The following camcorders in our comparison are versatile devices that cater to both beginners and intermediate users alike.  For a start, these are all High Definition (HD) camcorders.  With high definition capability very accessible in low-priced camcorders, we can’t expect anything less for a camcorder in the $500 – $1000 price range.  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.  I gave a maximum score of five to each of the categories mentioned.

The first in our list is the Canon HF-S10.  This HD camcorder has a single 1/2.6-inch CMOS imaging sensor.  The imager can capture HD videos in 6.0 megapixels resolution and about 8.01 megapixels of effective resolution in still photos.  For Value, we rate this camcorder 4.7.

It records videos in AVCHD, MPEG4 format in 60i, 30p or 24p frame rates.  Audio input is primarily thru its built in microphone in Dolby Digital 2-channel stereo format.  It primarily records to its 32 GB internal flash memory, and it also supports SD/SDHC memory cards if you need additional storage.  For Quality, we rate this camcorder a 4.7, as it is one of the two camcorders in the list to offer an alternative 30p and 24p frame rates for HD recording other than the standard 60i.

It features a zoom lens with an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/3.0 and a filter size of 58mm.  It has a 10x optical zoom and an added 200x optical zoom capability.  It features an optical image stabilization system and a built-in lens cover.

The Canon camcorder features a 2.7-inch LCD color screen with a resolution of about 0.211 megapixels.  Features include Night Shot, Dial and Joystick controls for manual focus, a slider and LCD panel buttons for Zoom control and manual controls for exposure, aperture, shutter speed, color and image.  It also features a built-in video light when shooting in low light conditions.  The battery pack that comes in the box can last for about 1.5 hours of continuous use.  For Control and Ease of Use, we give the Canon HF-S10 a 4.2 and 4.5 respectively resulting to a 4.5 Overall score.

The second camcorder in our list is the JVC GZ-HM400.  This camcorder has a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor with approximately 10 megapixels of gross resolution in both video and still photography.  We rate this camcorder a 4.5 for Value.

It records HD videos in AVCHD format in four different settings – UXP 60i, XP 60i, SP 60i and EP 60i.  There are also three frame rates available for standard definition video recording – 600fps, 300fps and 120fps.  Audio input is thru the internal mic that records audio in Dolby Digital stereo mode.  It features a 32 GB internal flash memory drive as its primary media, and it supports SD/SDHC memory cards inserted in its built-in memory slot.  For Quality, we give this camcorder a 3.8.  It may have the highest resolution among the five camcorders, but its low light performance is sub-par, compared to the other four.  The JVC camcorder produces darker images when shooting in 60 lux or below. 

It features a Konica Minolta zoom lens with a filter size of 46mm.  Its aperture range is f/2.8 – f/4.7, and it has a built-in lens shield.  It has a 10x optical zoom capability with an added 200x digital zoom.  It also features an optical image stabilization system to limit blurriness due to hand shakes.

It has a 2.9-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 0.207 megapixels.  It also has a manual ISO control, a rocker and a laser touch control for zoom, manual focus options thru its dial and a manual aperture control as well.  There is also an available manual shutter speed control, manual white balance control and face detection capability.  There is no video light available to aid in low light condition video recording.  The JVC’s battery pack can supply about 2.5 hours of battery life when fully charged.  We rate it 4.2 for both Ease of Use and Control yielding to an Overall score of 4.1 for the JVC GZ-HM400.

The next camcorder in our list is the Canon HF-S100.  It has a single 1/2.6-inch CMOS sensor with an effective resolution of 8.59 megapixels in video and still photography.  For Value, we give this camcorder a score of 4.5.

It records the HD videos in AVCHD, MPEG4 format with three frame rates to choose from – 60i, 30p or 24p.  There are also four video quality formats available with MXP, FXP, XP+, SP and LP.  It doesn’t have a standard definition mode in recording videos.  Audio input is thru its internal mic, and audio records in Dolby Digital stereo format.  Video recording media is primarily thru media cards inserted to its built-in memory slot.  The camcorder supports SD/SDHC memory cards.  We rate this camcorder a 4.2 for Quality.

The Canon HF-S100 is equipped with a Zoom lens with an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/3.0 and a filter size of 58mm.  It has a 10x optical zoom with an additional 200x digital zoom and features an optical stabilization system.

It has a 2.7-inch LCD display with a resolution of about 0.211 megapixels.  It has a Night mode and color/image controls.  It is also equipped with a face detection mode and automatic mode suitable for beginners.  Control for the camcorder’s zoom is thru its slider switch or thru the LCD panel buttons.  Manual focus is available thru either the dial or the joystick controls.  There are also manual controls for exposure, aperture and shutter speed adjustments.  There are no manual controls for the ISO settings and there is no video light to aid users when recording in low light conditions.  The battery pack can last for 1.5 hours of use when fully charged.  Both the HF-S100 and the HF-S10 have identical features and manual options; hence, we also give this camcorder a score of 4.5 and 4.2 for Ease of Use and Control respectively.  Overall score for the Canon HF-S100 is 4.3.

