The Panasonic HDC-SD60K is a pretty impressive little camera in the mid range space for HD camcorders.  The picture quality is impressive, the battery life good, and the stabilization is very good.  People like the price too, to state the obvious.

Can you say full HD 1080p in MPEG4/H.264 recording format?  Yep, that allows for great rendering in a much smaller file footprint.  The Sanyo VPC-GH4 can also take 10 megapixel stills.  5x optical zoom isn’t the greatest, but it’s pretty good for the size of the camcorder.  Image stabilizer, high speed sequential photos, and a 2.7 LCD screen add up to great vids and photos.

Another great feature of the camera is the Eye-Fi wireless card support.  This allows for wireless transfers and storage.  Check out Eye-Fi if you haven’t seen it!  Start up time is around 1.7 seconds.  And the one hour battery will keep you going on the run.

So, let’s start with price.  You can expect to pay around $400 for the Sony HDR-CX110 HD camcorder.  So, let’s start with some snapshot features:

• 1920×1080 Full HD Recording w/3MP still image
• Memory Stick PRO Duo media slot
• 1/4″ back-illuminated “Exmor R” CMOS sensor
• 1080/60p playback via HDMI and compatible HDTV
• 30mm CZ Vario Sonnar T* with 25x Optical zoom

For the casual video user who wants really good quality for a good price, it’s hard to go wrong here.  It’s easy to use and has an attractive price for the quality.  It has 25x optical zoom and 300x digital zoom.  Most people who get this are amazed at the quality.  This is especially true if you haven’t had a HD camcorder before.  Here’s a sample video take with it:

Remember to choose 1080p to see the quality of this amazing HD camcorder.

What you see in the Camileo S20 HD camcorder, as well as others, is a move to push to consolidate all these devices into one.  I think we will see convergence into the smartphone.  Of course, we are seeing this to varying degress, but it’s only a matter of time when the quality is on par to these standalone devices.  But that’s another post.  Back to the S20.

The first thing you notice is that it is a measly 2/3 inch wide and weighs 3.5 ounces.  If you are old enough, do you remember how huge video devices used to be?  Amazing.  It supports full HD video (1920x1080p) and 5MP stills.  It has four modes: motion activated, slow motion, time elapse, and macro.  It also features a very nice 3 inch LCD viewer.  The biggest draw back is that image stabilization and zoom aren’t available in the 1080p mode.

At around $150 it’s just an unreal bargain for what it is!

It can be submerged into up to 10 feet of water and still go on working.  That a good thing if you do a lot of outdoors video, especially in areas that are prone to rain.  Of course, it supports 1080 HD video and 5 megapixel (16:9) stills.  It also has a nice 2 inch lcd display with glare screen options to keep you working while the sun is out.  And the expandable SD card slot can give you up to 10 hours of video time.  Pretty insane.  And at $149, it is hard to beat.  People love the small size, the price, the image stabilization, and the overall convenience.  It seems Kodak went for simplicity in this sporty package and it works.  Here’s a short vid.  Btw, this guy is pretty hip to the Kodak Playsport Zx3 HD video camcorder, not so much the Flip:

Flip HD camcorders continue to push the envelope with ease and portability for the consumer.  Again, Flip video cameras are extremely popular and for good reason.  They provide people with what they want.  The Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes (Brushed Metal) NEWEST MODEL is no slouch in that regard.  User continually rate this at the top of their list.

Features:

• All-new MinoHD is the world’s sleekest HD camcorder
• Slim, sleek design fits in any pocket or purse–perfect for shooting video on the go
• Captures 120 minutes of stunning HD video on 8 GB of built-in memory; no additional memory needed
• Simple user interface–power on and press record to start capturing HD video in moments
• Convenient flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software
• FlipShare software makes it easy to email videos, edit individual clips, make custom movies, capture still-image snapshots, and upload video to Facebook, YouTube and other sharing sites
• Large, 2-inch anti-glare color display to play back and delete videos
• Internal Lithium-ion battery recharges through built-in USB; also recharges when connected to Flip Video Power Adapter (not included)
• HDMI output (mini-HDMI connector) makes it easy to watch your videos on your HDTV
• All-new design features a unique brushed-metal front and soft, rounded edges
• Features a flat-back panel with touch-sensitive, backlit buttons
• Video: 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per seconds (fps) progressive scan; recorded as MP4 files

Here’s a side by side comparison between the flip MinoHD and the Kodak Zi6:

Overall Average Amazon Customer Review Rating:

The Vixia HF S11 also allows you to add SD memory to expand your video time.  1920 x 1080 video resolution, image stabilization, and face detection give you the bells and whistles.  And the 8.5 megapixel stillshot capability allows you to take those stills in a pinch.

Specs:

As expected, the Sony HDR-XR520V gives you 1920 x 1080 video resolution.  What I didn’t expect was a geo-tagging feature with an integrated GPS device.  This helps you keep track of all those off road expeditions that you are doing.  Another feature that I didn’t count on was the 5.1 channel rendering.  I would be very interested to hear how that comes out.  You also get a nice, giant 3.2 lcd display (oh, come on OLED).  Sells for around $1149 on Amazon.

Specs:

The Kodak Zi6 mini hd camcorders allow you to take 720p video at 60fps. Add up to 32GB of SD memory for hours and hours of video capture. The bright and clear 2.4 LCD screen is really a joy to look at. The included software is, er, less than stellar. But, if you have some other editing software, you should really use that. Overall, a great pocket camcorder for a cool $135.

Specs: