Video in a flash

Just about all of our newly rated models share a growing trend among camcorders: They store video on flash memory, which has become the dominant format for full-sized HD and SD camcorders.

One of the upsides to using flash memory is that the full-sized models generally are smaller, lighter, and more compact. It's also easy to transfer video from your camcorder to your computer or another electronic devices. A trade-off: Few full-sized models feature optical viewfinders anymore.

Models either use onboard, internal memory or store video on memory cards, just as a digital camera does. Some models in our Ratings (available to subscribers) use both methods of memory storage.

Here are some noteworthy flash-based camcorders you should consider if you're in the market:

High definition

If you want to step up to HD, the Panasonic HDC-TM10, $550, has good video picture quality, very good autofocus performance, and excellent image-stabilizer performance. It also has a 16x optical zoom lens, which is a bit more powerful than what many HD camcorders offer.

Standard definition

The Samsung SMX-C14, $280, has an ergonomic design in which the lens is slightly slanted back for easier recording. It is a very good value and is easier to use than most SD camcorders, with a 10x optical zoom that produces good image quality. Its 16 gigabytes of internal memory let you shoot up to 6.3 hours of video in the highest-quality mode. It also has longer battery life than most. But in low light, video quality is only fair.

The Canon FS200, $280, is inexpensive and compact with decent features and very good video picture quality, making it a CR Best Buy. Low-light video quality was fair. You'll have to buy a memory card to store your video.