Panasonic HDC-SD1

Eye-popping HD content in your hand.

Using the SD1 is akin to fondling the future - from its class-leading 12x Leica zoom to a minimalist rear-end with a circular control dial. The battery also snuggles neatly inside, instead of hanging off its arse like a space-age haemorrhoid.

The lovely three-inch screen is home to 250,000 pixels, and the interface is simple to use; even complex manual features are just a waft of the joystick away. Triple CCDs use AVCHD to save 1080i clips to an SD card - you'll get 40 minutes on the 4GB SDHC card supplied.

Movies are blockbusters, full of natural colour and pin-sharp detail, and even low-light footage is smooth. Surround sound is subtly impressive, too. The dull, two-meg photos disappoint, but this camcorder still slices up the opposition.