Samsung SC-MX10P

Video cameras using a memory card format are able to achieve an ultra compact design. Because they record highly compressed video, they're best suited for gadget lovers who want to use their footage mainly on Web sites and in email. Digital camcorders that record MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 to memory cards may be picky about the cards you use since those encoding schemes require the ability to write to the card more quickly than most standard cards can handle.

Allows for very compact camcorders. Easy searching and random access to video segments. Selectable image quality levels, including high quality variable bit rate recording. Both video and still images are recorded on disc (instead of on a cassette and a memory card). Relatively short recording times.

Video is highly compressed. Every digital camcorder has a fully automatic mode that lets you simply point and shoot, but it's best to be able to adjust your exposure setting a little. Special shooting modes for capturing subjects lit by a spotlight or other specific sources can be helpful. For full control over exposure, you'll need a camera that lets you manually set both the aperture and the shutter speed.

Advanced camcorders offer zebra stripes, which highlight overexposed areas with a striped pattern so that you can fine tune exposure. Low light performance is the Achilles heel of many digital camcorders. Look for a model with a minimum lux rating of seven or lower.

Many camcorders offer special low light shooting modes, but they don't all work the same way. Some simply slow down the shutter speed so that you get full color but impressionistic looking footage. Others use an infrared emitter to capture greenish monochrome video in total darkness.