Family consumer camcorders have taken a giant leap forward this year both in features and picture quality with the BIG 4 Brands, Canon, JVC, Sony and Panasonic setting the standard. This year the best new features of camcorders are the choice of recording format with internal flash drive and 2 flash memory SD card slots for virtually unlimited recording times, recording at 1920×1080 Full HD 60p AVCHD and a high optical zoom.

A large touch panel LCD screen also helps. So after extensive research looking for the best video camera with all these features and more at less than $500, my selection of best HD camcorders all come just under the maximum, and I start with the best working down.

Just to make these video camera reviews easy to read for everyone, here is a quick explanation of all the shortened terms and abbreviations, starting with AVCHD. AVCHD is Advanced Video Coding High Definition.

AVCHD is a high quality H.264/MPEG-4 compression system used in many professional AVCHD camcorder models but now showing up in our Prosumer camcorder reviews and even in the high end Consumer camcorders. Only the big 4, Sony, Canon, Panasonic and JVC use the AVCHD Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution format in their HD consumer camcorders. Flash memory card slots may be described as for SD/SDXC/SDHC/SD cards.

These are usually just called an SD card with the other letters referring to faster speed cards, OIS means optical image stability and CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) is the image sensor chip which used to be CCDs (charge coupled device) The letters SD, TM or HS before any model number describes the recording format as to an SD card only, TM means the video camera records to both SD cards and internal flash memory, and HS records to a hard drive. These HS camcorders can sometimes have one or two SD card slots.

The bit rate such as in 28 Mbps is the writing speed and not something to sweat over, the p in 1080p is for progressive which is better than 1080i for interlaced. Now on to the review of camcorders: Last year my number one choice of family camcorders for under 500 bucks was a Canon camcorder, the Canon HF R100 video camera, and it’s a Canon camcorder that takes top spot again this year:

Best Family Camcorders under $500

1. Canon VIXIA HF R21 Review 2011 Model

With a 32GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC memory card slots you could record forever almost with the Canon VIXIA HF R21. Record for up to 12 hours with the internal flash memory before changing automatically with relay recording to external cards for another 12 hours with each 32GB SDHC card.

Click picture to watch Canon VIXIA HF R21 video

The Canon VIXIA HF R21 3 inch Touch Panel LCD screen and Smart Auto lets you check the action clearly and a genuine Canon HD video lens with 28x advanced zoom gets close to the action while dynamic IS stabilizes a wide range of movements for smooth, steady video.

A Canon DIGIC DV III image processor with Canon 3.28-megapixel FULL HD CMOS image sensor records your video at 24Mbps video in the highest bit rate in AVCHD.

Canon camcorders have gone the extra mile and over delivered with features previously found in Prosumer camcorders costing twice as much as this Canon VIXIA HF R21 2011 video camera model with a microphone terminal giving manual audio level control and a headphone terminal, focus assist, HD-to-SD down-conversion and much more.

UK readers note that Canon UK name their camcorder range the Canon Legria, not Vixia as in the US, and to complicate matters further when looking for direct camcorder comparisons, they have changed the name of the Canon VIXIA HF R21 as reviewed here to the R28. So for Canon VIXIA HF R21 in the US, please read Canon Legria HF R28 in the UK. Same Canon VIXIA HF R21 camcorders, different country!

2. JVC GZ-HM670BUS BUNDLE 2011

My second choice is the JVC GZ-HM670BUS video camera bundle because it’s  just $15 extra to the camcorder alone. Similar features to the Canon camcorder above with a 32GB built-in flash memory and just one SD card slot for SD/SDXC/SDHC/SD, a smaller 2.7″ “Frameless” Touch Panel LCD screen, 40x optical zoom and  Advanced Image Stabilizer, recording AVCHD & standard definition dual format with 24Mbps High bit rate recording.

The kit contains a useful 8GB SDHC Memory Card and wallet, Carrying Case w/Strap, a mini table top tripod, a pack of LCD Screen protectors and a lens and LCD Cleaning Kit.

