While professional camcorders don’t come cheap, there are many camcorders that can cater to the everyday user with the versatility of shooting in different environments.  The major camcorder companies have dropped the prices of basic camcorders enough to make them accessible to ordinary, everyday, common home video makers.  We will examine and rate each camcorder based on Value (what the camcorder has to offer), Quality (video performance in different environments), Ease of Use (user-friendliness), Control (manual options) and Overall performance.  A maximum score of five is given to each of the categories mentioned.

The following camcorders are the best camcorders you can get for a $500 price or less.

The first in our list is the Canon FS21.  It is equipped with a 1/6-inch CCD imaging sensor with a resolution of 1.07 megapixels in video mode and 0.8 megapixels in still photography mode.  Digital videos are stored in MPEG2 format while analog video format is in NTSC.  It has a 16 GB internal memory that can store up to three hours of video in its highest quality format.  It has 3 available quality formats when shooting videos.  This camcorder produces vivid and clear images in both bright and low light conditions alike.  We give this camcorder a score of 4.2 for Value and 4.3 for Quality.

It has a 37x optical zoom and an extensive 2000x digital zoom.  It is equipped with a zoom lens with a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 sec and an aperture range of f/2 – f/5.2.

Features for the FS21 include a Night Mode, a 2.7-inch TFT active matrix LCD display, an expansion card slot and an internal microphone that records in stereo mode.  It has a microphone jack, a composite video/audio output, a USB 2.0 port and a PictBridge support for direct printing.  Canon excels in ease of navigation and use compared to the other four camcorders in the list.  Canon’s well-structured menu is very easy to navigate and very user-friendly.  The Canon FS21 also offers a greater range of manual options compared to the other four camcorders with more shooting programs to choose from and more selections in overall camcorder settings.  We give it a 4.2 for Ease of Use and a score of 4.0 for Control giving it an Overall score of 4.2.

The next camcorder in the list is the Sony HDR CX100.  It is equipped with a 1/5-inch ClearVid CMOS sensor that records digital videos in AVCHD, MPEG4 (high definition format) and MPEG2 (standard definition format).  Its optical sensor has an effective resolution of about two megapixels in both video and still photographs.  The Sony HDR CX100 has the largest imager with its 1/5-inch imaging sensor.  While bright light performances are identical across all five camcorders, the bigger imaging sensor of the Sony CX100 enables it to perform better in lowlight conditions.  All camcorders show a significant decrease in video quality, color and sharpness performance in 60 lux level or below – typical for a less expensive camcorder with small imaging sensors.  The Sony CX100, however, retains much of its color balance and sharpness better than its competitors in lower light environments as low as 30 lux.  Its excellent video performance earns it a 4.2 for both Value and Quality categories.

It records in 1080i/60i or 480/60i and stores videos and still photographs mainly to its eight GB internal Hard Disd Drive (HDD).  It can also record in removable Sony proprietary memory cards – Sony memory stick Duo / PRO Duo cards.  We give it a score of 4.0 for Ease of Use as this camcorder is only limited to using Sony proprietary accessories.

It is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Zoom lens with 10x optical zoom and an additional 120x digital zoom.  Maximum shutter speed is 1/1000 sec and aperture range of f/1.8 – f/2.2.

The Sony CX100 features a Night Mode option, USB 2.0 port and a built-in mic that records in stereo mode.  It is also equipped with Sony’s Face and Smile detection technology.  It has a 2.7-inch touch screen TFT active matrix LCD display.  Connections available for the CX100 include one composite video/audio output, a component video output, an HDMI output and one S-Video output.  This camcorder gets a score of 4.0 in the Control category.  Overall score for the Sony CX100 is 4.1.

The third camcorder in our comparison is the Panasonic HDC SD10K.  It is powered by a 1/6-inch CMOS imaging sensor that records high definition videos in AVCHD, MPEG4 format.  It has an effective resolution of about 1.17 megapixels in both video and still image photography.  Storage is thru memory SD cards inserted to its memory slot since it doesn’t have an internal flash or hard disk drives.  The absence of a flash or HD drive earns it a score of 3.9 for both Value and Quality.

