JVC GZ HD40
*

At $1,300, the HD40 turned out to be an expensive under-performer. The image quality of the scenes I shot on the beach in bright light was flat and had a cheap-camcorder look. The camera fared only slightly better in low light. It's ready to record when you flip open the viewfinder, which is great for catching spontaneous moments. Other strengths: The 120-gigabyte hard drive can store 15-plus hours of full-HD video, and the battery gives you 90 minutes of recording time (camcorder.jvc.com).

Samsung SC-HMX20l
**

I found Samsung's first stab at a full-HD camcorder fun to use and a good bet—albeit an expensive one at $1,300. Its performance in low and bright light was admirable; image quality was flat but sharp, creating a sort of Hieronymus Bosch effect (fun if you like your videos to look artsy). Navigating the touch-screen menus is a breeze, the body is light and easy to hold, and a swivel handle allows for shots at all sorts of crazy angles (samsung.com).

Panasonic HDC-HS9P
***

This camcorder produces fantastic images and costs a reasonable $1,000. It's a great day camera, performing well in direct beach sunlight. Footage shot in low-light conditions was slightly disappointing. It has a full complement of features (the crazy MagicPix setting makes for a wild, blurry ride), and you can never go wrong with a Leica lens—this one has a 10X zoom (panasonic.com).

Canon Vixia HF10
***

The first flash-memory camcorder in Canon's lineup comes in at $1,100 and is capable of performing under any conditions. It shot beautifully in both low and high light, and it's easy to set the exposure manually. A 24-frames-per-second setting captures cinematic picture quality; bump it up to 30 frames per second for fast-action events like Pamplona's running of the bulls (usa.canon.com).