Michael Perlman

The Sony DCR-HC38 is a tiny step up from Sony’s actual entry-level, the HC28. The primary difference, a 40x optical zoom, may actually be the most compelling reason to buy it. The manufacturers know that people respond to big numbers, and 40x is about as big as we’ve seen. But there’s precious little else to this camcorder. The HC38 has virtually no manual controls and a poor menu system. But cheap and easy count for a lot, and Sony has those areas covered.

The JVC GZ-MG155 is second from the bottom in Everio’s hard disk drive camcorder line. While this year’s Everios have been reliable, the GZ-MG155 has a hard time proving its worth. Outclassed by the step-up GZ-MG255 and outperformed by the step-down GZ-MG130, this camcorder shows what happens when a company spends more time pursuing the “megapixel count game” and less time looking at the effects of those actions.

A new type of camcorder is on the rise, anyone who has stepped into a nig-name pharmacy in the last few years could tell you that. They’re small (very small), they’re cheap (as low as $99), and for once, they’re not trying to convince you of their video quality. The talking point here is their ability to sync up with online video sharing sites. The phrase “YouTube” springs forth from a PR person’s mouth more times than you would believe. Sony is no stranger to trends, having created quite a few on their own. Hence, last week they delivered the new NSC-GC1 ($199 MSRP)...

The Panasonic HDC-SD5 ($999 MSRP) is the latest effort in the race to built the “world’s smallest [something],” in this case the smallest 3-chip, 1920 x 1080 HD camcorder. While the camcorder is less than thrilling, and only a minor upgrade to last year’s HDC-SD1, the world in which it lives has changed a great deal. Suddenly, AVCHD doesn’t look so off-putting anymore. Support for viewing and editing is popping up on a monthly basis. The HDC-SD5 does offer an increased capture resolution over last year, which topped out at 1440 x 1080, and a smaller, lighter body. The starting price has also dropped considerably (down $500 from last year). All these facts combined make the HDC-SD5 a lot more enticing than its predecessor. But it is worth diving into AVCHD just year? Let’s take a closer look.

The ocean is home to a plethora of organisms, lost treasures, and abandoned shipwrecks. Panasonic is now adding camcorders to the list. The company’s first dive into underwater video is a valiant attempt. The SDR-SW20 ($399 MSRP) is extremely compact, recording to SD and SDHC cards, and is coated in an easily grippable surface. Bright colors help it from getting lost, but with a depth safety of only 5 feet, you’ll have to stick to shallow waters. Will this be enough to win over land lovers?

The DCR-DVD508 is Sony’s top standard definition camcorder for 2007. It replaces the DCR-DVD505, which performed very well last year. Sony has upped the ante by equipping the new camcorder with an even more powerful CMOS sensor and optical image stabilization. Though high definition camcorders have captivated the imagination of the tech community, there is a still a big demand for standard def. The best DVD camcorder combines ease of use with great performance, and the DVD508 is expected to deliver.