The Panasonic SDR-H60 ($499 MSRP) is the company's top single-chip, standard definition hard drive camcorder, and it packs a wallop when it comes to features: 50x optical zoom and 60GB capacity. Nothing in this price range can beat the SDR-H60, at least on paper. Our testing revealed that the bright light performance could not distinguish itself from the pack, and the low light performance left a lot to be desired. Surprisingly, we found that the step-up model, the three-CCD SDR-H200, was not necessarily the better camcorder, but the SDR-H60 certainly didn't prove itself to be the best value in its class.

The JVC Everio GZ-MG330 ($449 MSRP) is a standard definition hard drive camcorder for those seeking a higher capacity than the card-only alternatives. With many of the same internal components as the JVC GZ-MS100, the MG330 follows up with the same excellent performance for a reasonable price. Consumers looking at camcorders like the MG330 are probably searching for something that's affordable and easy to use, takes decent video, and has the benefit of high capacity internal memory. The good news for JVC is that the GZ-MG330 fulfills these hopes. Even better, it seems to beat out the competition, has a price tag you can stomach, and comes in three different colors.

Once again it's time for our hallowed yearly accolades celebrating the best in the industry. The year 2008 saw some interesting innovations, including the growth of the ultra-compact, ultra-cheap "YouTube camcorder" market,  as well as the continued migration of cameras and cell phones into the camcorder domain. Below are our top picks in each category. Note that the prices listed are based on average street price at time of publication.

The company that practically invented the YouTube-ready camcorder, Pure Digital, has finally released a high definition camcorder, the Flip MinoHD ($229 MSRP). While it's always exciting to see the next product from a winning company, the MinoHD is a bit of a conundrum. First of all, YouTube does not support HD video. Secondly, even if you wanted skip uploading and  simply play back video on your big screen HDTV, the MinoHD only offers a standard definition connection. In fact, the only way to watch your HD video is on a computer. We definitely found some performance improvements over the original Flip Mino, but the ultimate value of the MinoHD is in question.