HD camcorders: How to buy the best digital camcorder Buying an HD camcorder
The Samsung S-series of HD camcorders feature built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
Advantages of buying an HD camcorder
An HD camcorder can be very expensive, so it's important to know why you are investing all this money.
Picture quality
The main reason to choose an HD rather than a standard-definition (SD) camcorder is that you'll get better picture quality.
HD camcorders easily surpass their SD counterparts when it comes to producing crisp, sharply defined videos. Subtle colour differences are accurately reproduced and contrasting between shadow and highlight tends to be much more impressive.
The amount of information recorded by an HD camcorder means that your videos will be far more detailed, and HD camcorders cope far better than their SD cousins when filming complex patterns and moving subjects.
When you will use your digital camcorder
The improved video image quality you can get with an HD camcorder can be most valuable of all if you are filming a special occasion for posterity, such as a wedding. It’s for times like these that an HD camcorder can be most appealing.
Always keep in mind though that HD camcorders are far more expensive than SD camcorders, so if you only end up using your camcorder on a single occasion it may not be enough to justify the cost.
Disadvantages of buying an HD camcorder
While HD camcorders can deliver impressive videos, there are a few drawbacks to choosing one over an SD camcorder.
The cost
An HD camcorder is significantly more expensive than an SD camcorder. Prices are beginning to fall, but it is still rare to find a very good quality full-size HD camcorder for under £400. SD models can be found for under £200.
All Which? reviews of the best HD camcorders feature a constantly updating price comparison tool. This means that once you choose the best model for your needs, you can find the cheapest online retailer to buy it from.
The Samsung HMX-T10 has a screen that's angled upwards for more comfortable filming, and weighs just 223g.
Size
Traditionally, HD camcorders have been larger and heavier than SD camcorders. This is still true, though HD camcorders are becoming smaller.
Bulky models can be uncomfortable to hold when filming at length, and they can also be inconvenient to pack away for trips and holidays.
It is possible to find portable HD camcorders, however. Models such as the Samsung HMX-T10 and the Canon Legria HFG-M306 are significantly smaller than the bulky HD camcorders which preceded them.
You might also be interested in buying a pocket camcorder. These small, basic pocket video cameras are inexpensive and fun to use, and they can deliver HD footage.
The smaller size can bring problems. Very small camcorders tend to be stripped of useful features such as viewfinders and connections for external microphones, and sound quality can be worse because of the very small internal microphones.
Check our advice on the best digital camcorder features to help you decide which features will be most helpful for the kind of filming you want to do.
Recording capacity
HD camcorders record much more information in their footage than SD camcorders do, which means file sizes are much larger. You may need larger storage capacity if you’re filming a lot of HD movies.
For example, an HD camcorder with 80GB hard drive can record around 10 hours of footage. An SD camcorder with the same size hard drive can record around 18 hours of footage.
To get around this problem, you can buy a camcorder with a larger internal hard drive, but this can be expensive. Alternatively, you may have to buy large memory cards or a number of spare memory cards, or keep blank tapes or disks.
For more on the various ways to record your films, see our Which? advice on digital camcorder recording formats.
Be sure to read our thorough Which? reviews of the best HD camcorders so you can choose the best model for your needs and budget.
If you’re not convinced you need HD quality movies, then check our expert Which? reviews of the best SD camcordersto find a cheap model that’s right for you.
