The fairly large DCR-HC96E comes with a docking station with USB and FireWire ports, as well as pass-through connectors for power and AV. It supports input and output via FireWire, A/V and S-video, so you can capture digital or analogue video to MiniDV tape. The DCR-HC96E can take decent photos, and it has a flash, [...]
The Canon Vixia HF200 records 1920 x 1080 videos at 24 Mbps, similar to the HF S10. This is the best compression level available for the AVCHD format. However, it has a 3.89-megapixel CMOS sensor, rather than the 8.59-megapixel sensor of the more expensive model. The S10 dedicates 6 million pixels for video, versus 3 [...]
The GZ-MG57EK is the smallest and lightest camera in the group, so it’s ideal if you need to carry your camcorder regularly. Nonetheless, it’s comfortable to use, even if you have large hands, and with most of the controls under the LCD it’s pleasingly simple to operate. Sadly, the small body means there’s no viewfinder. [...]
