Shooting stills or video footage doesn't get any easier than using the Kodak Playfull as just about everything is fully automated. You just press the large record button, which falls conveniently under your thumb when the camera is held upright like a mobile phone, and you're off.

Although images can't be uploaded while you're out and about, the Share button tags images (via email, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Kodak Gallery and so on) so when the camera is next connected to the computer they are shared. The options are inputted via the computer when the camera is first set up, so it's all very straightforward.

The camera comes with an in-built USB cable concealed within a secret section and the computer software is stored on the camera, so it all installs automatically when connected.

Its price and waterproof credentials (down to 3m) mean the Playfull is designed for shooting video and stills where you wouldn't want to take a serious camera, but at 1MP the images are only suitable for viewing on the computer.

The 1280x720 pixel video footage is only reasonable for a camera of this type and price, but the sound quality is impressive. With no flash, this isn't the camera to take on nights out and to parties. But images taken in good light are acceptable, with decent colour.

However, light smudging of complex patterns and details is noticeable even at normal viewing sizes, and we recommend leaving the digital zoom control alone.

Overview and features

The Sony Bloggie range arrived relatively late to the 'simple video recorder' party, well after the advent of the Flip camcorder.

But with Flip's demise, the Bloggie finds itself ideally placed to become the new king of quick video capture.

In fact, with this new version, Sony is getting even more aggressive when it comes to the technology inside its little camcorder device. The Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3 is, unsurprisingly, a 3D-capable camera, as well as a competent 2D video camera in various formats.

The recording options are 1080p 3D at 30 frames per second (fps), 1080p 2D at 30fps, 720p 2D at 60fps, 720p 2D at 30fps and 640 x 480 at 30fps. That's a lot of options for a little camera. In fact, it's comparable to the (larger) Panasonic HX-WA10 camcorder, though that one doesn't do 3D.

Like with the HX-WA10, we pleased to see a 60fps recording more, meaning you can do some slow-motion stuff once you get the footage on your computer.

This is all recorded using the fancy new Exmor CMOS sensor, which impressed us when used in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Aside from recording video, it takes still photos in 2D and 3D. For the latter, you're limited to a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, but 2D images can be taken at up to five megapixels.

Of course, the 60fps mode is just a footnote here. It's that Full HD 1080p 3D recording we're really interested in. When you're recording in 3D, the 2.4-inch display on the back of the Bloggie 3D becomes an autostereoscopic 3D display, similar to that used in the Nintendo 3DS, meaning you can view the 3D footage you're recording without the need for any special glasses.

It isn't the best 3D display you'll see – stray just a millimetre or two away from centre and the image will become 2D again – but it's nice to have a simple and quick way to see what sort of effect being in 3D will have on the footage you're recording. When you want to view your 3D footage back, the Bloggie 3D can export it to PC using the Bloggie software, but it also has an HDMI port for connecting to a 3D HDTV.

Footage is recorded to the Bloggie's 8GB of internal memory, and there's no way to expand this with with an SD card. This limitation is a shame, and restricts you to taking less than two hours of 1080p footage. You can get up to four hours if you shoot in 720p at 30fps, though.

That said, the battery is only rated for 80 minutes of continuous 3D recording, so the amount of footage you shoot may not be the limiting factor, ultimately. To charge the Bloggie 3D, you'll need to connect it using the built-in USB connector, so that gives you a chance to offload your recorded footage anyway. The whole situation isn't ideal, but it's easily manageable.

The Bloggie itself is a brilliantly made bit of hardware. It's got a premium feel to every part of it, from the matt plastic finish on the front, which makes it easy to grip, to the sturdy pop-out USB connector and the subtle texture on the buttons. Even the cover for the HDMI port doesn't feel like it'll snap off any time soon. The glossy back and screen picks up fingerprints like mad, but they wipe off easily.

At 120g and with dimensions of 55 x 108 x 17mm, it's nice and light, and can be carried comfortably in a pocket.

There's a threaded hold for tripod use, but it's on the short edge of the Bloggie 3D, and the device can only record in 3D when held in landscape, so tripods that can't angle their heads are useless with it.

The Bloggie 3D will set you back around £200 online, which is no small change for this kind of point-and-shoot camera. You're really paying for the 3D capability – the Bloggie MHS-TS20 Touch Mobile does 1080p 2D recording and costs only around £130 online.

Performance

To get your footage from the Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3, you'll need to use the included Bloggie software. Once it's installed, you can import video using it and use it to trim the 3D footage in the likely event you're not already packing an elaborate 3D-capable video-editing suite. You can also use it to upload straight to Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

The first thing to note about the 3D footage is that it isn't quite what you might think of as Full HD 3D video, despite it being described that way. Instead of being two 1920 x 1080 images for each frame (one for each eye), you instead get one 1920 x 1080 image divided into two vertically.

This means that each eye actually only gets 960 x 1080, which means a reduction in quality compared to the 2D 1080p. This also means that when you convert a 3D movie to 2D in the Bloggie software, you get a drastic reduction in quality as it upscales one of the two 960 x 1080 images into a 1920 x 1080 images.

You can see this below; the top image is converted from 3D to 1080p 2D, the bottom was natively recorded in 2D 1080p.

