Sony HDR-HC3 camcorder

Sony's new HD camcorder will blow you away.

No sooner has Sony's first consumer Hi-Def camcorder, the HC1, been inducted into the T3 Hall of Fame than the tech giant launches this follow-up. And it's a third lighter, smaller and, crucially, cheaper than its big bro.

It now looks, feels and handles like a top-end MiniDV camcorder - but with Hi-Def results, courtesy of a Carl Zeiss lens with 10x optical zoom and a two-megapixel CMOS sensor. A superb 2.7-inch LCD touchscreen and NightShot infrared (for low-light shooting) complete the dazzling array of technology on offer.

Don't worry about the step down from the HC1's three-megapixel sensor; images remain sharp and distinct. Detail is almost eerie in its perfection, with every wisp of wind-blown hair captured - although colours do occasionally smear on fast-moving subjects.

The HDMI slot lets you hook it up to most HD-ready TVs, providing you buy a cable. Results on a Sony 32-inch Bravia LCD are breathtakingly crisp, and smoother than many shows on Sky HD.

The camera is aimed at the mass market, so you lose the HC1's wide shutter speed range, manual exposure and zoom ring, in favour of a multi-function dial and new features. These include a dual record function, for grabbing still frames while filming, and an impressive Smooth Slow mode for slow motion (without sound).

Indeed, with flash-assisted stills among the best you'll see from a camcorder, only the lack of a video light holds this back.

Sony has worked a surgical miracle here, slicing out expensive features from the HC1 but barely grazing its performance. The result is a streamlined Hi-Def powerhouse that could be the last camcorder you ever need buy.