These days it's easier to find a camcorder than it was in the past. Models have significantly dwindled, thanks to the push for HD in the Digital Camera Market. Don't forget 720p-equipped phones either. It seems as though anything can shoot HD video, but video junkies will never get a decent bounty of controls and features on anything other then a camcorder. So we've rounded up the best HD camcorders we've reviewed recently to make your life a lot easier.
Panasonic HDC-HS700
 At the moment, the 240GB HDD Panasonic HDC-HD700 is the Grand Poobah of the consumer camcorder world. Not only does this camcorder have the best manual controls in its class, but it also exhibited the most impressive image quality we've seen from a camcorder of this caliber to date, along with the best OIS. It is capable of recording at 60 progressive frames in a Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, and playback on our HD monitor was groundbreaking. The Panasonic HDC-HS700 fits the needs of budget filmmakers and students looking for something that falls below a prosumer model, yet still offers plenty of manual controls, adaptability to third party accessories, and killer video quality. For a significant price break, Panasonic offers the HDC-TM700. This is about as good as it gets right now, folks. Full review »
Canon Vixia HF S21
 While the Canon Vixia HF S21 was edged out slightly by the aforementioned juggernaut, Canon's top model still gave us quite a show. In fact, the HF S21 wins the "Best Build Quality" award, offering a solidly constructed body with sleek, inconspicuous hinged port covers. The Canon Vixia HF S21 also brings three different frame rates to the table and can shoot in native 24p. We get a nice smattering of manual controls, but no lens ring like the Panasonic HDC-HS700. In its place we find a control dial with the ability to govern four different camera adjustments. The Canon Vixia HF S21 seals the deal with a giant touch screen LCD, exhibiting a stellar resolution. We get Canon's color filters, including Cine Mode, and 64GB of built-in Flash memory. Check our review out to see if this badboy is more along the lines of your refined style. Full review »
Sony HDR-XR520V
 As an old standby, the Sony HDR-XR520V graces our list for one reason: Low Light. The XR520V was by far the best low light performer we've seen to date from a consumer camcorder, though we wish the rest of the camcorder's package succeeded in exciting us. Basically, Sony took an advanced back-illuminated sensor and built tourist-friendly architecture around it. We've got a touch screen, 240GB of HDD, and mediocre manual controls, which are all telltale signs that this camcorder was not built for the next aspiring Spike Jonze. But, if you're bent on filming family events or documenting that trip to Rome, the Sony HDR-XR520V is probably the ticket. And at this time of year, the camcorder can be found for around $1100-1200. Full review »
Canon Vixia HF M32
 The Canon Vixia HF M32 is almost like a little celebration of Canon's best camcorder traits wrapped up into one pint-sized body. It's not as bulky and advanced as the Canon Vixia HF S21, but the HF M32 represents the best the company has to offer in the middle zone. That means a 64GB of internal flash memory, a touch screen LCD, exceptional video quality in bright light, and a slew of manual controls. However, being a high-end beginner model, the HF M32 does not offer a Control dial, and is only capable of 3.31-megapixel still images. Multiple frame rates, Cine Mode, color filters, Dynamic Image Stabilization, and touch focus all make it to the party, but there's nothing glaringly new here with the Canon Vixia HF M32. If you want to remain in the safe zone with Canon's assortment of tried and true features, then check out the Canon Vixia HF M32. Full review »
GoPro HD Hero
 We strapped it to our motorcycle, wore it around our chest before jumping off a cliff, and snapped it onto the end of our kayak. The GoPro HD Hero is the best sports/action cam on the market to date. This little brick of awesome is capable of 1080p video that excels in the quality department. It was baffling watching our videos come out so clean and clear with on our HD monitor. We could also take sequential images and shoot in 720p at different resolutions. The GoPro HD Hero's mounting hardware and mountability really made this camera shine, though its lack of a viewfinder and basic Timex-esque digital LCD screen set it back a few years in the technology department. We're aware that GoPro is waorking on a follow-up model that will address these issues, but for now, you can't get any better than a GoPro. Full review »
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