Camcorders to capture the mood

Round-up reviews let you compare four related products and find out which one is best for you

Last updated: 10 Feb 2006

Light some candles, set up that tripod and... hang on, you don't have a camcorder? There's a range of options for the amorous couple, from hard-disk-based models to the more traditional MiniDV tape style. Allow your flirtation with the small screen to indulge your deepest fantasies. Don't let a lack of technical know-how pour cold water on the fires of possibility -- here's our guide to the best camcorders for those feeling romantic. And remember: use the zoom sparingly. Nobody looks that good that close up.

High-definition fans will jump for the unbelievable resolution and crispness of the Sony HDR-FX1 -- this really is a professional-grade camcorder. You can even modify it to accept proper film-camera lenses -- it's not a job for the faint-hearted though. More modest lovers who still ache for a 1080 line image should check out the HDR-HC1. It may not have the punch of Sony's flagship model, but it's still an impressive beast.

For a more discrete shooting experience, the JVC Everio GZ-MC200 is a palm-sized, lightweight camcorder. Finally, for the acrobatic tryst, there's the Samsung Miniket. This camcorder can be head-mounted for a first-person perspective on that magical first-date moment.

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	Samsung Miniket VP-X100L	Sony Handycam HDR-HC1	Sony HDR-FX1	JVC Everio GZ-MC200
Review date	12 Jan 06	26 Aug 05	2 May 05	17 May 05
Editors' rating	7.0	7.2	8.0	8.3
Price range	£470	£1,200	£2,200	£600
Review summary	It's easy to forgive the Miniket for its sub-par image quality when you're watching footage back on the TV at home. Sitting on a sofa with a hot cup of tea, re-living the moment you leapt off a BMX jump and crashed spectacuarly is a joy. We hope that the next iteration of this camcorder brings better image quality. For now, at least, the Miniket is a novelty that will supplement, but not replace your existing sports camcorder Read full review	A good first effort at a consumer high-def camcorder, but only high-def fanatics should really consider it Read full review	For the price, the best HD camera currently available Read full review	It's largely thanks to the massive success of the iPod that microdrives have become so affordable. It was about time some great DV camcorders turned up with hard disks tucked away in their bellies, so we were pleased to find the JVC MC-200 is such a small and elegant use of this technology. Although you'll need to buy additional microdrives to store more than 60 minutes of footage on location, hard disk really is the future of DV Read full review
User rating	5.0		9.0	8.0
Recording media	Other	MiniDV	MiniDV	Hard drive
Number of CCDs	1	1	3	1
Size (W x H x D)	59x93x29 mm	75x85x190 mm	150x180x366 mm	41x104x71 mm
Sensor type	CCD	CMOS	CCD	CCD
Optical zoom	10 x	10 x	12 x	10 x
Digital zoom	100 x	120 x	n/a	200 x
Image stabiliser	EIS	n/a	Optical (Super Steady Shot)	Electronic
Display size	51 mm	68 mm	89 mm	46 mm
Display resolution	211000 pixels	123000 pixels	250880 pixels	130000 pixels
Effective sensor resolution	n/a	1900000 pixels	1070000 pixels	2120000 pixels
	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification