Best Camcorder

What constitutes a good camcorder? Answers may vary based on the application, but you generally want good battery life, durability, lots of pixel resolution, an ergonomic grip, and smart automatic focus with lighting options.Internet reviewers generally classify camcorders according to price range. If you're not concerned about the cost of your camcorder--if you want to get the best quality that money can buy--technophiles agree that Hitachi's DZ-MV580 is far and away the best machine of its kind. Morphologically, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 looks similar to certain Panasonic DVD camcorder models.Yet when you peruse the features and amenities that the DZ-MV580 offers, you can't help but wonder why Sony and Panasonic decided to price their inferior models so much higher. This Hitachi boasts a 10 times optical zoom--which is actually less than the 18 times optical zoom that Hitachi's previous model, the DZ-MV550, offers. You get white balance, focus, and speed shutter changing options.The hot accessory shoe and stellar mic input of the DZ-MV580 have wowed a number of reviewers. That being said, some people complain that the stills taken by this camcorder at 645 X 480 leave something to be desired. Most impressive are this camcorder's 1/3.8 inch CCD and its ability to get great shots even when ambient lighting isn't particularly amenable to filming.Some people rave about the Sony DCR-DVD201 as well. This model features some serious upgrades from previous Sony camcorder attempts, like the DCR-DVD101. You get 1.07 gross pixels, good low light performance, and a healthy still picture resolution of 1152 X 864. Overall, reviewers generally put the Hitachi model ahead of the Sony one. However, if low light photography isn't important to you, you may want to shop around some more.