Best HD Camcorder

There are a few options that you just can't go wrong with, and almost every 'techno guru' will give you the same options. These are some of the very best ones in the market today, and they offer everything that you will need for the purpose of recording your home videos.

HDTV (High-Definition Television) sets are becoming the norm now, so it's no surprise that many people are looking for HD camcorders to record and watch their videos on these TV sets. You can find such HD camcorders available to you in many different sizes, and with varying degrees of price and specifications. Shelling out a few extra hundred bucks is advisable in this case, as the extra cost is completely worth it.

They will provide you with extremely high quality videos, that will pay attention to the smallest of details. Out of the three resolutions of HD videos that can be accessed today (1080p, 1080i and 720p), HD camcorders offer you recordings in two of these resolutions - 720p and 1080i. You can take your pick from many choices of HD camcorders that can cost you anything from $200 - $2,000.

Top HD Camcorders
When you are looking to buy HD camcorders, look no further than the brands that specialize in these products. You can choose any one out of Sony, Panasonic, Canon or Kodak. The features and specifications offered by all these brands are similar, with a few minor differences here and there.

Sony HDR-XR520V
Costing a cool $1,499, this beast from Sony offers the very best features of HD digital camcorders and takes the experience to a whole new level. The videos are recorded in the AVCHD format (the standard format), at an impressive 1920 x 1080 high-definition resolution. Excellent at recording videos in minimal light as well, the camcorder records videos at 16Mbps.

The camcorder also contains a massive 240GB hard disk that can store over 30 hours of HD videos. Other notable features include a 12x optical zoom, 12 MP still photo capture, Sony's impressive optical image stabilization and a 3.2 inch touchscreen LCD. What makes the camcorder an excellent companion for frequent travelers is the built-in GPS receiver. The XR520 represents the very best HD camcorder that Sony has to offer.

Canon Vixia HF S10 Camcorder
Priced at $1,299, the HF S10 delivers picture quality that will simply amaze you. This camcorder is designed for more advanced users, and this can be seen in the 24Mbps bit rate of recording that this piece by Canon is capable of. This is the highest quality that is supported by the AVCHD format, and it really does show.

The LCD screen is smaller at 2.6 inches, but it comes with the highly acclaimed CMOS image sensor that enables it to maintain that look of royalty in its recordings. Still photos are captured with an 8 MP lens that contains all the latest features, but the advantage of this camcorder is that it contains a lot of manual controls. This makes it much better suited for advanced users as a lot of settings can be altered manually. The internal storage is only 30GB, but this can be upgraded using an SDHC memory card. The size may be a bit bulky, but you cannot beat the HF S10 in terms of performance.

Panasonic HDC-TM300K
Coming in at $1,299, the TM300 uses three different image sensors to record high-definition videos at the impressive 1920 x 1080 resolution. Carrying all the necessary features of a 12x optical zoom lens, face detection, image stabilization and a 11MP still photo capture lens, this camcorder sure packs a punch. The bit rate is lower but still effective at 17Mbps, which is not the highest rate supported in the AVCHD format, but is still extremely effective.

This gadget also carries a lot of manual controls for the benefit of advanced users who can change the settings as and when they please, and this gives one much better control over the quality of the videos being recorded. The LCD screen is 2.7 inches, and carries an impressive feature of being able to touch a point on the screen and having the lens automatically focus on that point. This is a very user-friendly camcorder and the 32GB internal memory can be extended using a SD/SDHC memory card.

If you're looking for something under 500 dollars, then you must look at mini camcorders from the best companies, like the Kodak Zi8 Camcorder. Though, these may not carry as many features and as much memory space as their big brothers, they are still incredibly effective at recording HD videos, and come in handy for people who travel around a lot.

Decide for yourself after looking at these specifications. The costs for each one is almost the same, as you will be spending a few more dollars on extending the memory storage. Out of the options presented to you here, you wouldn't find anything better than the Canon Vixia HF S10.