Click here for full-res version

Click here for full-res version

However, there's another odd fly in the ointment here. We thought the difference in quality between the two images here was a bit too large, so we inspected a little further.

It's actually the left-hand image that's used to create the 2D version, and when we went back though all the 3D footage, we noticed that the left-hand side is consistently poorer in each one.

Click here for full-size image

This is a frame from the side-by-side 3D video that the above converted 2D image was taken from. Notice how the colours are more washed out, the turf is blurrier and the mud in the cup is soft and ill-defined.

This isn't really noticeable when viewing in 3D, since you're not making the same comparison as when viewing them side-by-side, but it's consistent, and disappointing.

Sony Bloggie 3D: 3D video sample

Sony Bloggie 3D: 1080p video sample

Sony Bloggie 3D: 720p video sample

Otherwise, the Bloggie 3D is broadly very good at capturing video. There's a fair amount of detail (albeit, only on the right-hand side in 3D), really natural and appealing colours, good skin tones and most motion is captured well, with little in the way of artefacting.

Very fast motion, particularly when moving the camera itself quickly, will bring in the digital artefacts quickly, and result in a major loss of detail, but it's no worse than you'd expect for a little point-and-shoot recorder.

However, for 1080p 3D footage, the overall detail and clarity is slightly inferior to the Panasonic HX-WA10, which has a large CMOS sensor. This manifests as less crispness on the edge of objects for the Bloggie, most noticeably on skin, and more colour banding in areas with subtle colour changes, such as clothes.

However, there's far less wobble from the Bloggie's CMOS sensor than the Panasonic HX-WA10, which has highly noticeable rolling shutter issues, creating an obvious wobbling of the picture despite having image stabilisation. The Bloggie simply doesn't have this issue, to its credit.

The Bloggie's screen is bright and crisp when playing back footage in 2D, but quite as great in 3D. There are visible lines down the screen when in 3D mode, and the viewing angle for 3D is absolutely tiny, but get yourself in the sweet spot and it's not a bad performer at all. It's suitable for showing your brief 3D videos to your friends, and is a good guide that you're getting some depth in your footage.

The microphone on the Bloggie is generally very good, picking up noises clearly from all around. The only problem is, as you might notice in our videos, that it's very sensistive to wind noise, which rapidly pushes the noise levels into the red, and generally isn't very pleasant.

Verdict

The Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3 certainly isn't cheap, but then this is a distinctly premium point-and-shoot video recorder. The obvious draw is simple, hassle-free 3D recording and playback, with an easy way to trim and upload the footage.

But it's not just a one-trick, three-dimensional pony; there's a good range of 2D recording options too, including 1080p, so Sony's camcorder ends up as something of an all-rounder.

We liked:

The Bloggie 3D really feels like a premium bit of kit. It's immaculately made and the design is easy to use and light.

The image quality is quite good for this kind of video camera, particularly the colours. Motion is captured well, and detail is strong for the size.

And, of course, there's the 3D recording. The Bloggie is a simple way to record and play 3D footage on your 3D TV, or to import it onto your PC with the included software. You can get it onto YouTube in 3D without ever having to worry about formats.

We disliked:

The Bloggie 3D is definitely expensive. It doesn't necessarily seem pricier than it should be, considering it's features, but there's no doubt that a lot of people will baulk at spending this much on a basic camcorder.

This high price means we do have some qualms about the video quality. As we said, it is good, but you can get better for not a huge increase in price, and with more features, such as the Panasonic HX-WA10. And the fact that one side of the video is of lower quality is disappointing.

There are a few other niggles, though mostly minor: the lack of expandable memory; the somewhat limited battery life; and the narrow 3D viewing angle of the screen.

Verdict:

Whether you want cutting-edge 3D footage for your new TV, or just some good 2D video recording, the Bloggie 3D is a good choice.

There are caveats, such as the fact that you can't expand its memory with SD cards means it may not be the best choice for some holidays, but it's still a strong performer overall.

The main question is price. You can get slightly better-performing 2D cameras for around the same cost, so the 3D recording may be the clincher. You won't be disappointed, though.

Panasonic HM-TA20: Overview and features

Despite the fact that Cisco recently killed off its Flip line of camcorders, other manufacturers are keeping the point-and-shoot video camera legacy alive.

Panasonic is doing its part with the Panasonic HM-TA20.

It's a waterproof and shockproof video camera capable of recording Full HD footage, as well as eight-megapixel still images.

With its bright, chunky design, it's intended as a kind of holiday camera you use anywhere and chuck in a bag with a wet towel and sandy shoes, without having to worry about it.

It can record footage in 1080p, 720p and 480p, all at 30fps. It records in H.264 MP4 files to an SD/SDHC/SDXC card, with audio in two-channel AAC, except for the lone audio recording function, which uses LPCM for maximum quality.

The waterproofing is rated for down to three metres, while you should also be able to drop it from 1.5 metres without incident.

There's an LED flash, which can also be used as a video light, but it's notable only really for being weak. It won't make much of a dent on a dim room, let along a black cave.

You start recording using the big red and silver button on the back, but almost all other functions are performed using the three-inch touchscreen. It's resistive, which means that it's nowhere near as responsive as the touch panels on mobile phones, but this is necessary trade-off - capacitive touchscreens don't work well (if at all) in water.

