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Camcorders going tapeless: top DVD, hard drive, and flash-media models |
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 Lori Grunin Senior editor |
Updated August 2, 2006 We miss the era, brief though it may have been, of the no-brainer camcorder decision--that time about a year ago when we could simply declare that MiniDV was the best choice and move on to more difficult questions. Now we have to make a chart and take it on a case-by-case basis. More resources
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| Medium | Pros | Cons | Best for |
| MiniDV |
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| DVD recordable (3-inch disc) |
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| Flash media/hard drive |
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| Remove from list | Remove from list | Remove from list | Remove from list | Remove from list | Remove from list | |
| Product name |
JVC Everio GZ-MG505 |
Sony Handycam DCR-SR100 |
Panasonic VDR-D300 |
Sony Handycam DCR-DVD505 |
Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 |
JVC Everio GZ-MC500 |
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| Review date | August 1, 2006 | July 19, 2006 | March 24, 2006 | March 31, 2006 | April 11, 2006 | August 16, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
7.4
Very good |
7.4
Very good |
7.3
Very good |
7.5
Very good |
7.0
Very good |
7.1
Very good |
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| Buying choices |
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| Product videos |
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| Review summary | A well-designed hard-disk-based camcorder, the JVC Everio GZ-MG505 produces video and stills that look great on TV. But its price might make you hit Pause. | The Sony Handycam DCR-SR100 is a solid hard-drive-based option, especially if you like Sony's touch-screen interfaces. | Rivaling its MiniDV competitors in a variety of shooting conditions, the Panasonic VDR-D300 doesn't force you to compromise video quality for the convenience of shooting directly on DVD. | Full-featured but somewhat bulky, the Sony Handycam DCR-DVD505 DVD camcorder matches its MiniDV competitors in most areas, while offering the convenience of direct-to-disc recording. | If you want the latest in cool toys, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 certainly has the right gadget quotient. Once you look at the image quality, however, its allure dims quite a bit. | This extremely compact, nicely designed camera should please technophiles who want both photo and video capabilities and can afford to splurge. |
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| User comments | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! |
| Basic Specs | ||||||
| Video input type | Camcorder | Camcorder | Camcorder | Camcorder | Camcorder | Camcorder |
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| Digital zoom | 300 x | 120 x | 700 x | 120 x | 100 x | 200 x |
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| Optical zoom | 10 x | 10 x | 10 x | 10 x | 10 x | 10 x |
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| Effective sensor resolution | 5.0 megapixels | 3.05 megapixels | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 5,100,000 pixels | Info unavailable |
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| Optical sensor size | 1/4.5" | 1/3" | 1/6" | 1/3" | 1/2.5" | 1/4.5" |
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| Optical sensor type | 3CCD | Advanced HAD CCD | 3CCD | CMOS | CCD | 3CCD |
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| Min illumination | Info unavailable | 0 lux | 1 lux | 0 lux | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Image stabilizer | Electronic | Electronic (Super Steady Shot) | Electronic | Electronic (Super Steady Shot) | Electronic | Electronic |
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| Flash type | Info unavailable | Built-in flash | Built-in flash | Built-in flash | Pop-up flash | Pop-up flash |
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| Lens aperture | F/1.8-2.4 | F/1.8-2.9 | F/1.8-2.8 | F/1.8-2.9 | F/3.5 | F/1.8-2.4 |
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| Manual focus | Automatic , Manual | Automatic , Manual | Automatic , Manual | Automatic , Manual | Automatic , Manual | Automatic , Manual |
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| Media type | Hard disk drive | Hard disk drive | DVD-RW (8 cm) , DVD-R (8cm) , DVD-RAM (8 cm) | DVD-RW (8 cm) , DVD+RW (8cm) , DVD-R (8cm) | Flash card | Microdrive |
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| Battery included qty | Info unavailable | 1 | Info unavailable | 1 | 1 | Info unavailable |
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| Battery technology | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Info unavailable | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Info unavailable |
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| Weight | 14.3 oz | 1.3 lbs | 20.6 oz | 1.1 lbs | 7.4 oz | 0.7 lbs |
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| Service & support type | Info unavailable | 1 year parts warranty | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Product name | JVC Everio GZ-MG505 | Sony Handycam DCR-SR100 | Panasonic VDR-D300 | Sony Handycam DCR-DVD505 | Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 | JVC Everio GZ-MC500 |
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range |
 Check latest prices$999 from 1 store | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
Check latest prices $1499 from 1 store |
Check latest prices $289-$999 from 2 stores | Email me when this product is available |
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