Affordable HD Camcorders Make Every Family Movie an HD Adventure
For those of us over 25 years old, we remember the grainy 8-milimeter world of family home movies. The old projector and the lack of sound didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for those great family moments of yesteryear, but today, families can now shoot their own home movies in stunning high definition.
While almost every new smartphone shoots video in HD, many consumers still like to have a full-power, full HD (1080p) camcorder. With the cameras becoming much more portable and smaller over the years, great options are out there for the new father or the budding filmmaker on a budget.
I tested two full HD camcorders under $500 with stellar results. Having had an HD camcorder myself for several years, I can attest to the quality and joy of having one of these beauties for all those important moments in life. The fact you can own one of these for less than $500 shows you just how far the technology, and how high adoption, is.
Canon VIXIA HF M300
Canon has long been known for its quality – even at the value level. That’s no different with the dynamo that is the VIXIA HF M300. The compact camera records on both standard SD cards as well as the preferred SDHC and has an excellent image. The pullout viewfinder sucks a little more battery but makes shooting easy. The images shot with the camera are crystal clear and, for the money, this camera was by far my favorite. You can pick up the Canon for as little as $425 online and rest assured it’s worth every penny.
Panasonic HDC-SD90
Over the years, buying a Panasonic brand camcorder has always been a crap shoot. Some are made very well, but many of their value models have been disappointing and unreliable. The Panasonic SD90 is one of the best Panasonic cameras I’ve had the chance to play around with. Although I believe the Canon had a better overall image quality when shooting in full HD, the Panasonic wasn’t far behind. Its 21x power zoom was surprisingly good and the camera even beat the Canon in low light. Best of all, the camera can be had almost $100 lower ($349) than the HF M300. If $350 is your limit to bring your family movies into the HD age, you won’t regret grabbing one of these cameras.
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