You have to hold the TA20 upright to record, which is a little annoying, since it restricts the screen to portrait orientation. This means that you're always viewing it in a portion of the screen, although this does mean Panasonic's been able to fit some controls below, including the zoom controls. When playing back, you can view in landscape or portrait, though.

Panasonic's intelligent auto (iA) system is in use here, which adjusts the exposure and white balance as you go. It's paired with a live facial recognition system, so whoever you're recording will be presented in the best light possible. It's also got a much-improved night mode to round it off.

The TA20 is about the size of a modern smartphone, though a fair bit thicker. It's light enough to stick in a pocket and carry around without really noticing.

In the box, you get a USB cable and a small tripod. The placement of the threaded hole right on the edge of the TA20 makes this little tripod a little delicate, but it's capable of doing a job.Oh, and it can be picked up for around £150.

Panasonic HM-TA20: Performance

Although smartphones are taking over the world of casual video recording to a certain degree, small video recorders can still carve a place for themselves by offering something unique.

The Panasonic HM-TA20 obviously does that with its waterproofing and dust-proofing, but we were also hoping for an improvement in video quality over what you get from smartphones, since it's a stand-alone device.

Overall, we'd say that's what we got. The TA20 is a decent performer for the kind of device it is, with the 1080p video capable of producing some decent detail under the right conditions.

Inevitably, it has its weak spots, though. The small size of the sensor means that footage is still a little soft when it comes to small, fiddly details, such as trees in the distance.

One of the more disappointing aspects is that there's not always that much of a noticeable improvement in quality in 1080p footage over scaled-up 720p. In close-ups of complex objects, it might be worth sticking with 1080p, but for wider shots, we'd say you could save some memory and stick with 720p without too much of a penalty.

The electronic image stabilisation system also seems to result in footage that looks a little off at time, as though mildly distorted, but it does to a good job of keeping judder to a minimum.

Colours are accurate, and it does a good job with them up even in overcast conditions. The iA control does its job well, with people picked up well and skin tones looking fairly natural.

There's not a huge amount of depth to the videos, but that's normal for this type of camera. There's a zoom, but it's only digital so there's a loss of quality, it's jerky and it's controlled by the imprecise touchscreen.

Movement is captured fairly well, and though there is some artefacting in the areas of motion blur, it's not as bad as on most if not all smartphones, so the image on the whole looks better. Swift panning can look a little juddery, but it's no worse than we'd expect.

The underwater footage was very strong, picking up detail from fairly still objects nicely. Motion underwater was much like out of the water; good, but not great.

Most importantly, the TA20 did survive several trips into both still water and a fast-flowing stream without any problems, and several drops from around its rated height. We couldn't test it down to the full three metres underwater, but it passed our shallow tests just fine.

You can take photos with the TA20, but we wouldn't really recommend it. The camera struggled to let in light, so pictures look quite dark. Detail is decent enough – on a par with many phone cameras – but with no optical zoom, zooming in will reduce quality, as you can see below.

See full-res image

See full-res image

The battery lasted us for a day of filming, but you'll want to be sure to have a way to charge it each night if you're going to be recording often.

Panasonic HM-TA20: Verdict

The Panasonic HM-TA20 reminds us why stand-alone devices still have a place, despite the ubiquity of smartphones as do-it-all wonders. By offering waterproofing, shockproofing and 1080p video for a quarter of the price of buying a high-end phone, this stands out as an obvious candidate to be a holiday video recorder.

We liked:

The design of the TA20 is great, and we liked the metallic orange of our review unit. it's comfortable to hold, and though isn't super thin or light compared some modern electronics, it can still be carried around all day without weighing you down.

The ruggedness of the TA20 is a really strong feature, too. It feels totally safe and reliable in the water, and survived several drops without any complaint. For people who don't take such good care of their gadgets, this is the perfect camcorder.

The video quality is also quite strong, which is always a major plus for a camcorder. Panasonic's iA and face tracking make a great addition to a simple video device.

We disliked:

We understand why the screen has to be resistive, but then lumpings such like the zooming into it makes it awkward to work with. Of course, only having digital zoom is also a shame, and the fact that's jerks while zooming compounds the misery. What we're getting at is: stay away from the zoom.

There are some issues with the picture quality, including some artefacting and the odd wobble it can pick up while trying to stabilise shots, which we can't gloss over. They're not crippling problems, but they are there. It's also a shame that the 1080p footage didn't have more detail in wider shots.

Verdict:

As a knockabout, point-and-shoot video camera, we thoroughly recommend the HM-TA20. It's ideal for a family holiday where it might get dropped by the kids, or for a surfing trip where it'll get dumped in the water and thrown in with sandy clothes.

It's not the last word in picture quality, but this kind of device isn't supposed to be. It does its job, which is to take decent footage in any condition.

Panasonic HX-WA10 review: Overview and Features

The snappily titled HX-WA10 is one of Panasonic's first forays into pistol-style camcorders. These were once Sanyo's bread and butter as part of its Xacti line, but the company was bought by Panasonic several years ago, resulting in the HX-WA10 and its brothers, the HX-DC10 and HX-DC1.

