Group test: what's the best digital camcorder?

5. Kodak Playfull ZE1

• Reviewed on: 10 February 12
• RRP: £106 inc. VAT
• Rating:

We liked the look of this camcorder, and its multitude of sharing options. The lightweight feel and price suggest that it is for a younger market. Bad image quality in low light conditions, limited internal memory and a small screen let down the entry-level Kodak Playfull ZE1.

4. Canon Legria HF R106

• Reviewed on: 4 May 10
• RRP: £425 inc. VAT
• Rating:

A camcorder first and foremost, the Canon Legria HF R106 is the camcorder to buy if high-definition video is your primary intention. Other models offer reasonable HD video capture and throw in still photo functions too, but the Canon is the best at pure video.

3. JVC Everio GZ-HM650

• Reviewed on: 22 August 11
• RRP: £377 inc. VAT
• Rating:

JVC's full HD 1920 x 1,080 pixel camcorder features 8GB of internal memory, plus a slot for supplementary SD, SDHC or SDXC card.

2. Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20

• Reviewed on: 29 November 10
• RRP: £178 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Despite a few design quirks, the Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 is a definite improvement over its non-touchscreen-equipped predecessor, the Bloggie MHS-CM5 pocket camcorder. It's capable of taking very attractive video and is ultra-stylish to boot.

1. Kodak PlaySport Zx3

• Reviewed on: 6 May 10
• RRP: £129 inc. VAT
• Rating:

When playing back our underwater footage fresh from the tank as the Kodak PlaySport Zx3’s innards seemed to be working rather hard, but this and the sluggish zoom were our only real negatives. A great little camcorder to take on a trip to the beach, you’ll probably find yourself leaving its limited settings alone and simply shooting on the go. No bad thing mind.