Compare Prices : Sony HVR-A1E

Review summary: Sony's first CMOS based consumer HD camera brings control and fidelity to images in a package that's hard to beat.

Verdict: So what's Sony doing using the technology in a high-definition camcorder? To get over the quality issues of CMOS, Sony has added digital signal processing in the form of its Enhanced Imaging Processor. It has invested significantly in CMOS production ...

Review summary: Out of the box, we first noticed, in our Sony camcorder review, that the HVR-A1U was much smaller than expected. Weighing just a pound and a half, this is just about the tiniest HDV camcorder out there. But attach the sharp lens hood, the audio jack ...

Pros: True crisp color and detail Adjustable SPMTE timecode and color bars XLR jacks and stereo shotgun mic

Cons: Bottom tape loading On/off button easy to trigger accidentally Manual controls buried in menus and not on camera body

Verdict: Streamlined easy to use camcorder with a Carl Zeiss lens and XLR mic; a big pro HDV camcorder in a small affordable package.

Review summary: Streamlined easy to use camcorder with a Carl Zeiss lens and XLR mic; a big pro HDV camcorder in a small affordable package.

Pros: True crisp color and detail, Adjustable SPMTE timecode and color bars, XLR jacks and stereo shotgun mic

Cons: Bottom tape loading, On/off button easy to trigger accidentally, Manual controls buried in menus and not on camera body

Review summary: Sony's smallest HD video camera costs upwards of $1,200, but is the way to go for serious amateur videographers looking to raise the level of their game.

Verdict: The quantum leap in quality between standard video and HD will be immediately obvious to nearly every viewer