Camcorderinfo Select Awards 2009

Camcorderinfo.com has come out with it’s Select Awards 2009. To be honest, I’m a bit wary of reading too much into these; they don’t list how they decided to select the cameras - if it’s only the cameras that they have reviewed, then the pool isn’t a large one. They also don't describe how they went about making the decision.

Despite those concerns, Camcorder of the year went to the Panasonic HDC-TM300:

Not only is the video performance impressive in all lighting conditions, but it also offers a seamless and enjoyable operating experience—for novices and experienced users alike.

Runner up is the Canon HF S11 with it’s improved optical stabilization and an edge in sharpness and motion. But they dinged it for lack of a viewfinder and poor performance in low light.

JVC scored well in the overall competition, with a runner-up in Best Value, and a win in Mid-Range and Standard Definition.

I was most interested in the video-enabled DSLR win that went to the Panasonic GH1, with the Canon 5D Mark II a runner up. (But didn’t the 5D come out last year?!) That’s the one category where I’d like to know what cameras they included for consideration; had they even looked at the Canon 7D? It’s fine if they did and excluded it, but I’d kind of like to know if they did. Come to think of it, it would be nice to know what some of the other runners-up were in each category!

The article is worth a read, though it’s by no means an in-depth look at any of the cameras, or the competition in each segment.