The WA10 is the top of the range, offering a 16-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor capable of recording 1080p footage, all in a waterproof exterior. The DC10 is identical save for its lack of waterproofing, while the DC1 has a 14MP non-backside-illuminated sensor.

Backside-illuminated sensors are hot stuff at the moment thanks to their inclusion in the iPhone 4 and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. The reason the technology is so popular is that it should provide improved recording in low-light situations - especially indoors.The WA10 offers a tempting selection of recording formats: 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 720/60p, 720/30p, 540/30p and 480/30p.

Movies are recording as H.264 MP4 files, with audio in two-channel AAC. This is all complemented by electronic image stabilisation (EIS) and a slightly complicated zoom.

The actual optical zoom is 5x, but Panasonic's Advanced Zoom can take this to 12x with no drop in image quality (though only at 30p). We have to say that we didn't even realise it wasn't straight-up optical zoom the whole way at first, so it's obviously doing its job. There's also a further digital zoom, but that comes with the expected loss of detail.

You can monitor and play your recordings back on the 2.6-inch LCD screen (230,400 dots, for those curious). The DC10 and DC1 both have three-inch screen, with the same resolution. The screen isn't quite capable of rotating through 360 degrees, but it's close enough for most use.

The screen darkens quickly when viewed from a high angle, and can be quite reflective, but if you adjust it so that you're viewing straight on, it's smooth detailed and bright.

One of the big features Panasonic has brought to the party is its intelligent auto (iA) processing system, along with live facial recognition technology, which should mean you won't need to go tinkering with any settings to get an ideal picture.

In a normal, well-lit scene, iA will assess all of the best options for you, and tweak as you go. Throw a person into the mix and you'll see boxes over their faces on the screen, and the WA10 will adjust the scene to keep them in the best exposure and focus it can. Go to somewhere dark, and the iA symbol switches to a candle, and it'll start optimising for low-light conditions.

Setting certain picture modes turns iA off by default, and it doesn't come back on automatically, annoyingly. It only requires one button press, though, which is placed conveniently under your thumb.

Just above the iA buttons are the main controls. Here you have your all-important record button, as well as a button for instantly taking a still picture, and a zoom rocker. Because of their waterproof nature, they all feel a little soft when you press them. This actually works in the zoom rocker's favour, though it's not ideal for the others.

However, that's just nit-picking - the buttons are still easy to press, and you'll know if you've pressed them of not because the light will come on.

We're less forgiving of the menu controls on the side of the WA10, though. They're responsive enough, but the arrow keys can be quite fiddly for those with larger digits - you'll be much better off if you've got longer nails.

The thing is, that's not their biggest problem. They inevitably face at a right-angle from the screen, so you can can either look where your fingers are, or look at the options on screen. This will mean a lot of accidental wrong selections. There's nothing can be done and it's not a catastrophic flaw, but it's an irritant owners will have to get used to.

From these menu keys, you can access the WA10's many options. Many of the features we've already mentioned can be turned off or tweaked, and there are scene and colour modes to be tested. You can even opt for manual focus, but since this is adjusted with the menu arrow keys, we don't think you'll make much use of it.

The WA10 takes SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and offers video-out over mini-HDMI (cable not included) or with an AV cable (included). You can get your videos off the device using the USB port.

You can pick the WA10 up for around £250 at the time of writing.

Panasonic HX-WA10 review: Performance

Although the Panasonic HX-WA10 offers several recording modes, what we're really interested in is the 1080/30p and 720/60p modes. Good progressive 1080p recording is still hard to come by on consumer camcorders, while any kind of high-speed option is something we're very keen to explore at this price.

We won't waste any time here; on balance, the video quality of the WA10 is strong. It has weaker parts - which we'll come to - but when it's good, it's really very good.

The first point to mention is that 1080p video in smaller, consumer-level devices is still hampered by the size of image sensors. It's so tempting to assume that you're going to get the kind of video sharpness you see in HD films or TV. You aren't.

Without using a much large, heavier (and far, far more expensive) device with a bigger sensor, 1080p footage is going to look a little softer than the HD footage we're used to from other sources.

This is true of the WA10, particularly in shots with lots of trees in the background; the definition in the leaves just isn't as crisp as you might hope. It's not bad for a consumer device by any means, but it's a reminder that video is a delicate balance.

That's not to say that all footage at 1080p looks too soft. Overall, we were quite impressed with what it could do, and there are plenty of shots of the golf course's turf that show lots of detail and texture. In particular, look out for the close-up shots of the holes, where the scratches and mud look impressively true-to-life.

What really recommends the WA10, though, is how it handles movement.

Even at 30fps (we'll come to the 60fps recording later), motion is handled stunningly well. In our videos, the fast movement of the golf balls is handled stunningly. Going through frame by frame shows a totally normal amount of motion blur and, crucially, an impressive lack of artefacting.

Inspect closely and you can actually spot some digital artefacts around a rolling ball, but it's a very small amount and is confined to either within the ball's motion blur or its shadow, where you can't really spot it at all unless you're looking for it. The 1080p video has a nice high bitrate of 15-16Mbps, which no doubt helps.

That said, we did find several points where, after analysing some scenes side-by-side at their native sizes, we thought the 720p video appeared a little more crisp than its 1080p counterpart. This was particularly evident in the running stream.

