Solid 720p video; ultraslim design; removable, rechargeable battery; easy to use; one-touch video uploading to YouTube and Photobucket; includes mini HDMI connector and bundled cable for outputting 1080i video to an HDTV.

No flash-memory slot; Mac users have to manually copy video files to their computers; white balance is slightly off and colors are a bit amped.

The Creative Vado HD may fall slightly short of the Flip Video Mino HD in terms of video quality, but it's stronger feature set may tempt you.

Solid 720p video, particularly for a camcorder this size; ultraslim yet functional design; easy to use; one-touch video uploading to YouTube, AOL, and MySpace; integrated lithium ion rechargeable battery; FlipShare software is compatible with both Macs an...

Somewhat pricey; no SD/MMC card expansion slot; rechargeable battery isn't removable or replaceable; can't output HD to HDTVs.

While it has its flaws and is a bit expensive, the ultrasimple Flip Video MinoHD produces impressive video for a camcorder of its size.

Solid standard-definition video quality; above-average photo quality; manual controls; small, comfortable design; dock and remote included.

Tricky menu navigation and polarizing interface; no external mic, headphone jacks; overpriced; unnecessarily uses too-small microSD media.

The JVC Everio GZ-MG730 produces acceptable standard-def video and good photos in bright light, but considering its price tag, it's ultimately disappointing.

Waterproof to 5 feet with decent results.

Poor performance and image quality; insecure handstrap; relatively expensive.

that produce the same or better video for less money.

Excellent video quality; 60GB hard drive; attractive, understated design.

Wind filter not as dependable as previous Canon models; manual focus pretty useless.

Like its cousin, the flash-based HF11, Canon's Vixia HG20 delivers excellent HD video quality and performance albeit in a slightly larger, heavier package. However, you do get more storage space and a lower price.

Lightweight, compact design; 60GB of storage and recording ability to Memory Stick cards; responsive touch screen; simple operation.

Overpriced for what it delivers; no optical image stabilization.

If you don't want to, need to, or simply can't shell out a couple hundred dollars more for an HD camcorder, the Sony Handycam DCR-SR85 delivers decent SD video and copious recording time.

Excellent video quality; fast focus; compact, attractive, and comfortable design.

Wind filter not as dependable as previous Canon models; manual focus pretty useless.

Like its sibling the HF10, Canon's flash-based Vixia HF11 delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package. However, the HF11 delivers a bit more value for its lower price.

Compact, lightweight build; stores video to 30GB hard drive or Memory Stick Pro Duo cards; touch screen.

Barely passable standard-definition video quality; no optical image stabilization despite ultralong lens; Windows-only software.

The Sony Handycam DCR-SR45 has a good design and reasonable feature set for its price, but the video quality doesn't measure up to the rest of the package.

Attractive price; compact design; holds hours of video.

No eye-level viewfinder, mic input, or headphone jack; persistent video compression artifacts.

The near-identical models of the JVC Everio GZ-MG300 series--the MG330, MG335, MG360 and MG365--are budget-priced, hard-drive-based camcorders that are nice enough, but produce typical low-budget video.

Attractive price; compact design; holds hours of video.

No eye-level viewfinder, mic input, or headphone jack; persistent video compression artifacts.

The near-identical models of the JVC Everio GZ-MG300 series--the MG330, MG335, MG360 and MG365--are budget-priced, hard-drive-based camcorders that are nice enough, but produce typical low-budget video.