 3.2 in. | 3.5 in. |
| Battery Life | 2 hrs. | 1.75 hrs. | 1 hrs. | 80 min | 1.75 hrs. | 1 hrs. | 5.33 hrs. | 1 hrs. | 2 hrs. | 1.75 hrs. |
| CCD Size | 1/3.1 in | 1/3" | 1/3 in | 1/3" | 1/4" | 1/4.5" | 1/3" | 1/2.5" | 1/2.7" | 1/3" |
| Image Stabilizer | ![]() |
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Electronic (Super Steady Shot) | ![]() |
Optical (Super Steady Shot) | ![]() |
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| Optical Zoom | 12 x | 10 x | 10 x | 10 x | 20 x | 10 x | 10 x | 10 x | 12 x | 10 x |
| Still Camera Resolution | 2.76 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1.2 megapixels | 2.07 | 3.15 | 5.03 | 12 megapixels | |
| Low Lux Rating | 0 lux | 0 lux | 0 lux | 5 Lux | 4 Lux | 7 Lux | 7 Lux | 7 Lux | 0 lux | 3 Lux |
| Night Mode | ![]() |
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| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 year warranty | 90 Days | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Camcorder Depth | 5.4 in | 7.5 in. | 5.4 in. | 5.5 in. | 12.75 in. | 7.5 in. | 7.52 in. | 1.42 in. | 5.4 in | 14.38 in. |
| Camcorder Height | 2.6 in | 2.75 in. | 3.2 in | 3.2 in. | 6.25 in. | 3.2 in. | 4.06 in. | 4.69 in. | 3 in | 7.13 in. |
| Camcorder Weight | 0.75 lb. | 1.5 lbs | 1.2 lb. | 1.2 lb. | 3.63 lb. | 1.5 lb. | 1.48 lb. | 0.46 lb. | 1.17 lb. | 4.25 lb. |
| Camcorder Width | 2.8 in. | 2.88 in. | 3.15 in. | 3.2 in | 5.75 in. | 3.5 in. | 2.8 in. | 3.15 in. | 2.8 in. | 6 in. |
| Camera Flash | ![]() |
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| CCD Quantity | ![]() |
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3 | 3 | ![]() |
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3 | |||
| Digital Zoom | 200x | 120x | 80 x | 80x | 200x | 100 x | 100 x | |||
| Focal Length | 4.5 - 54 mm | 51 mm | 51 mm | 5.1 - 51 mm | 37.4 - 748 mm | 63 mm | 5.4 - 54 mm | 4.5 - 54 mm | ||
| Memory Card slot | SD Memory Card | 16 MB Flash - Memory Stick Duo | Memory Stick | 1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo | 1 x Memory Stick Duo | Memory Stick | SD Memory Card | Memory Stick | ||
| Viewfinder | Color | Color | Color | B\W | Color | Color | ||||
| Reviewer Comments |
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| Lowest Price |
$909.00 |
N/A |
$999.99 |
$670.00 |
$1,749.00 |
N/A |
$1,749.00 |
$233.00 |
$1,413.99 |
$3,899.00 |
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