Not only does Sanyo's new HD1000 record true 1920 x 1080i HD video to high capacity SD cards but it offers a host of features that other manufacturers seem intent on dropping

The DZ-BD7 is the most revolutionary consumer HDcam to date, being the first to support 8cm Blu-ray discs.

While other manufacturers have hedged their bets in the increasingly complex world of camcorder formats, JVC has stuck to its guns with the hard disk Everio and the range has gone from strength to strength.

DVD camcorders often surprise us. We have never made any secret of the fact that we think the format has some issues that are yet to be resolved, yet the cams themselves have proved popular with the buying public and have on several occasions managed to confound our expectations with their quality.

JVC’s range of Everio camcorders has proved mighty successful over the last few years and the latest addition to its HD stable looks certain to continue the trend. The first consumer camcorder to provide Full HD recording via three 16:9 progressive scan CCDs, the GZ-HD7 is a seriously well-equipped camcorder for the grown up videomaker.

Whether it be capturing stills or moving pictures, Canon has always been a manufacturer that’s synonymous with high quality images. While renowned as the producer of the most widely respected semi-professional camcorder available, the awesome XL1, the company has never quite managed to replicate its high-end success in the mass market.

JVC's range of Everio camcorders has proved mighty successful over the last few years and the latest addition to its HD stable looks certain to continue the trend

Panasonic's "hybrid" camcorder offers a choice of video recording to either internal Hard Disc Drive or high-capacity SD card media and, on first impressions at least, shares an outward appearance with several models in the JVC Everio G range of HDD camcorders.

The HR10 represents Canon's third dip into the waters of high-definition video; although it's still something of a departure from what has gone before from this photographic specialist.

Along with its sister product, the HDC-SD5, the new HDC-SX5 is one of two new AVCHD camcorders from Panasonic that are designed to take advantage of our new high-def displays by offering the full 1920 x 1080 pixel high-definition resolution

While HD camcorders stay north of £500 and DVD models offer poor compressed images and other inconveniences for Mac owners, the MiniDV tape format has life left in it. Canon makes good, cheap, reliable MiniDV camcorders and the MD160 continues to help that reputation along.

Sony's latest Handycam is likely to be worshipped by audovisual aesthetes everywhere with its gorgeous glossy black looks and simple, but impressive design.

Panasonic's ground-breaking HDC-SD1, released earlier this year, wasn't the first video camera to allow HD video recording to truly flash media but it remains the best 3CCD HD solid-state video camera by a mile.

The words 'small' and 'light' are frequently attributed to Panasonic's various camcorders, but with the S10 the company has gone one better and come up with what it claims to be the world's smallest SD camcorder.

The GZ-HD7 is the first consumer Full HD camcorder. It uses three 16:9 progressive scan CCDs and a Fujinon lens normally found only on broadcast models. So at least there's a reason for the scary £1,700 they want for it.

Having spearheaded the high-definition video revolution with HDV, Sony is again pushing the technological frontier with its support for AVCHD, the format that uses a very efficient MPEG4 compression system

The Sony VX1000 was among the first 'prosumer' camcorders to be employed professionally. Sony followed it with the VX2000 series. The secret to success was a handheld camera that, although expensive in consumer terms, cost peanuts to professional outfits

When compared to the other HDV camcorders we've looked at in the past few months, the HD2 is something of an anomaly. For starters, it's produced by Sanyo, a manufacturer that isn't commonly considered one of the camcorder stalwarts

A couple of months ago we looked at the VPC-CG65's big sister - the £440 VPC-HD2 HD Xacti - a camcorder with great potential, which failed to deliver its high-definition promise. This time we're stepping down to standard-definition version

As the variety of camcorder formats grows ever bigger, the budget-conscious videomaker finds himself with a veritable treasure trove of products from which to choose. Mini DV tape appears to be on the way out...

It's been a fair old while since we've seen a budget Sony camcorder. Despite the outstanding UX1 and the even more remarkable SR1, Sony, like its leading rivals, is still keen to present a line-up of budget mini DV camcorders

A pioneer in the realm of video, it's no surprise that JVC is leading the way when it comes to HDV camcorders, too. The GZ-HD7 is the first consumer model to record Full HDV to its hard disk - via three 16:9 progressive scan CCDs

The Sony HDR-HC7 is an excellent camcorder for anyone who is looking for comprehensive connectivity and ease of use, not to mention very good full-spec high-definition shooting

Despite ruling the roost with the very latest camcorder technology, JVC is still keeping the flag flying for tape with this entry-level mini DV model. The price is certainly right: this is one of the cheapest camcorders on the market

If you're looking for great value high definition without sacrificing functionality, Canon's HV20 is a great place to start. It combines comprehensive connectivity with fantastic user-friendliness and superb playback quality