Lab

Pocket digital camcorders

High definition is no longer the exclusive domain of blockbuster movies and the latest television series - you can now capture clips in full HD at home, with equipment small enough to drop into a jacket pocket.

But the small size of these cameras doesn't mean you have to compromise on quality. Many of the devices in this Labs impressed us with the high quality of their optics, and with footage recorded at up to Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels), you're also getting crystal-clear videos of you and your family that are guaranteed to look great even when played back on a large HDTV. These cameras also have a wealth of features designed to make shooting video clips as easy as possible, from image stabilisation - which helps reduce the shake you get without a tripod - to built-in six-channel microphones.

There's no need to put up with the inconvenience of capturing footage from tape any more. Flash memory and hard disk-based cameras can now store hours of footage, and make it much simpler to transfer them from camera to PC, which is why you'll see no tape-based camcorders in this test. And all this high quality and convenience doesn't have to cost the earth. As well as a selection of high-end models, we've also tested some more affordable camcorders to see just how much performance can be had for a few hundred pounds.

Finally, we've attempted to clear up the complex mysteries of video codecs and video-editing package compatibility on page 98, while on page 102 we look at the image sensors which dictate the quality of the still shots and video recorded by camcorders.

So, whatever your budget or reason for buying, there's something that's sure to tempt you on the following pages. Read on to find out which is best.