Getting a good digital camcorder does not have to cost you tons of money. There are MiniDV, DVD, and even hard drive camcorder that can be purchased for less than $500, some considerably less. Here are some the top digital camcorders in the market under $500.
Panasonic SDR-H18 Hard Drive Camcorder
The Panasonic SDR-H18 hard drive camcorder has a 32x optical and 1000x digital zoom. The camcorder records video onto a 30GB built-in hard drive and has four different white balance modes for quality recording under different lighting conditions
Canon DC230 DVD Camcorder
The Canon DC230 records video onto a Mini DVD. The camcorder has a 35x optical and 1000x digital zoom and can also take digital stills at a 1152 x 864 resolution. The DC230 has a 2.7-inch LCD screen and eight built-in scene modes for shooting video in different lighting conditions.
Sony DVD308 DVD Camcorder
The Sony DVD308 camcorder records video onto Mini DVDs. The DVD308 has a 25x optical and 2000x digital zoom and can take digital still photos at a 1152 x 864 resolution and save them to a removable Memory Stick Duo card. The DVD308 has a Super NightShot infrared full-color night shooting mode as well as ten other built-in shooting modes for recording video under different conditions.
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Sanyo Xacti E1 Waterproof Flash Camcorder
The Sanyo Xacti E1 records video onto a SD or SDHC card . What makes the Xacti E1 different is that its waterproof, allowing users to record video up to five feet below water for periods of up to 30 minutes. The Xacti E1 has a 5x optical and 12x digital zoom and can take 6 megapixel digital still.
Sony DCR-HC48 MiniDV Camcorder
The Sony DCR-HC48 records video onto MiniDV tapes. The camcorder has a 25x optical and 2000x digital zoom and uses a professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. The DCR-HC48 can also take digital still pictures at a resolution of 1152 x 864 onto a Memory Stick Duo card.