Canon Vixia HV30 
$999 
A top-notch miniDV cam popular with the pro crowd for its sharp HD image and usability. Sorry guys, Hitachi's model is more versatile.
Sony DCR-DVD810 $450 
You get three ways to save the shot: DVD, built-in storage, and Memory Stick Pro, all in standard definition. What a bummer.
Panasonic HDC-SX5 $900 
Good-looking HD video can't redeem this bulky, ultimately forgettable DVD/SD hybrid.
If you're still sold on permanent media of any generation, this Blu-ray HD camcorder with 30-GB disk drive and SDHC slot will rock your world. You've got to hand it to Hitachi for solving the conundrum of how to make recording and editing HD video enjoyable. Capture crackling-crisp video on the hard disk or removable flash memory, do basic editing in-camera, and easily dub to Blu-ray disc or — for those of you stubbornly clinging to the past — downscale to standard-definition DVD. The nostalgia factor is enough to make us misty-eyed.