3. Sony HDR-CX160 2011

Eight buyers of the Sony HDR-CX160 2011 camcorders have seen fit to write a camcorder review of their experience with the Sony CX160, and all 8 awarded video camera

Click picture to watch Sony HDR-CX160 video review

ratings of 5 stars out of 5! With 16GB of embedded flash memory for up to 6 hours of recording, a 3.0” Touch Plus LCD screen, 30x optical zoom & 42x Extended Zoom,

back-illuminated “Exmor R” CMOS sensor for superb low-light video, wide angle G lens, OIS with 3-Way shake-cancelling, built-in LED light and built-in USB 2.0 cable and intelligent auto with 90 different scene combinations, the Sony HDR-CX160 camcorder records 1920x1080p FULL HD video and 3MP still images.

4. Panasonic HDC-SD90K 3D 2011

Just like the Panasonic SD 10 video camera chosen as the number 3 best camcorder under $500 of last year, the Panasonic HDC-SD90K 3D camcorder records only to SDXC/SDHC/SD Memory Cards at 28 Mbps High bit rate, recording Full-HD 1920 x 1080p.

With a 3″ Touch LCD screen,  Intelligent 40x Zoom, Hybrid O.I.S. a 28mm wide-angle lens and a new zoom mic with wind noise canceller linked to the video camera zoom action the Panasonic HDC-SD90K has 2D & 3D video capture capability. Note that 3D video can only be recorded with the optional Panasonic VW-CLT1 3D camcorder lens costing almost $200.

5. Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3

If 3D video really floats your boat, you may like to check out the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 camcorder which has a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 from 71 owner video camera reviews,  who can argue with impressive reviews such as these? Like the Panasonic HDC-SD90K 3D Panasonic HD camcorder above, the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 video camera captures photos and video only to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included) with a dual 10-megapixel CCD and lens system which can be viewed instantly in 3D with no glasses

Click the Frog to watch Fujifilm FinePix real 3D W3 Video

required.

The 3.5-inch 1.15 million dot resolution widescreen auto stereoscopic LCD screen displays photos and video in 3D instantly through two 10-megapixel sensors and two Fujinon 3x optical zoom lenses. Auto or manual shutter speed and aperture for instant control in both 2D and 3D.

Best Family Camcorders under $500 Summary

The camcorder reviews of this selection are obviously only summaries, as all of these great  video cameras have many more features worth checking out, and you can read full information of these and over 200 more camcorders at http://www.uscamcorderreviews.com.

UK readers can do likewise at http://www.ukcamcorderreviews.co.uk. There are also video reviews of many camcorders on those sites, or from the Video Review Playlist goo.gl/rMMVh

Finally, if you are interested in making money from your camcorder, if you want free instruction on making special interest videos and how to market them, learn about video competitions with BIG PRIZE MONEY, upcoming video trade shows, 3D talk, latest news of big price drops on some camcorders, and information about the Institute of Videography, just enter your email address in the box of any page at US Camcorder Reviews or UK Camcorder reviews and receive full information.

Call back soon for more info about other camcorder brands, or better still, LIKE my Facebook page to be the first to know when I post my next review. THANK YOU.

Canon UK is one of the most respected brands for both video camcorders and still cameras. Canon UK are world class leaders for innovation, and this year they have introduced new camcorders across the whole range from entry level to professional camcorders.

This article introduces 5 camcorders from Canon UK, from entry level to mid-range. It would be unwise to dismiss any one of these 5 camcorders as basic though, for as you will see from the review, each camcorder has some great technology built in, features which just 18 months ago would put the camcorder into the high end bracket.

Canon UK Camcorders

So as usual we start our reviews with the Canon Legria camcorder having the lowest specification, the Canon Legria FS406, but just look at the list and marvel that this is branded “entry level”.

The Canon Legria FS406 Digital Camcorder is a compact camcorder, incredibly lightweight at just just 225g, and records only standard definition direct to two memory card slots. The 2.7” widescreen LCD displays video in high quality 16:9 format.

Optical zoom and optical image stabilizer included, with auto exposure, video snapshot, pre REC, program auto exposure (AE) mode, built-in video light and quick start. All this and more from the tiny Canon Legria FS406 compact camcorder and unbelievably for under £200!

Pay less than £20 extra to move up one to the new Canon Legria FS46 compact camcorder which again records in standard definition, but as well as having all the features of the  Legria FS406, the Legria FS46 has 16GB of internal Dual Flash Memory with SDXC and Eye-Fi cards. The FS46 also has a new night scene mode for beautiful night shots.