However, there were plenty of other times that the 1080p footage was better than the 720p footage. Most crucially of all, when you scale the 720p video up to 1080p, it's not even a contest. Every aspect of the frame is clearer and more detailed in the 1080p footage.

The iA system also worked extremely well, as did facial recognition. It generally made skin tones look quite natural, and the WA10's recording of our golf game on a slightly drab, overcast day has some quite accurate colours. Many of the shots also don't look all that deep, but the overcast lighting will have played a huge part there.

Our only concern is that there can be a lot of quivering of the picture if you're trying to hold the WA10 steady yourself. Obviously, hand-shake is a culprit, but the image stabilisation seems to be also contributing in a way that can produce some odd results.

It's not something you'll notice that often - investing in a tripod means you should be able to comfortably eradicate it, and it's not really evident while panning - but it is there.

The low-light shooting does a good job of trying to improve things, but it's still clear that a bit more light helps hugely. In the first pan of this video, you can see everything well enough, but in the second pan - where we added a bright light just above - you can see far more texture on the aluminium and detail in the keys.

As we said, having a (relatively) high-speed filming option on the WA10 really got us excited. It's uncommon for this level of camcorder to have anything higher than 30fps, so a bit of 60fps action is very welcome.

Two things to note are that the 60fps options is only available at 720p, and that it disables the Advanced Zoom, so you're restricted to 5x, rather than 12x.

Now, we've already said that the WA10 handles motion well at 30fps, so it won't come as a surprise that the way it records movement at 60fps is sublime.

Originally, we'd only planned to do a quick test of the camera underwater (we'll cover the waterproofing at the end of this section), but when we saw how good the underwater footage looked when played back at half-speed, we had to immediately go back and do some more.

While we were always impressed with the WA10 before trying it underwater, but not blown away by it, its performance both submerged and in slow motion converted us totally. The underwater footage looks fantastic, with as much detail on show as above water in every aspect - bubbles are picked out perfectly, and edges are crisp and brilliantly defined.

Importantly, the camera also survived its trip into our little pool totally unharmed. We had the screen folded out and played with the controls, and everything worked fine. The screen was fairly visible in the water, but that always going to be slightly dependent upon the conditions you're in.

While we couldn't test the WA10 down to its rated three metres, we did have it in the water for up to 20 minutes at a time without incident.

While we're talking about the design, though, we will say that the pistol grip might not be for everyone. It's hard to hold it as steady as a standard camcorder design, and we found the WA10's grip to be a little thin. If it were a bit chunkier, it would be easier to hold steady.

The battery life is quite good, lasting for a day of on and off shooting easily. On holiday you'll need a reliable way to charge it at night, but it's good for a day out.

Panasonic HX-WA10 review: Verdict

Although the pistol-style camcorder isn't to everyone's taste, we're glad to see it being given new life under Panasonic's banner. The HX-WA10's waterproofing sets it apart from the other options, aiming to offer a reasonably high-quality underwater camcorder.

We liked:

Under the right conditions, you can get some really great video out of the WA10. It handles motion well at 1080p, there's a minimum of artefacting and there's a noticeable bump in detail going from 720p to 1080p.

The 60fps mode is also a brilliant addition for the price, offering the chance to really have some fun with the camera. The same is true for the waterproofing, and we were massively impressed with the quality of footage taken while submerged. The iA and face tracking work incredibly well, making it easy to get great shots.

We disliked:

There are some niggles with the video quality we need to point out, including the odd wobble while it tries to stabilise your hand's shake. It suffers from the perennial problem that consumer camcorders have, where wide shots can appear a bit soft because the sensor is simply too small.

We wish the grip was a little chunkier too, since it would be easier to hold, and the position of the controls at a right-angle to the screen is terrible ergonomically.

Verdict:

Overall, we're mightily impressed by the HX-WA10. You're paying something of a premium for the waterproofing features, but we'd say they're worth it. It's safe underwater, it's easy to use and it produces some excellent video. We do recommend investing in a tripod to go with it, but as a fairly small, reasonably light consumer camera, it's absolutely worth your time.

There are lots of once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you might regret not filming so you can later share them with (and sometimes bore) friends and family. From swimming with dolphins to charity skydives and everything in between, the Swann SportsCam DVR-460 aims to capture it.

It's a small, robust camera that comes with a waterproof casing (up to 65ft) and plenty of straps to securely attach it to yourself.

This is a very versatile camera. For example, before you haul yourself up a ladder to repair some guttering you could first inspect the damage by attaching the DVR-460 to a pole, filming the guttering, then watching it on your computer.

The camera's size means it can be a bit tricky to set up. There are two switches on the body, for turning it on and off, and for enabling sound recording. There are also two small buttons for recording film and taking still shots, and a Micro SD slot.

The camera can take cards up to 16GB in size, but it doesn't have any built-in memory, so you'll need to buy a Micro SD card to use it.

There are also two tiny LEDs, one red and one green. These flash to tell you what the camera is doing, and how much battery life is left.

It's worth reading the manual, otherwise you might miss out on footage because you didn't know that four green flashes mean there's less that 24 per cent charge left.

The camera records footage at 640 x 480 pixels, and the results are pretty good considering the device can easily sit in the palm of your hand. You won't want to record your home videos on it, but as a rough and ready camera that can endure a lot of punishment, the quality is surprisingly good.

