Canon has gone to great lengths to give its HF10 camcorder the most auspicious launch it could muster. The company flew 80 European journalists to Morocco, loaned them a camcorder each - plus accessories - and presented them with two days’ worth of luscious scenery and events to try out its idea of ‘freecording’.

But in the cold light of day (or the chilly English springtime), is the HF10 really worth this level of hype? Or is Canon merely hoping to spin things in its favour with a plush press trip and indoctrination via lengthy hands-on experience?

Canon’s HF10 vs the competition

For a start, the HF10 doesn’t introduce any specific new technologies. Canon is rather late to the Flash memory party, and it has some powerful competitors.

Panasonic’s HDC-SD9, for example, offers the same Full HD, progressive shooting at a 17Mbits/s AVCHD data recording rate. It’s smaller, lighter, and cheaper too.

But the Panasonic camcorder is behind the HF10 on image quality and enthusiast features. So whilst it offers great HD video quality in an eminently pocket-friendly package, the HDC-SD9 won’t woo budding movie makers.

Sony has a couple of potential alternatives, too. The HDR-CX6EK is remarkably similar in looks to the HF10. But it shoots AVCHD at 1,440 x 1,080 with a maximum 15Mbits/s data rate. It also doesn’t offer the same level of features as the HF10, with no headphone or microphone minijacks and fewer manual controls.

So although the HDR-CX6EK has great image quality, it’s more for the point-and-shoot user – and it’s not as small as Panasonic’s HDC-SD9, either.

The smallest HD camcorder in the world

But Sony has another trick up its sleeve – the HDR-TG3. This is being touted as the smallest Full HD camcorder in the world. It weighs just 240g without battery, 35g less than the Panasonic HDC-SD9.

Most impressive is the fact that it’s half the width of the HDC-SD9. However, the HDR-TG3’s top AVCHD data rate is 16Mbits/s – 1Mbit/s less than the HF10 or Panasonic’s HDC-SD9. And whilst it records Full HD at 1,920 x 1,080, the HDR-TG3 has no progressive option.

Its biggest stumbling block is its 1/5inch CMOS, which is much smaller than the HF10’s so doesn’t offer its low-light prowess. It has no accessory shoe, microphone connection or headphone jack, either.

Nevertheless, the HDR-TG3 is an amazing feat of micro-engineering, and sure to excite those who just want an HD camera you can stick in a pocket. But it’s nowhere near as flexible as the HF10.

Then there are the Sanyo Xactis, which are great value. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 shoots 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD, but only interlaced and only at 30 frames/sec, not the 25 frames/sec we use in Europe. This could cause compatibility problems with European audiovisual kit. Image quality also isn’t up to the HF10’s standard.

So… does the Canon HF10 really cut it?

The Canon HF10 certainly has the best image quality and the best features in its class. You would need to step up to a professional three-chip model to shoot better-looking video, and only larger HDV or hard disk-based models offer more features for serious video makers.

However, despite its compactness, the HF10 is still too large – and expensive – to be the kind of camcorder you might want to chuck around during extreme sports.

It’s small enough to carry with you in a bag, but not a pocket. The only fully fledged camcorder we’ve come across which is truly pocket sized is Panasonic’s standard definition-shooting SDR-S7, and that’s reassuringly cheap at around £200.

As ever, it comes down to what you plan to do with video. If you just want something to keep in a pocket and whip out for shooting the odd moment – like a compact digital camera – then the HF10 isn’t quite the best option. There are alternatives which compromise on quality to achieve even more impressive miniaturisation.

But if you want the best HD image quality and a heap of shooting features in a readily portable package, the Canon HF10 really is the best AVCHD model yet. We expect it to sell like hot cakes.

Do you agree with James? What do you think is the best camcorder currently available? Will you upgrade to HD? Leave us a comment below.