The Canon Legria HF R206 Digital Camcorder records High Definition Full HD video recording to dual SDXC card slots with Eye-Fi support with a 3″ LCD touch screen with high resolution, high contrast with face detection technology and Smart Auto Scene Detection, and a 20x optical zoom HD video lens.

Full HD CMOS Camcorders

A 3.2MP Full HD CMOS sensor gives great low light video results from the Canon Legria HF R206 Digital Camcorder, with a Powered Optical Image Stabilizer to give rock steady shots without the shakes.

The Canon UK Legria HF R206 also has the same optical zoom and optical image stabilizer as the Legria FS406 and Legria FS46, with auto exposure, video snapshot, pre REC, program auto exposure (AE) mode, built-in video light and quick start. All this for under £400.

The Canon Legria HF R26 Digital Camcorder is similar to the R206 but includes an 8GB dual flash memory plus two SDXC card slots and Eye-Fi support while still costing under £400.

Topping out the range of new Entry Level Camcorders from Canon UK is the Canon Legria HF R28 HD video camera with all of the great features of the Legria FS406, the Legria FS46, R206 and R26 but with 32GB of internal Dual Flash Memory.

Canon Legria R28 camcorders

The Legria HF R28 HD video camera has a maximum bit rate of 24Mbps for sharper action videos, yet for all these features in a new Canon UK video camera in 2011, the price is still under £500, making this a great recommended buy as a family camcorder. It is important to note that this is just a summary of what the new Canon UK entry level video cameras offer.

Toward the end of March Canon UK is due to release more great new camcorders in their 2011 range, and we will review two of their higher end consumer range video cameras and one new video camera from their Prosumer range, so check back soon.

Panasonic Camcorders

The Canon UK brand is not the only manufacturer to upgrade their range in 2011. Panasonic UK also have some exciting new video cameras on sale now, and we have already reviewed the entry level Panasonic S70 compact camcorder, the 3d ready mid-range Panasonic 3MOS SD800, the SD900 with the best-ever Panasonic Image Quality in a mid-range video camera.

Watch my video reviews of new camcorders in 2011 including Panasonic, JVC, Canon and Sony, including the new projector camcorders from Sony at http://goo.gl/rMMVh

The 3D ready Panasonic SD900 3MOS system colourfully renders 2D and 3D images. We also reviewed the Panasonic AG-AF101 micro four thirds Pro HD video camera recently. Of all of these video cameras, the Panasonic UK 3MOS SD800 and the SD900 are proving to be very popular. You can read reviews of all these camcorders and 180 others on the UK camcorder reviews website.

Finally, if you are interested in making money from your camcorder, if you want free instruction on making special interest videos and how to market them, learn about video competitions with BIG PRIZE MONEY, upcoming video trade shows, 3D talk, latest news of big price drops on some camcorders, and information about the Institute of Videography, just enter your email address in the box of any page at US Camcorder Reviews or UK Camcorder reviews and receive full information.

It seems from camcorder reviews that everyone now feels the need to own a new digital video camera, either a Pocket Camcorder, Compact Camcorder, Sports-cam, Family HD video camera, Prosumer-cam or Professional camcorder now that Full 1920x1080p resolution is freely available on even the cheapest digital video camera and Pocket Camcorder models.

It will be wise to read camcorder reviews before buying a digital video camera and consider what it be used for, helping us know which features may be important, some of which are mentioned below:

Full 1920x1080p is becoming important, a by buying a digital video camera with this feature it usually records to MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 which is a superior Movie Recording Format.AVCHD with an HDMI Output to a high definition television and USB flip out port to enable direct uploading to the social networks.

Optical zoom rather than digital zoom, Optical Image Stabilizer, Touch Screen LCD screen which may include Touch Screen Face Recognition. When buying a digital video camera note that some have up to a 3.5 inch diameter LCD screen, the larger the better.

External Jacks. With a bit of researching through camcorder reviews, these can be found on some really cheap Pocket Camcorders, and some Pocket Camcorder have In-camera Editing.Most Pocket Camcorders record to an SD/HC memory card, and some record to twin media via a hard drive or embedded flash memory.

SD/HC Memory Cards are cheap. Select a new card with a high number printed inside a small circle. 2 is unsuitable, 10 is the highest.

Good low light is important, and some digital video camerahave an inbuilt video light. Before you buy a digital video camera , choose models with the capability to take really high definition pictures. Even some Pocket Camcorder models can take 14mp high definition pictures, and along with this may have a built-in flash.