For £60, you get a decent sports camera that has many more uses than you might think.

Don't weep for the fate of single-function devices. They have had their time. Faced with a page of sums, you've probably moved past reaching for a dedicated pocket calculator; you'll load a calculator app on your phone or even just type the equations straight in to Google.

You won't fill your pockets with a selection of clattering plastic boxes when a single slimline unit will do. The era of wide functionality is unquestionably upon us.

Market saviour?

There's a counter argument, of course: why should you send the decathlete onto the track when the 100m expert is the one breaking the world records? It's a good point.

A specialised unit like this should theoretically best any comparably priced multi-function device. If you're a photographer, it's unlikely that you'll use the camera of a £400 smart phone in favour of a similarly priced DSLR. We say all this because the handheld video camera market appears to be spluttering its last breath.

Cisco, fresh from buying the rights to the Flip camera, has abruptly pulled it from the market as part of an overhaul of its consumer products division. When what looks like the market leader drops out of the race, things have got to be pretty bad, right?

GE's DV1 doesn't do an awful lot to assuage our fears, although it's a perfectly good device in isolation. It sports much the same form factor as the Flip – a small, portrait aligned nugget with little in the way of controls beyond a 'Record' button.

There's a USB connnector for charging and transferring video to your PC, and an SD slot for storage. The screen is larger than most in the category, and of a higher pixel density; next to the final generation of Flip cameras, we're inclined to pick this one every time, though little of it is used for video – over half is dedicated to the settings you're currently using.

Video quality is also good. There's the option to record in 720p at 60fps, which produces some very slick (though shaky) footage. It will also do 1,920 x 1,080 at 30fps, or you can choose slightly lower, softer resolutions and frame rates.

Movies come out in MOV format, and as long as you've set your white balance correctly, you should have no problems. A trip to sunny Weston-super-Mare left us with a particularly blue set of clips, so it's a shame the DV1 couldn't automatically save us our blushes.

The videos are also a little muddy. We found them a small step above the most recent generation of Flip cameras, at least in terms of footage in sunlight – footage shot under electric light at night is pretty grainy. Clarity is also quite poor, particularly at the 1080p end.

Paucity of features

As a single-function device, for £80, the DV1 does its job very well. It's a workhorse. If all you want is a point-and-shoot camcorder to take wobbly videos of your kittens, it's as good as, if not better than, anything else out there.

Here's the problem, though: aside from its rugged waterproof casing, which promises 5m of water resistance and 5ft of shockproofing, there's nothing that makes the DV1 any better than a compact camera of the same price. You'll certainly find more in the way of flexibility with a compact camera, along with features like optical zoom and better shake reduction than the DV1 can muster.

You'll soon be able take video of a similar standard with your mobile phone; we took some footage with an iPhone 4, which, though grainy, was about as effective, and we were able to edit and tweak the video all on the same device. It won't be long before mobile phones are able to take better quality video, offer 10m waterproofing, and whip up a tasty omelette at the same time.

So enjoy it while it lasts, because while single-function devices still have a lot of life left in them – and this is great if you're going to be splashing around – we can hear this particular sector of the market wheezing out a death rattle.

The most noticeable feature of the Samsung HMX-U20 is the lens, which makes it look more like a serious piece of photographic equipment than a pocket video camera.

However, this feature has real benefits, like optical zoom, that differentiate the U20 from its brethren and their digital zooms. The effect is quick, smooth zooming that can be accessed during full 1080p recording and doesn’t produce noise or distortion.

The Samsung also impresses with 7.8MP stills, which beats most phone cameras hands down and even gives some digital compacts a run for their money. With all this, the Samsung U20 is a fantastic travel companion.

Footage also looked good, but results were a little noisier than those of the Toshiba and Flip MinoHD. Colours were true and it dealt with changes in light better than any other camera in our test, which harks back to that quality lens.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing. At times the camera struggled to focus, leaving faces blurry and plunging the camera into confusion for a few seconds. This mostly occurred while shooting in busy places, but the Samsung was the only camera to really suffer. Compared to the way the Kodak and Toshiba dealt with focusing, this was disappointing, and at times made the footage all but unwatchable.

If there’s one way the U20 makes up for this, it’s through price. At £90, the camera is the cheapest in our test for a model capable of producing decent HD footage. However, there’s no memory built in, so the purchase of an 8GB card is necessary, which will bump it up to about £100.

The PlayTouch might sound like a lewd product from a chemist, but it's actually Kodak's latest pocket camera.

The sleek black body houses just one button, which handles the recording. All the other options are located on the 3-inch touchscreen. This is the most expensive camera in our test (due to the touchscreen interface), but it packs in the features for your cash.

It offers 1080p recording, 5MP still photos and image stabilisation – which its predecessor lacked.

Like Sony with its Bloggie, Kodak has made a curious choice about the use of its display for viewfinding. the real estate offered is a measly post box-shaped rectangle in the middle, making it difficult to see what you're doing.

That said, the menu on the touchscreen is excellent, and the capacitive screen is responsive. Kodak should be applauded for putting every command within easy reach. You can set everything from output resolution to cheesy video effects, and are never left wondering how to change a setting quickly.