The camcorder is equipped with a zoom lens with 16x optical zoom and an added 1000x digital zoom.  Maximum shutter speed is at 1/8000 sec and an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/2.8.

The Panasonic camcorder also features a night mode, a built in mic that records in stereo mode, a USB 2.0 compatible port and PictBridge support to enable the camcorder to be attached to compatible equipments like printers.  It has a 2.7-inch TFT active matrix touch screen LCD display.  Other connections available are one HDMI output, a composite video/audio output, a component video output and a DC power input.  We give this camcorder a 3.9 for as well for both Ease of Use and Control giving it an Overall rating of 3.9.

Another camcorder in our comparison is the JVC Everio GZ-MG670.  It is equipped with a 1/6-inch CCD imaging sensor that records digital videos in MPEG 2 format.  This is a Standard Definition (SD) camcorder only and can record in four video quality settings.  The JVC Everio GZ-MG630 performs the worst among the list of camcorders in terms of image quality.  Its standard definition format performs poorly in lowlight conditions.  We give this camcorder a score of 3.8 for both Value and Quality due to the absence of HD capability.

Its main recording media is its massive 80 GB internal Hard Disk Drive (HDD) that can record up to 19 hours of video in its best quality setting.  It also supports MicroSD cards for additional storage capability.  This camcorder has the biggest internal storage media among the five camcorders and it is one of the reasons we give it a 4.0 in the Ease of Use category.

It is equipped with a Konica Minolta zoom lens with an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/4 and a built-in lens shield.  It has a 35x optical zoom and an added 800x digital zoom.

It has a night mode and a built-in light for capturing videos during night or low light conditions.  It has an internal mic that captures audio in 2-channel stereo mode.  It features a YouTube capture mode and an Auto Power save mode.  It has a 2.7-inch TFT active matrix LCD display.  Available connections are one USB 2.0 compatible port, a composite video/audio output and a DC power input.  We give this camcorder a 3.8 for Control.  Overall score for the JVC Everio GZ-MG630 is 3.9.

The last camcorder in our comparison is the Samsung SMX-K45S.  This camcorder is equipped with a 1/6-inch CCD imaging sensor that records digital videos in AVCHD formats.  It records videos thru its 32 GB internal flash memory and it also supports SD memory cards inserted in its memory slot.  Still photographs have an effective resolution of about 0.48 megapixels.  We rate this camcorder a 4.0 for Value and a 3.9 for Quality.

It is equipped with a Schneider-Kreuznach Zoom lens with a fix aperture of f/1.8.  It has a 52x optical zoom with an added 2200x digital zoom.

It features a 2.7-inch TFT active matrix LCD screen and a built-in mic that records in stereo mode.  Connections include one USB 2.0 compatible port, a composite video/audio output, an HDMI output and a DC power input port.  It also features a YouTube capture mode and intelligent Scene Selector.  We rate this camcorder a 3.9 for both Ease of Use and Control giving it an Overall score of 3.9.

Considering all features, performance and aesthetic value the Canon FS21 is the best choice among the five camcorders with an Overall score of 4.2.  It has a 16 GB internal memory that can easily be increased by adding memory cards to its memory slots.  With the availability of many less expensive memory cards in the market, the 70 GB difference between the JVC camcorder is minimal considering that the Canon camcorder has a superior performance in video quality.  Its ease of use can only be rivalled by the Sony camcorder (with the Sony camcorder having the Easy mode).  However the Canon camcorder is more versatile than its Sony counterpart able to cater to third party accessories like memory cards, etc.  Sony only caters to Sony proprietary accessories like the Sony memory stick Duo, etc, which gives limited options.  The Canon FS21 effectively merges portability, ease of use and excellent video quality in an affordable price making it perfect for the budget-conscious.

Affordable camcorders may offer fewer features and smaller sensors but can still deliver good quality videos and high definition quality.  For less than $500, you can get a full-featured camcorder that can cater or even exceed your needs.  Now a days you don’t need to spend a fortune to invest in an important gadget that will capture those priceless moments on videos or still photos.