The fourth camcorder in our list is the Sony HDR-CX500V.  It has a single 1/2.88-inch CMOS sensor with an effective resolution of 4.15 megapixels in video and 6.0 megapixels in still photography.  We give this camcorder a score of 4.7 for Value.

It records HD videos in AVCHD, MPEG4 format and Standard Definition (SD) videos in MPEG2 format.  It can only record in a fixed frame rate of 60i.  HD recording has four available formats with FH, HQ, SP and LP.  SD recording is available in three formats with HQ, SP and LP.  Audio records thru the camcorder’s built-in mic that records in Dolby Digital surround sound (5.1 channel) format.  Primary media is the camcorder’s 32 GB internal flash memory.  It also supports Sony proprietary media cards like the Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.  For Quality, we give this camcorder a score of 4.5.  Its performance in bright light conditions can rival that of the Canon HF-S10’s performance, but it doesn’t retain the same level of quality in low light conditions.

It features a Zoom lens with an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/3.4 and a filter size of 37mm.  Shutter range is 1/8sec – 1/725sec and it features an optical image stabilization system with optional Active Mode.  It also has a built-in lens cover.

It is equipped with a 3-inch LCD display with touch screen capability and a resolution of 0.2304 megapixels.  It features a Smile Detection capability, a Night mode and face detection feature as well.  Zoom controls are thru the toggle switch or the touch screen buttons.  Focus controls are thru the camcorder’s dial or the touchscreen buttons.  There is a manual exposure control.  There is no built-in video light on this camcorder.  It has a Smooth Slow Record and Fader capability and the only camcorder in the list to have a GPS function.  The battery that comes with the camcorder can provide power for about 2 hours of extensive use.  This is the only camcorder in the list that offers a touch screen feature.  This feature is excellent during playback and monitoring modes giving the user great control and easy access to the camcorder’s menu and settings.  Sony excels in automatic features; therefore, we give it a 4.7 for Ease of Use.  This camcorder, however, has limited manual options and doesn’t have the manual controls for aperture, shutter speed, ISO settings, gain and noise reduction of the other four camcorders.  We give it a score of 4.0 for Control.  Overall performance for the Sony HDR-CX500V is 4.4.

The fifth camcorder in our comparison is the Panasonic HDC-SD1.  Three 1/4-inch CCD imaging sensors that have an effective resolution of 1.56 megapixels in both video and still photography modes power this camcorder.  We give this camcorder a score of 4.2 for Value and 3.6 for Quality due to its low-resolution output.

It records HD videos in AVCHD, MPEG4 format that supports both 720p and 1080i and has 3 recording quality options – HF, HN and HE.  Audio input is thru the camcorder’s built-in mic that records in two channel stereo format.  Primary recording media is thru SD/SDHC memory cards that sit in the camcorder’s memory slot.  The camcorder comes with a 4 GB SDHC card.

It features a Leica Zoom lens with 12x optical zoom and an additional 700x digital zoom.  It has an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/2.8 and a shutter speed range of 1/50sec – 1/8000sec.  It features an optical image stabilization system and a built-in lens shield.

The Panasonic HDC-SD1 has a 3-inch LCD screen with an effective resolution of 0.25 megapixels.  It also features Panasonic’s MagicPix as its night mode and has a manual gain control.  It also has manual controls for aperture, shutter speed and focus.  It doesn’t have a built-in video light to aid when shooting in poor light conditions.  The battery pack can support 1.5 hours of extensive use when fully charged.  For Ease of Use we give this camcorder a score of 4.2 being the lightest of the five camcorders at only 430 grams.  For Control, we give it a score of 4.7 as it offers more manual options than the other camcorders and the only camcorder that has a mic input jack for audio recording versatility.  Overall score for the Panasonic HDC-SD1 is 4.1.

Considering all the basic features of the five camcorders reviewed above, all seemed equal in size and internal functions.  The Canon HF-S10 performs best in terms of vibrancy in images and color balance.  It also produces the sharpest HD videos among the five camcorders.  The JVC-HM400, although has the highest sensor resolution among the five camcorders, doesn’t perform well in lowlight conditions compared to the other four camcorders.  In bright light environments, both the Canon HF-S10 and the Sony HDR-CX500V give excellent sharpness and vividness in color and saturation topping the rest of the camcorders.

Connectivity wise, all camcorders offer identical options having a composite output, USB Component output, accessory shoe and HDMI jacks.  All camcorders, except the Canon HF-S100, have a wireless remote included in the package.

With an Overall score of 4.5, the Canon HF-S10 is the best choice among the five camcorders.  The Sony HDR-CX500V can only rival its video quality in bright light conditions.  Between the two, the Canon HF-S10 has the best performance in low light conditions.  All camcorders being at the same price range, the Canon HF-S10 offers more manual controls and options than the Sony camcorder giving it more versatility and great range to cater to different consumer needs.  While both camcorders offer a 32 GB internal flash drive as main recording media, Canon holds the edge in versatility as it can cater to any standard SD/SDHC memory card for memory expansion while Sony only caters to Sony proprietary memory cards – the same holds true in terms of accessory use.