Hitachi DZ-BD70E

The basics

This full-HD Blu-Ray camcorder has a 5.3-megapixel, 1/2.8-inch CMOS sensor with full-HD Picture Master processing. As well as a 2.7-inch LCD screen, it has a 10x optical and 500x digital zoom. As well as an SD card slot, it also has HDMI, AV and S-Video outputs plus it measures 83x87x166mm and weighs 630g.

The good

It’s the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder, so you can wow your friends by slipping its 8cm discs into any Blu-ray player and enjoying Full HD home movies in seconds. Colours are strong and detail accurate thanks to an overpowered 5.3MP CMOS sensor, which delivers decent still pics on the side. The 2.7-inch screen is well up to scratch.

The bad

It’s the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder, so you’re in for a roller coaster ride of first-generation clumsiness. The autofocus on the short 10x zoom has a wandering eye, particularly in low light. The BD70 is heavy (600g) and painfully slow write to discs – up to 30 seconds for even a short clip. You’ll feel another sting when you shop for blank Blu-rays, which cost an eye-watering £20 each.

The bottom line

It’s early days for Blu-ray camcorders and the Hitachi still feels like a work in progress. Recent price cuts make it an affordable entry to High Def filming, though, especially if you’ve already upgraded to Blu-ray in the living room.