The Kodak also impressed us with the way it handled light, being quick to adjust itself when going from dark to bright. It also focused on faces – technology brought over from the compact camera range and used to good effect.

Footage was natural looking without any daft exposures, but with a warmth and realism that even the Toshiba couldn't produce.

Unfortunately, the picture was much noisier than it was on the Camileo P20 and the Flip MinoHD. The video seemed pixilated and lacking in smoothness, and we were less than impressed.

Toshiba's Camileo range is a departure from the traditional flip-style camera, and its roots are firmly in the camcorder rather than the phone. The Camileo P20 benefits from a pistol-grip form and fold-out screen, which make it feel natural to use.

With excellent image stabilisation built in, it isn't a victim of the shake associated with many models.

While the P20 is much larger than the MinoHD, it has that pocket feel, and is easily transported without you being bothered by its bulk.

In recording mode the screen flips out like that of a traditional camcorder, but it folds back for playback, so you feel like you're watching on a dedicated video device. The extra size means that Toshiba has been able to use a 3-inch touchscreen, which makes filming and watching comfortable and puts the Kodak PlayTouch and Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5K to shame.

Video quality is excellent, and recorded footage looks crisp and clear. The image stabilisation is fantastic: even in the middle of crowds our subjects were still and the footage wasn't ruined by shaking.

One of the most noticeable assets is lightning-quick focusing, which left the Samsung HMX-U20 for dead. The Camileo handles bright light poorly though, and subjects are often overexposed in places.

However, if you're looking for quality beyond what the Toshiba can offer, you should be looking at a full form, high-def camcorder.

The biggest weakness is the sound from the internal microphone, and there are no provisions for using an external one, which rules the P20 out for anyone wanting to add a more professional touch to their home movies.

Panasonic HDC-SD900: Overview

Panasonic is quite possibly trying to hit every target with the HDC-SD900 – and it may just do it. This is a Full HD 1920 x 1080/50p camcorder, which benefits from three 2.53MP sensors, uses the AVCHD recording format and has enough manual features and creative functions to keep even the most demanding movie maker happy.

The sub-£900 price only adds to the prospect that this could already be one of the best camcorders of the year. However, if you're thinking it's got all this functionality and can fit into a coat pocket you'll have to think again.

The SD900 is – relatively, you understand – a chunky camcorder, rather than a svelte pocket-friendly model. But thank heavens for that, because it means you can find and easily use the controls, and there are neat design touches such as the inclusion of a widescreen electronic viewfinder, 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, manual control ring (for focus and zoom etc) and all the input/outputs you need.

The camcorder sits among two other similar models in Panasonic's 2011 3MOS range. While the SD900 records to SDHC and SDXC cards (it can record to SD but it's not recommended and our advice is not to try), the HS900 and TM900 provide alternative storage options.

The HS900 features a 220GB hard drive and SD card recording, but is heavier and costs over £1,150. The TM900 comes in at under £1,000 and uses a 32GB flash memory along with SD card recording. In terms of other major specifications the three camcorders are the same.

What's worth bearing in mind is that though the SD900 is the most affordable option of the three, you'll need to have at least an 8GB card installed in order to record for any practical duration. More SD cards mean more investment.

The SD900 offers the potential for 3D moviemaking, as do its siblings, and for that matter models in the less-expensive Panasonic 1MOS HD range. 3D recording is achieved by purchasing an additional 3D conversion lens, the VW-CLT1, which costs in excess of £200.

If you then also have a 3D TV and the appropriate glasses, it's possible to watch the movies you've made in 3D. On consumer camcorders, this is a technology in its infancy, and so please be prepared for your results to be a little less Hollywood than your ambitions might suggest.

What's certain to attract excitement and scrutiny is the way the SD900 has every base covered. It's a camcorder that likes to think it has the answer to everything. And, in the many ways, it has.

Aside from manual control over focus, white balance, shutter and iris – through the menu and using a rotating control ring around the suitably up-market Leica Dicomar lens – there are superb functions such as the Digital Cinema mode that alters shutter speed to create film-like footage. There's also the option of Timelapse recording at 10sec, 30sec, one minute and two minute intervals.

The advanced functions keep on coming too, with a Zebra pattern over-exposure warning mode, picture adjustment settings (for sharpness, colour, exposure, white balance) that can be made during recording, and a Histogram option giving vital information on exposure levels.

The creativity that's possible is quite stunning in its breadth, and it even extends to audio quality with mic level adjustments available, as well as our particular favourite: bass setting.

This mode lets users select from 0dB, +3dB and +6dB bass settings for the mic, and in many respects quells the oft-quoted criticism that camcorder's built-in microphones aren't capable of bass-y enough reproduction.

Trust us, there's even more to explore on this 'advanced feature' front.

Panasonic HDC-SD900: Performance

Performance

'Ease of use' is a subjective term, and can be confusingly used in reviews. How? Well, the SD900 is easy to use, in the sense that finding, activating and employing many of its controls is straightforward.

However, getting the most from its lengthy list of features isn't easy: it takes time and practice. But you won't be any the poorer for that. Finding the most appropriate, appealing or effective settings involves a journey of discovery.

Video quality

The HDC-SD900 produces sumptuous, detail-rich images with precious few areas for complaint. It's an outstanding performer.

