Lori Grunin,
Senior Editor
August 4, 2006
Yes, the title of this page says it all: these video cameras are cheap--just about the cheapest you can buy in a digital model. Some of them can be had for as little as $250. You won't get a lot of bells and whistles, and their small sensors generally make them poor choices for low-light shooting. But if you're accustomed to using an analog video camera or capturing clips with the video feature on your point-and-shoot still camera, you might be pleasantly surprised at the quality you'll get from these models. And one thing's for sure: cheap video is--usually--better than no video at all.
| Product name | ||||
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| Price | $598.55 | $399.00 | $169.95 to $359.99 | $260.00 |
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| Review date | March 27, 2006 | May 12, 2006 | August 02, 2006 | May 10, 2006 |
| The Bottom Line | The Sony DCR-HC26 provides impressive size, zoom power, and features for a bargain-basement camcorder, but its substandard video quality is disappointing. | Canon's compact, capable ZR500 MiniDV camcorder is a dream come true for videographers on a shoestring budget. | Despite its relatively low price and big optical zoom range, the JVC GR-D370 does little else to distinguish itself in budget class. | With its extreme zoom range and its low price, the Panasonic PV-GS39 is a good choice for shooting distant subjects. |
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| Features | ||||
| Lens aperture | F/1.8-3.1 | F/1.8-2.6 | F/2.0-4.5 | F/1.8-3.9 |
| Flash type | Built-in | None | None | Info unavailable |
| Media type | Mini DV | Mini DV | Mini DV | Mini DV |
| Optical zoom | 20 x | 25 x | 32 x | Info unavailable |
| Optical sensor type | Advanced HAD CCD | CCD | CCD | CCD |
| Video input type | Camcorder | Camcorder | Camcorder | Camcorder |
| Digital zoom | 800 x | 800 x | 800 x | 1000 x |
| Min illumination | 0 lux | 2 lux | Info unavailable | 2 lux |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs | 0.9 lbs | 14.1 oz | 14.5 oz |
| Image stabilizer | Electronic (Super Steady Shot) | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic |
| Optical sensor size | 1/6" | 1/6" | 1/6" | 1/6" |
| Manual focus | Manual Automatic | Automatic | Manual Automatic | Manual Automatic |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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