Holiday Camcorder Select Guide

by Robin Liss
Published on Nov 27, 2002 12:00 AM



It's here. The holiday shopping season. There are so many choices available today. Each camcorer offers unique features at different price levels - and you're likely to get great performance out of any model you purchase. However, there certainly are better deals and better camcorder available. These are the CamcorderInfo.com select camcorders. We've chosen these camcorders because we feel they offer the best buy in their price catagory.

Sub $600
Panasonic PV-DV102 - Overall great features and still quality at a rock bottom price. The Panasonic PV-DV102 is Panasonic's second to lowest MiniDV camcorder. The PV-DV102's major upgrade over the lower PV-DV52 is much improved still support. The camcorder provides excellent still performance and features for it's price range. The PV-DV102 has an MSRP of $699.95 and a street price around $550. Canon ZR40 - Great optics and great manual control at one of the cheapest prices available for a current model camcorder. The Canon ZR40 is Canon's low end MiniDV camcorder with a retail price of $599. The ZR40 delivers a quality picture with lots of manual control and few added fluff features. It's a great camcorder for anyone on a budget who needs great quality video with many manual controls.

$600-$800

Canon ZR50MC - Great manual control at this low of a price.The Canon ZR50MC is the top model in Canon's current ZR line with an MSRP of $799 and a street price around $650. The camcorder provides all the features of the ZR45MC with a few upgrades, however those upgrades don't really justify the higher price. Sony DCR-TRV740 - Best stills in this price range. The Sony DCR-TRV740 is Sony's top Digital8 camcorder, second only to the DCR-TRV840. The camcorder has a street price around $800. The DCR-TRV740 provides many great features and superior picture quality. The DCR-TRV740 also offers excellent quality stills with the Megapixel CCD.

$800-$1000
Panasonic PV-DV702 - Best still performance and resolution in this price range. The Panasonic PV-DV702 is Panasonic's lowest end Mega Pixel CCD camcorder. The PV-DV702 has an MSRP of $999.95 and a street price around $900. Sony DCR-TRV25 - Overall best camcorder in this price range with great manual control, picture quality and still resolution. Sony's DCR-TRV25 is a brand new addition to the Sony MiniDV line with a street price around $899. Whereas many camcorders are upgrades to older models, Sony has added the DCR-TRV25 in-between the DCR-TRV18 and the DCR-TRV50.

$1000-$1500

Canon Optura 100MC - Good still resolution in a vertical form factor with high quality video and lots of manual control.One of the best original MiniDV camcorders was the Canon Optura. This camcorder went against the mold with an SLR type body which consumers either hated or loved. Canon has continued the tradition of the original Optura with the Optura 100MC; quality features, good picture all in a creative body. The Optura 100MC carries a MSRP of $1699.99 but you should expect to pay a street price of around $1300. It's a great camcorder that can compete with the similar Sony's.
Sony DCR-PC110 - Great video and great stills if you can find one. Chosen over the newer DCR-PC120 because there are many extraneous features on the PC120 which makes it much more expensive. The Sony PC-110 is the long awaited sequel to the Sony PC-100. Although it's a matchbox style camcorder with bottom loading tape, the positive features outweigh the set backs. The 110 model is a great camcorder and you get what you pay for.

$1500-$2000

Sony DCR-TRV950 - The 950 is a great camcorder producing high quality images with 3CCDs. It is one the best bargains for a professional level camcorder available. Sony has set a new standard for high level consumer / prosumer camcorders with the 3 CCD MiniDV DCR-TRV950. The DCR-TRV950 follows in the steps of it's predecessor, the TRV900 and produces excellent quality video with bright colors. The camcorder delivers extensive manual control, combined with good looking stills and many other features.
Sony DCR-TRV50- The addition of the touch screen LCD makes this camcorder extremely easy to use for the less experienced consumer. Plus the 1.5 Mega Pixel CCD produces excelent quality stills.Sony’s MiniDV DCR-TRV50 is their upgrade to the popular DCR-TRV30. The camcorder is a standard form factor, with many neat features and good still quality. The DCR-TRV50 carries a street price around $1,599.00.

$2000-$3000

Sony DCR-VX2000- Sony DCR-VX2000 - This camcorder packs amazing professional quality 3CCD video and manual controls into a fairly inexpensive package. If you can afford this camcorder, nothing beats it under $3000. The Sony VX series have lasted for over 7 years now as one of the best camcorders available. The VX2000 is a great choice for both the consumer and and professional videographer.
Canon GL2 - The GL2 is a great camcorder providing excellent manual control. Although it is more likely to be compared to the TRV950, it had to fall in this price range because it is fairly new. It's a great camcorder. Canon’s MiniDV prosumer GL2 is Canon’s much anticipated replacement for the popular GL1 camcorder. The GL2 has an MSRP of $2799, but you should be able to find it on the street for around $2400 or better. With the GL2, Canon did not make many changes, in fact the lens is reported to be identical to the GL1 so upgrading is questionable.

$3000 and above

Canon XL1 - Although this camcorder is getting old, it still produces top notch video. JVC GY-DV5000U - The GY-DV5000U is one of the most affordable full size digital camcorders. You get professional quality video, with professional features in a professional form factor and a prosumer price.