The auto white balance reproduces accurate colours, which give scenes an authentic, lifelike quality. Reds are calm rather than too vibrant and blues and greens have a natural resonance.

The SD900's autofocus is similarly effective and efficient. It detects subtle changes in the scene and acts decisively to return the image to pin-sharpness. With our test footage we attempted to throw it off course with ambiguous, difficult footage but it reacted quickly and with accuracy in all but the most-trying conditions.

What's easy to love about a camcorder that's so flexible and adaptable as the SD900 is that you notice so much more about your movies when you play them back. The intricacies of flowers, the sinewy flight of seagulls, these details come back to you in Full HD glory.

The camcorder is capable of smooth movement and even on fast-moving action we didn't see evidence of artefacting or excessive picture noise. The 35mm wide-angle lens also ensured we crammed as much of a shot as possible into the frame without having to move miles away.

And the 3.5-inch touchscreen is an absolute gift for both framing/composing shots and replaying them to see if you got what you needed.

The 0.27-inch electronic viewfinder is good to see, since viewfinders are a forgotten feature in the age of the LCD. However, while it's not as small as some we've seen, it's fair to suggest that the majority of users will choose the LCD instead.

Audio quality

Where it is easy to criticise a camcorder's audio performance is usually because of a lack of flexibility. The built-in mic may give middling performance but it's the inability to do anything about this that causes the aggravation. You're stuck with what you've got – or you have to record audio separately.

The SD900 doesn't fall into this trap: its mic-level adjustments, bass settings and range of mic options (surround, focus, zoom mic and stereo mic) neatly circumvent the obvious problems. Also include the external microphone input and you have a practical and productive set of controls.

The 'bare' audio isn't exemplary but it is clear, crisp and even on dialogue. The bass settings rescues a rather tinny performance on recorded music by providing a tangible sense of low-end sounds.

Photo options

Photography settings are almost as impressive as movie recording, particularly since they concentrate on features that benefit snapping rather than being gimmicky.

The maximum resolution of 14.2MP is excellent – and the end results are detailed and sharp – while the 13.3MP 'compromise' quality you get when shooting stills while in movie mode puts many other camcorders in the shade.

The touch shutter function, used on the touchscreen LCD, adds a neat rapid-shooting element to the SD900's functionality and the flash is flexible enough to have settings for different brightnesses. Users will also love the fact that Histogram, Luminance, Picture Adjust and Zebra functions are available in photo mode as well as movie record mode.

Sockets and software

There is no area of complaint when it comes to the Panasonic HDC-SD900's range of sockets. HDMI (mini) output is for connecting to a high-def TV, USB 2.0 for computer connectivity, AV for non-HD device connection, and DC-in for charging up the battery.

There are also sockets for an external microphone input and headphone output: the latter so you can monitor the audio you are recording, and is a brilliant feature to have, too.

Software comes in the form of the Windows-only and rather simplistic HD Writer AE 3.0. Editing is best performed through a standalone software application. Panasonic's user manual indicates that the SD900 is compatible with Apple's iMovie 11.

Panasonic HDC-SD900: Verdict

Verdict

As much as it is easy to gush about the SD900, this camcorder is not going to meet everyone's tastes. It is both a sizeable product and a sizeable investment, and it also lacks the cutesy element of fast YouTube upload that's to be found on pocket-friendly models.

However, as a movie-making device for enthusiasts, semi-pros, film students and low-budget producers, it is exceptional.

We liked

Superlative video recording is matched by digital photography functions, but what really seal the deal for the SD900 are its advanced features. Accessed through the exemplary 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, there is such a rich, treasure trove of modes that it's hard to think what else you could possibly have wanted to include.

The Digital Cinema mode genuinely provides a different style of footage, while the Zebra warning provokes your creativity and nudges you towards using the manual features. The manual control ring is smooth and resistant where it needs to be, and while it can lead to fingers occasionally appearing in front of the lens, eradicating this involves practice rather than a design rethink.

Simultaneous recording of photographs while in movie mode may have limited wow factor but since those stills are 13.3MP it becomes a brilliant addition.

The Leica Dicomar lens and 3MOS sensors might be behind the superior movie recording but what we particularly enjoyed was the wide-angle nature of the lens. No more edging backwards and backwards until everything's in the frame (or the cameraperson falls into the hotel pool).

And, as Panasonic Viera TV owners will find, if you do get the chance to use Viera Link, the timesaving nature of controlling the SD900 camcorder using your TV remote is fantastic.

Ultimately, what we most liked about the SD900 is that it pushes you towards being a better filmmaker, but in doing so doesn't forget to give you the tools you need to do the job.

We disliked

It may be more productive or entertaining to insert your own top tip or amusing anecdote here, because there is so little you can criticise this Panasonic model on.

Perhaps the viewfinder does feel like an unnecessary throwback – if you're going to include one why not design it to be properly large and make a feature of it? The audio quality from the built-in microphone is only adequate, but then we do also recommend you buy/use an external microphone. You don't need to save on space – this is a chunky camcorder after all.

Verdict

If you have the money, and also the need, for this level of Full HD camcorder then the Panasonic HDC-SD900 has to be near the top of your shopping list. The SD900 is as essential as camcorders can get.