Buying Guide: Best camcorder under £350: 6 tested

With most phones, compact cameras and of course SLRs offering video recording, you have to wonder if there's still a place for a dedicated camcorder; even more so when you consider that in most cases these devices shoot HD video. Fortunately for the camcorder, in most cases the design and primary use of these other gadgets means either that they're lacking in features or need a high level of skill to turn out even mediocre results. So the purpose-made camcorder really is the way to go if you want to film decent-quality footage with minimal fuss. When it comes to buying one, the first thing you'll notice is that unlike the flooded compact camera market your choice is pretty limited, and once you've had a good think about features, price and of course looks, you'll normally only have a couple of choices left. But is there a great deal of difference between a camcorder costing £250 and one at £350, especially when the specifications and features of those two models seem surprisingly similar? We're looking at camcorders around the £300 price mark, which include full HD, stereo audio, memory card recording and direct playback through HDMI; some offer features that will enable the most novice filmmaker to create professionally styled movies. Canon Legria HFR18 - £360 Panasonic SD80 - £342 Samsung H200 - £250 Sanyo VPC SH1EXBK - £297 Sony HDR-CX115E - £300 Toshiba Camileo SX900 - £250 Test one: Recording When someone says HD then you instantly think cinematic, high-quality video footage with big sound. But in the more realistic world HD only refers to the resolution of the device. All six camcorders here feature full HD at 1920x1080. The Panasonic SD80 and Sony HDR-CX115E both record good natural colour, with fast auto-exposure and focus. Sound quality captured from their front mounted microphones is good and picks out vocals while limiting the ambient noise. Both the Sanyo and Toshiba record vibrant footage, although quality was noticeably less when compared with the others in test. These two cameras also take longer for the exposure and focus to settle when moved around. The Canon Legria HF R18 and Samsung H200 both perform well visually, and focus and exposure adjust swiftly, but audio for both don't match that produced by the other two. The Canon's sound can be marred by wind noise. Test two: Features The most notable features of these cameras are their touch screens and shooting modes. The Panasonic SD80 comes in top of the group, including iA (intelligent Auto) and built-in video lamp. Footage for all camcorders is stored on SD HC or SD XC cards, while all but the Toshiba, which uses H.264, capture their footage in the AVCHD format. The Canon features an automatic lens cover, cleverly protecting from dirt. The quality of the LCD screens varies - the Canon is a disappointment for the price, while the Sony's, on the other hand, gives a good representation of what you're capturing. All camcorders have the ability to shoot stills and the quality of the images produced is better than you'd expect from a camera phone. But due to the lack of flash or control, quality is less than you'd expect from a good compact camera. When it comes to viewing your footage, all cameras feature a standard HDMI cable link that fits into your TV. Small and lightweight - but comfortable to use? All the camcorders are small, with the Toshiba Camileo SX900 just beating the Sanyo Xacti for smallest status. Worries about the ultra-compact size making them difficult to handle are dispelled in use, with both the Toshiba and Sanyo shaped in a way that makes their handling comfortable to manoeuvre and zoom. The larger models are easier to keep steady, especially when using the zoom feature. The slightly bulkier size and shape of the Canon, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony means they fit comfortably in the hand while still enabling easy adjustment over features and settings. Navigation for all camcorders is easy, but the carefully thought-out design of the menu screens make both the Panasonic and Sony the easiest to adjust. Using a more traditional joystick-style of navigation, the Sanyo is well-thought out. The Canon, using a similar joystick for navigation, is actually quite tricky to use in comparison. Test Four: Value for money All camcorders in the test are available for around £350 or less, which for the features and quality of footage is exceptional value. The Panasonic at the top end of the price bracket shows that spending a little extra does buy you more features and better quality. But this can't be said for the Canon, which features a low-quality LCD, and during the test consistently had issues with picking up wind noise. The Sony is the one camera where design and features seem to meet perfectly, with its small compact size making it easy to use and carry, yet still retaining features you could want for a small point-and-shoot. Although the image quality of the Sanyo and Toshiba is lacking compared with the others, their small size makes them ideal as an everyday camera. The Samsung, similar to the Sony, does the job it was designed for; the only downside is the boxy design. When it comes to value, the real winner is the Sony at just under £300. The best camcorder under £350 is: Sony HDR-CX115EWhile the Canon and Samsung both perform well, their extra bulk weighed against them. Size-wise, the Sanyo and Toshiba win favour by easily slipping into a pocket, with the Toshiba just taking the edge, purely for its no-fuss ease of use. At the top of the test are the Panasonic and Sony, with similar features with touch screens and iA; image and audio quality from both is also exceptional. But the Sony's smaller size and build quality just take the top spot. Although the Sony doesn't have a video lamp, it does have a maximum aperture of f/1.8, which helps it cope with low light. In the end, the Sony has all you could want from a point-andshoot camcorder with build, features and quality putting it ahead of the rest.