Top 5 Budget Camcorders

Everybody wants a camcorder anymore...but not everyone can afford one. As the camcorders have developed over time, their prices have come down, and although a professional camcorder is still out of the average person's budget, you sure can lay your hands on a pretty decent camcorder for not too much. The following are the top 5 budget camcorders that give you the most bang for your buck. They are selected on the basis of their price vs storage options, size, quality of recording, zoom and imaging capabilities.

So here are the top five cheapest camcorders:

Canon Elura 100 - With the price at a little over $300, the Canon Elura is one of the cheapest camcorders around and is less expensive than many of the digital cameras today. Capable of 20X optical zooming, the Canon can be surprisingly powerful for its small size. It can record on a Mini DV and as long as you steer clear of low-light situations, this is one of your best bets.

Sony Handycam DCR-SR40 - This is a little more expensive than that Canon Elura and will generally cost you over $450. Although it has sub-megapixel still imaging capabilities, which is definitely not impressive, it does record videos well. With a hard-drive based option for recording, you don't have to worry about running out of recording space on this camcorder. Overall, this is a well built mid level camcorder.

JVC GR-D650 - Surprisingly good for its super low price, this easily made the top 5 list for cheap camcorders. The JVC does well in both low and bright light situations, and records on a mini DV. However, for its sub-$300 price, you lose out on a bit of the zoom as this camcorder only gives you 15X zoom.

Canon ZR700 - Easy to use, ultra affordable at under $300, and ideal for wide-screen movie making, the ZR700 from Canon performs very well for its price. However, as with the other Canon camcorders, it doesn't do very well in dim light. It does feature a 25X zoom though which is the highest in this price range. The recording is done on a camcorder Mini-DV.