3 CCD Digital Camcorders

The Bottom Line: Despite its trio of CCDs, the video quality and performance of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 are a bit too inconsistent.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 10 x, Flash card

The Bottom Line: Though it delivers good video with excellent color, the Panasonic AG-HSC1U falls short of its "professional" aspirations in most other ways.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 12 x, Flash card, 15.2 oz

The Bottom Line: As a scaled-down version of JVC's GZ-HD7, the GZ-HD3 ditches some of the fancier features, but its price is still higher than we'd like for this camcorder.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 10 x, Hard disk drive, 1.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: A solid SD-based camcorder, the Panasonic HDC-SD1 nevertheless suffers from a few performance issues and an annoying design.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 12 x, Flash card, 1.5 megapixels, 15.2 oz

The Bottom Line: If this camcorder cost $500, we'd give it a much higher rating. But for its quadruple-digit price, we expect far better performance and video quality from the JVC Everio GZ-HD7.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 10 x, Hard disk drive, 1.5 lbs

The Bottom Line: Canon's XH A1 and XH G1 are excellent camcorders for entry-level professionals and independent filmmakers, with hard-to-beat prices for what they offer.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 20 x, Mini DV (HDV), 4.7 lbs

The Bottom Line: Canon's XH A1 and XH G1 are excellent camcorders for entry-level professionals and independent filmmakers, with hard-to-beat prices for what they offer.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 20 x, Mini DV (HDV), 4.6 lbs

The Bottom Line: The Panasonic VDR-D310 produces good-looking home movies without much hassle.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 10 x, DVD-R (8cm), DVD-RW (8 cm), DVD-RAM (8 cm), 1.1 lbs

The Bottom Line: Delivering high-quality MiniDV footage and decent still images, the Panasonic PV-GS320 should appeal to advanced amateurs searching for a tape-based camcorder.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 10 x, Mini DV, 0.54 megapixels, 15.9 oz

The Bottom Line: While compact and convenient, Panasonic's SD-based SDR-S150 camcorder doesn't make the quality cut.

Specs: Camcorder, 3CCD, 10 x, Flash card, 8.8 oz