No-brainer buys: Six camcorders you won't regret

If Goldilocks had some extra cash and went camcorder shopping, these models would be just right for her. Why? Because they've earned the approbation of both the CNET editors and our readers. Unlike digital cameras, where you can get good image quality in a tiny size, decent camcorders are still a bit hefty; they need to accommodate a fairly large lens. But moving to flash-based recording helps keep the size down on some models. And the only cheapie you'll find on this list is a standard-definition MiniDV unit--you've still got to pay a bit more for quality HD video. Though the list is dominated by tapeless models, you should still watch out for the AVCHD file-format issues.