Best Affordable HD Camcorders

HD camcorders are no longer a luxury item. Anyone can take home a solid video camera for under $500. They’re ready to roll as soon as they come out of the box, suitable for filming anything from a backyard BBQ to a high school football championship. These cams won’t quite give you broadcast-quality footage, but the video will still fill up any HDTV the way it’s meant to be filled.

Panasonic HC-V800

The Pansonic HC-V800 doesn't jump on the 4K bandwagon -- but is designed for high-quality, versatile HD video.The HC-V800 sports a 1/2.5" sensor, which is larger than in most camcorders and records 1080p HD video. The slightly larger size...

Grade: B+ Price: $498.00

Canon VIXIA HF R82

Canon is continuing the tradition of modest updates for the Vixia HF consumer camcorder line -- and that's okay, if you're looking for an affordable camcorder.Like earlier models, the Vixia R82 uses a 1/4.85 inch sensor coupled with a pret...

Grade: B- Price: $299.00

Canon VIXIA HF R800

The Canon Vixia RF800, in a nutshell, is a $300 camcorder that can do (at least) one thing your smartphone can't: zoom.The RF800 offers a 32x optical zoom lens, combined with digital zoom for a 57x hybrid zoom. That's paired with a 3.82 me...

Grade: B- Price: $179.00

Canon VIXIA HF R80

The Canon Vixia HF R80 is the middle child in the company's 2017 budget R8 line-up. With half the built-in memory of the big sibling R82, the camera offers the same imaging power for $50 less.Like the R82 and R800, the camera uses a 3.28 megap...

Grade: B- Price: $285.00

Panasonic W570

The Panasonic W570 uses a secondary camera to capture simultaneous picture-in-picture footage without any editing. While the extra camera is certainly the headlining feature, the W570 also includes a few other perks, like a 50x optical zoom.The W5...

Grade: B+ Price: $306.00

Sony CX440 Handycam

Sony's 2015 CX440 offers quite a few features for the average consumer, yet still sits at an affordable $300.Video quality certainly isn't sacrificed to keep the price low. The Sony CX440 can shoot 1080p HD video at a smooth 60 fps frame r...

Grade: A- Price: $298.00

Sony CX240

The Sony CX240 appears to be nearly identical to the CX330 with the exception of a slightly smaller zoom and the absence of wi-fi. It still has the same 1/5.8" backlit sensor and bright f1.8 maximum aperture at the wide end, so video quality ...

Grade: B+ Price: $184.00

Polaroid Cube

We're not sure what we like more about Polaroid's new action camera--the size, or the price. Measuring less than an inch and a half, the Polaroid Cube only retails for $99, which makes it both attainable in price and size.The tiny action c...

Grade: B- Price: $100.00

Sony Handycam HDR AS50

The Sony HandyCam HDR AS50 is redefining the action cam just a bit. Where traditional action cams are a mount-it-and-leave-it style, the AS50 offers wide and narrow shooting perspectives as well as the ability to zoom while shooting. The extra fea...

Grade: B Price: $198.00