Dual Record mode lets you take high definition Images while shooting high definition video at the same time, and Time-Lapse Record or Interval Recording Mode may sometimes be useful.

A wide angle lens, manual focus ring as well as auto focus, Bluetooth Wireless Technology, Wireless data transfer via Eye-Fi, and some now have inbuilt GPS. This list is not exhaustive, but more detailed explanations can be read on the Features Page on the US Camcorder Reviews site.

Watch my video reviews of new camcorders in 2011 including Panasonic, JVC, Canon and Sony, including the new projector camcorders from Sony at http://goo.gl/rMMVh

Following my pursuit to identify the best HD camcorder in Digital HD Camcorder Year 2010, by checking all the pocket camcorder reviews, and reading how to choose a camcorder in 2010, I’m getting very close to making a buying decision.

I am really interested in the Canon Vixia HF S200 High Definition Camcorder 2010, a flash memory media slot camcorder with Twin SDHC memory card slots and Relay Recording. The Canon Vixia HF S200 Digital Camcorder is one of the Best HD Camcorders for picture quality in a consumer camcorder I have reviewed to date.

To eliminate hard drives and other moving parts, the VIXIA HF S200 Video Camera uses flash memory to store recorded video to the AVCHD video format, and by inserting two 32 GB class 4 or 6 SD/HC cards into the Twin SDHC memory card slots, you can easily record and store over 24 hours of high definition video.

This has the added benefit of giving up to 90 minutes recording time with the supplied battery. A 3.5 inch high resolution touch screen LCD display is large enough to clearly see your recording subject.

10x optical zoom gets you closer in crisp clear detail, while optical image stabilization with dynamic mode gives you steady shots even when walking.
A choice of auto exposure or manual with face detection, and the same options for focus.
Choose your frame rate, 24progressive for movie quality or 30fps for normal, with a down-converter from MPEG 4 files to standard definition MPEG 2 files for the web.

Video gain option to increase low light performance with reduced image noise.
User friendly menu for quickly finding the functions you need while recording.
The Canon VIXIA HF S200 has a hot shoe, a very useful accessory, and a built-in video light, as well as jacks for a microphone input and headphones.

If you prefer built-in Flash Memory, Canon has the HF S21 with 64GB Flash Memory and the Canon HF S20 with 32GB of Flash Memory, but otherwise with the same specifications as the Twin SDHC memory card slots of the Canon HF S200.

If you liked the earlier Canon R100, you will love the S200, as the R100, good as it is, has only 1 SDHC memory card slot, the S200 has 2, also the S200 has down conversion and an optical image stabilizer. The LCD screen is also nearly an inch wider on the S200, + the S200 has a much bigger sensor. So if your budget will stretch to the Canon Vixia HF S200, go for it.

Wrapping this up, the worthy Top 3 Flagship Prosumer Canon HD camcorders for 2010 are the Canon HF S20, Canon HF S21 and the Canon Vixia HF S200, and with a host of other features, the quality, size, and price makes the Canon Vixia HF S200 High Definition Camcorder my nomination for camcorder of the year 2010.

Watch my video reviews of new camcorders in 2011 including Panasonic, JVC, Canon and Sony, including the new projector camcorders from Sony at http://goo.gl/rMMVh

Check out the very special CANON discount deals here

Art and Laura Speck wish you all a very merry Christmas and the best of health in the New year

Please click on the link below to receive your very special card from us to you:  

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2024609811591&source=jl999

You will have noticed the scarecity of new posts recently.

That is because we have been traveling, and recording video at every opportunity.

We then edited the footage and uploaded everything to YouTube where we now have our own channel with the name of hylonlad.

You can view short videos of Cities in the Mediterranean, Florida, Colorado, England and Wales as well as a few others.

Video has got a strong grip on my attention at the moment. Previously I was editing in Adobe Premiere Elements, and I will be happy to offer advice on any questions you have about the program, but now I’m learning to use Adobe CS4 which is a massive editing suite.

The video camera I use varies, as I now have 3 of them, The Aiptec pocketcam, a sony single chip, and a 3 chip Panasonic.
I try and show in the script with each video on YouTube which camera I recorded each video on.

Watch out in the New Year for more video related posts.

Best wishes to you all,

Art