Labs

Although on paper the HG10 appears only slightly larger than the newer HF10 and HF100 models from Canon, in the hand and pocket it feels much bulkier. It demonstrates that portability is not purely a matter of dimensions, but one of shape too.

It may be portly, but this shouldn't completely rule it out as a contender. In fact, its size brings some advantages. The volume of the body means that there is room for a full-sized accessory shoe, for example, something that will please enthusiasts or those with an existing collection of accessories. It's a feature that only the Sanyo VPC-HD1000 matches, although the Canon HF10 and HF100 both feature smaller, proprietary shoes.

Those same users will also be pleased to find both an external

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microphone and headphone socket, allowing for more professional sound recording. However, half the camcorders on test here have a microphone socket, so it doesn't give it much of an advantage.

Its generous frame houses an enormous 40GB internal hard disk, which is beaten in size only by the 60GB drive in the award-winning Panasonic HDC-HS9 this month. This means that, although miniSD cards can be used to supplement the drive, it's unlikely that they'll be needed. Even in the very highest quality recording mode, the camera can still handle five and a half hours of recording. This mode sees the Canon capturing 1,920 x 1,080 footage, and the resulting clips are impressively detailed.

The resolution may be matched by other cameras on test here, including the two other Canons, but the 1/2.7in sensor is impressively large and produces great results. Low-light colour reproduction was better than any other camera on test, and noise levels were also low. In bright sunlight the performance was wonderfully clear and colours extremely vivid.

However, it doesn't win on all fronts. Every one of the cameras on test here is more portable than the HG10, and many undercut it on price and features as well as size. The HG10 is too bulky to carry without a camera bag, which undermines its usefulness as a take-anywhere camcorder.