Sony SR35

The basics

Standard definition 30GB camcorder with a huge 40x optical zoom that boasts Super SteadyShot stabilisation and NightShot Plus IR shooting. There’s a sweet 2.7-inch touchscreen on board too. It measures 113x77x77mm and weighs 350g.

The good

Leave High Def to Hollywood – home movies should be all about shooting, copying and editing as quickly and easily as possible, without stomach-churning close-ups of your best mate's ugly mug. Sony’s sharp little shooter stuffs hours of colourful footage on its 30GB disc (or Memory Stick Duos), and can poke its neighbour-bothering 40x zoom further than cameras costing twice the price. The touchscreen is completely finger-friendly, even when browsing Sony’s smart Face Index and Film Roll Index. Infra-red night shooting is a fun extra on this budget shooter.

The bad

The SR35’s zoom mic picks up creaks from its plastic case as often as your mates’ scintillating witticisms, and the autofocus is easily confused by low contrast subjects, shiny windows and differential calculus (no surprise there). If you’ve got fifty notes more to spend, the SR37 doubles the disc size, shoots slightly larger still photos and improves the SR35’s weak battery life.

The bottom line

Unbeatable value for a pick-up-and-shoot camcorder, especially considering its huge, stabilised zoom and touchscreen interface. And unless you’re watching your home movies on 40+-inch tellies, you definitely won’t miss the hassle of HD.