JVC Everio GZ-MG57

For one, the GZ-MG57 is slightly more compact than the GZ-MG50; it's a very good size for small adult hands and might even be comfortable for older children. At 14 ounces, it's also quite light compared to most other camcorders. Like the other Everio models, you control most of the cameras options via a joystick on the bezel of the LCD. The menu system is fairly straightforward, and it provides quick access to all the shooting settings, including white balance, shutter speed, and scene modes.

JVC switched sensors for this model. Though still 1.3 megapixels, the MG57 uses a 1/5-inch CCD instead of the 1/4.5-inch version in the MG50. That probably contributes to the camcorder's lower power draw, which should presumably increase its battery life. But the video quality seems to suffer; there's a significant amount of visual noise. In general, the video is soft and full of other artifacts. That's at best quality, at which it can store 7 hours of video; you can get up to 14 hours of even lower quality recording. The audio, too, sounds slightly more muffled than usual for this price range. And despite increasing the still photo resolution to 1,280x960, they're still suitable only for Web posting and e-mailing.