Compact and attractive ; above-average low-light video

Not terribly great lens ; occasionally awkward design

You can tell where Sony cut corners on this compact, flash-based HD camcorder. While it's decent, there are better options for the money than the Sony Handycam HDR-CX100.

Relatively rugged, attractive design ; captures video at 720p HD resolution ; decent video ; memory-card expansion slot ; runs off AA batteries ; bundled HDMI cable ; zippier performance

No memory card ; batteries don't recharge via USB connector ; software isn't Mac compatible ; poor connectivity

While its video quality doesn't quite match up to that of the Flip Video MinoHD, the Kodak Zx1 does win points for its stylish, rugged design.

Surprisingly good sound ; comfortable design ; relatively nice manual feature set for its class

Generally poor video quality ; poor focus performance ; hard to control zoom rocker and awkward interface ; long zoom lens lacks optical image stabilization

The Samsung SC-MX20 has an attractive price, but you get what you pay for.

Excellent video quality ; two HD format options ; full manual controls

No optical image stabilization ; confusing menu system ; some design quirks

JVC's CMOS-based Everio GZ-HD40 offers high-definition recording flexibility with very good results, but a few shortcomings keep us from giving it a full recommendation.

Kick back and listen to Lori and Matt's weekly chat about what's new, interesting, useful--and occasionally irritating--in the world of digital photography and imaging.

Kick back and listen to Lori and Matt's weekly chat about what's new, interesting, useful--and occasionally irritating--in the world of digital photography and imaging.

Kick back and listen to Lori and Matt's weekly chat about what's new, interesting, useful--and occasionally irritating--in the world of digital photography and imaging.

Excellent video performance ; impressive still photos for a camcorder ; decent manual controls

No wind filter ; USB on dock only, not on camcorder ; no viewfinder ; smallish LCD

As the flash-memory-based equivalent of the HDR-SR11, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 serves up the same pleasing performance and quality as its hard-drive cousin.

Kick back and listen to Lori and Matt's weekly chat about what's new, interesting, useful--and occasionally irritating--in the world of digital photography and imaging.

Kick back and listen to Lori and Matt's weekly chat about what's new, interesting, useful--and occasionally irritating--in the world of digital photography and imaging.