Camcorders, Three sensor

Panasonic HDC-TM300

The flash-based HDC-TM300 camcorder is pricey but shoots excellent 1080p high-definition video and offers solid performance, as well as a full set of manual controls. The touchscreen interface can be irritating at times, but this remains a very good HD camcorder

Editor's rating 7.9

Panasonic HDC-HS200

It may be expensive, but the Panasonic HDC-HS200 shoots truly excellent 1080p high-definition video, performing remarkably well in interior lighting conditions. It also takes great 10.6-megapixel still images, packs 80GB of built-in memory and boasts an intuitive touchscreen interface

Editor's rating 7.5

Panasonic HDC-SD9

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 is one of the smallest and lightest full-size camcorders we've tested, and yet it still manages to pack in a good number of features -- you can even manually adjust aperture and shutter speed, which is unusual in this class

Editor's rating 7.2

Panasonic HDC-SD5

Panasonic's HDC-SD5 is a 3CCD hi-def camcorder that records to flash memory. This makes it very small and light, but it manages to offer a high-resolution foldout screen. Intelligent contrast control makes for great quality high-definition footage

User rating 6.5

Editor's rating 7.8

JVC Everio GZ-HD3

The JVC Everio GZ-HD3 is a scaled-down version of the Everio GZ-HD7 released a few months ago. It includes the same triple-CCD design and many of the same features, although it includes a Konica Minolta with a 10x optical zoom range and digital image stabilisation

User rating 4.5

Editor's rating 6.1

Panasonic HDC-SD1

A flash memory camcorder with joystick navigation, Panasonic's HCD-SD1 has a small design and boasts loads of shooting features with superb high-definition video quality

Editor's rating 6.9

Canon XH A1

Canon's XH A1 uses the same technology as the company's professional-level XL H1, but trades in the interchangeable lens for a price that's far easier to stomach -- making it an appealing model for prosumers

Editor's rating 8.9

JVC Everio GZ-HD7

JVC's Everio GZ-HD7 is a hard-drive-based camcorder that attempts to combine the benefits of three CCD sensors with high-definition image quality. It doesn't produce the best videos we've seen, however it does offer an excellent range of features

User rating 5.0

Editor's rating 6.3

Canon XH G1

The Canon XH G1 model is the mid-range of choices for videographers. It uses the same technology as the professional-level XL H1, but uses an equivalent of the H1's JackPack and -- like its sister model, the XH A1 -- an interchangeable lens to drive down the cost, which will be attractive to budding filmmakers

Editor's rating 8.9

Panasonic VDR-D310

The Panasonic VDR-D310 is the most high-end Panasonic DVD camcorder you can get. With a 10x Leica lens giving it a significant edge, it clearly appears to be designed for users who want high-quality video without investing the significant money required for hi-def

Editor's rating 7.3

Panasonic SDR-H250

Panasonic brings a 3CCD hard drive camcorder to the table with the SDR-H250. It helpfully provides an option to record to a memory card and it offers many useful scene modes, but it will struggle to keep up with hi-def models

Editor's rating 6.7

Panasonic SDR-S150

It sounds like the perfect holiday camcorder: it's very light because it records to an included 2GB SD card, it's got three CCDs, a 10x zoom lens and optical image stabilisation; but image quality is a problem

Editor's rating 6.6

Sony Handycam HDR-FX7

Like its sibling the HDR-FX1, the HDR-FX7 is a three-chip, 'prosumer' hi-def MiniDV camcorder. It offers a hefty 20x zoom and excellent video quality, although its sound options are less satisfactory

Editor's rating 8.0

JVC Everio GZ-MG505

JVC's Everio GZ-MG505 is a hard-disk-based 3CCD camcorder that follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the GZ-MC500, which remains an extremely impressive camcorder, even by today's standards. The MG505 adds a larger hard disk and improved optics, but it still records to proprietary video format, which may not please more professional users

User rating 7.3

Editor's rating 7.7

Panasonic NV-GS300

The primary appeal of Panasonic's NV-GS300 camera is its trio of CCD chips, which allow it to capture richer colour and sharper images than single-CCD cameras. The sharp video and the addition of a widescreen LCD will appeal to HDTV owners looking for good image quality at a price less than that of a true HD camcorder

User rating 8.5

Editor's rating 6.6

Panasonic VDR-D300

DVD camcorders have typically sacrificed quality for convenience compared to MiniDV models in the same price range. The Panasonic VDR-D300 breaks that mould by offering video quality that's noticeably better than that of many competing DVD camcorders, as well as three CCDs for excellent colour, even in low-light situations

Editor's rating 7.3

Panasonic NV-GS500

Panasonic's NV-GS500 doesn't so much improve on the NV-GS400 as simplify it, however it does now have the ability to display widescreen video. It retains the same lens and trio, so videos and photos look almost identical, but many manual controls and features have either been moved to the menus or eliminated altogether

User rating 10.0

Editor's rating 6.8

Canon XL H1

At nearly £6,000, the XL H1 is by far the most expensive HD option in its class, featuring three 1.67-megapixel, 16:9-native, 1/3-inch CCDs. To those familiar with Canon's XL system, the XL H1 may prove the obvious choice. To others, its quirky design, lack of progressive-video capabilities and high price may be too much to put up with

Editor's rating 7.7

Panasonic SDRS100

Panasonic is blazing the trail towards SD-card video capture with this diminutive, three-chip camcorder. It may be usable and innovative, but its image quality leaves a great deal to be desired and it's very expensive indeed

Editor's rating 6.9

JVC GR-X5

JVC bills the GR-X5 as a 'cutting-edge digital media camera'. It's a sort of Swiss Army knife that is supposed to satisfy all a consumer's imaging needs, both video and still. With a typical price of £860, this would be an expensive camcorder or still camera, but as it does both functions well, it's not a bad deal. Just don't take it out at night

Editor's rating 7.0