Program Digital Camcorders

The Bottom Line: Sanyo's dual-camera Xacti VPC-CG10 has the design and features to easily shoot both HD-quality movies and 10-megapixel photos, but slow performance and mediocre photos keep it from being a solid do-it-all device.

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 5 x, Flash card, 6 oz

The Bottom Line: Sanyo's dual-camera Xacti VPC-CG10 has the design and features to easily shoot both HD-quality movies and 10-megapixel photos, but slow performance and mediocre photos keep it from being a solid do-it-all device.

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 5 x, Flash card, 6 oz

The Bottom Line: The Sony Handycam DCR-DVD650 offers an all-in-one, on-the-go way to capture standard-def video and burn it to a DVD, but hard-disk-drive and flash-memory models are otherwise a better option.

Specs: Camcorder, Advanced HAD CCD, 60 x, Flash card, DVD-R (8cm), DVD+RW (8cm), DVD-RW (8 cm), DVD+R DL (8cm), 13.8 oz

The Bottom Line: An excellent flash-based prosumer HD camcorder, the Canon Vixia HF S11 has the advantage of an excellent image stabilizer but it disappointingly lacks an eye-level viewfinder.

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 10 x, Flash card, 15.9 oz

The Bottom Line: If internal flash memory, zoom range, and a touch-screen LCD are on your list of needs before video quality, check out the Sony Handycam DCR-SX41.

Specs: Camcorder, Advanced HAD CCD, 60 x, Flash card, 8.8 oz

The Bottom Line: If internal flash memory, zoom range, and a touch-screen LCD are on your list of needs before video quality, check out the Sony Handycam DCR-SX41.

Specs: Camcorder, Advanced HAD CCD, 60 x, Flash card, 8.8 oz

The Bottom Line: If internal flash memory, zoom range, and a touch-screen LCD are on your list of needs before video quality, check out the Sony Handycam DCR-SX41.

Specs: Camcorder, Advanced HAD CCD, 60 x, Flash card, 8.8 oz

The Bottom Line: Like its cousin, the flash-based HF11, Canon's Vixia HG21 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.

Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, 12 x, Flash card, Hard disk drive, 17.3 oz

The Bottom Line: The Samsung SMX-F34 is a serviceable inexpensive standard-definition camcorder, but the money goes more to storage and the megazoom lens than to video quality.

Specs: Camcorder, CCD, 34 x, Flash card, 9.5 oz

The Bottom Line: The Samsung SMX-F34 is a serviceable inexpensive standard-definition camcorder, but the money goes more to storage and the megazoom lens than to video quality.

Specs: Camcorder, CCD, 34 x, Flash card, 9.5 oz