Hard Drive Camcorders

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

Sony Handycam HDR-SR8

Leading Sony's charge on to the high-definition battlefield is the gorgeous Handycam HDR-SR8, a camcorder that boasts a gargantuan 100GB hard drive, a 10x Carl Zeiss zoom lens and Sony's Super SteadyShot and Super NightShot systems

Editor's rating 9.2

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

Sony Handycam DCR-SR42

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 is a lightweight camcorder with a 30GB hard drive and has a bundled dock and built-in lens cover. It uses a touchscreen menu system on its 64mm LCD. It has decent stereo audio and its zoom is easy to control

Editor's rating 6.0

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

JVC Everio GZ-MG57

A good size for small adult hands, the GZ-MG57 is also lighter than most camcorders. Like the other Everio models, you control the camera's options via a joystick on the bezel of the LCD. The menu system is fairly straightforward, providing quick access to all the shooting settings

User rating 4.0

Editor's rating 6.4

Sony Handycam HDR-SR1

Sony's sturdy, adaptable camcorder is a pleasure to use. Hard disk capacity, a great design and a broad feature set -- including AV, component and HDMI output jacks and a manual control ring for adjusting exposure, focus and white balance -- make this the consumer HD model to beat for 2006

Editor's rating 8.0

Sony Handycam DCR-SR80

If you're the type of videographer that puts the camcorder in Easy mode and concentrates on pointing the lens in the right direction and zooming when appropriate, the Sony Handycam DCR-SR80 should be great for you. Performance is pleasing and image quality is impressive -- you could definitely do a lot worse

Editor's rating 7.1

Sony Handycam DCR-SR40

Sony's Handycam DCR-SR40 is a decent choice for an entry-level hard-drive-based camcorder. Tweakers and still-image buffs will probably want to move up the line, but casual shooters, such as those who just want to document birthday parties and the occasional holiday, should enjoy the convenience of being tape and mini-DVD free

Editor's rating 7.0

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

Sony Handycam DCR-SR100

Sony may not be the first manufacturer to enter the hard drive camcorder market -- that distinction goes to JVC's Everio models. But with excellent video quality and fluid operation, the Sony Handycam DCR-SR100 puts all but the more expensive JVC 500 series models, as well as Sony's own DVD-based models, to shame

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 7.4

JVC Everio GZ-MG77

JVC's hard-disk-based GZ-MG77 has sacrificed some of its features for affordability -- it only has a single CCD, as opposed to its more expensive 3CCD sibling, the MG505, and the zoom comes nowhere near tape-based models. If you're a casual user, however, who wants to record straight to hard disk, it might just suffice

User rating 6.7

Editor's rating 5.0

JVC Everio GZ-MG20

While casual users will find the MG20's nine-hour footage capacity is more than enough for general use, compulsive videographers will be better off opting for a removable hard-disk camera. But the overwhelming reason to opt for the MG20 is its tin-can size

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 8.1

JVC Everio GZ-MC500

Because of the MC500's 3CCD system, the picture recorded to the internal Microdrive is better than anything a single-CCD system is capable of. The most convincing reason to consider the MC500 is its size, though. Unlike most camcorders, it will fit in your pocket

User rating 6.0

Editor's rating 9.3

JVC Everio GZ-MG50

The Everio GZ-MG50 is small and light, weighing about 380g with its battery attached, it has a 1.33-megapixel CCD and its 30GB hard drive can hold 10.5 hours of DVD-quality footage. Where on earth will we put it all?

JVC Everio GZ-MC200

We've seen small camcorders before, but the MC200 ushers in a whole new generation of handheld camcorders that you can almost enclose in your palm. These suckers are small, really small. If you've been reluctant to take a camcorder on holiday because of the size of the things, you might be swayed by the MC200 -- it's the same size as a rolled-up pair of socks

User rating 8.7

Editor's rating 8.3