• Design Horizontal; vertical; compact; ultracompact; combo
• Lens type 10X or greater zoom controlled via switch or lens ring; electronic or optical image stabilisation
• Sensor 1/4-inch or 1/3-inch CCD; minimum 690,000-pixel effective (a.k.a. actual) video resolution; 1- or 2-megapixel effective still-image resolution
• Minimum illumination rating 2 to 7 lux (lower is better)
• Recording format MiniDV; MicroMV; mini DVD-R/RW/RAM; Microdrive/CompactFlash
• Ports and connectors FireWire (a.k.a. i.Link or IEEE 1394); A/V; USB; S-Video; accessory shoe; microphone terminal; headphone terminal
• Exposure controls Automatic; exposure shift; programmed scene modes; spot metering; low-light infrared mode; built-in video light; pop-up flash for stills
• Focus controls Automatic; manual option via dial on camcorder body or ring on lens; spot focus
• Viewfinder and LCD Colour viewfinder and 3-inch or larger colour LCD
• Multimedia Memory card slot that supports high-capacity media (SD or Memory Stick Pro) for photo capture; MPEG-1 or MPEG-4 video for Web and e-mail

Nice features to look for

• Simultaneous video recording and photo capture;
• high-definition capture;
• Bluetooth and networking features for wireless on-camera Web and e-mail access;
• digital effects;
• fader;
• Webcam functionality;
• 16:9 aspect-ratio mode for wide-screen playback;
• remote control;
• touch-screen LCD;
• interval recording;
• analog-to-digital conversion for digitising 8mm or Hi8 video;
• laser-assisted autofocus;
• compatibility with portable printer for photos