Sony DCR-VX2000E

Sony's VX2000E is the successor to the VX1000, the camcorder that some believe single-handedly kick-started the DV revolution. The BBC reportedly has hundreds of VX1000s, so we were keen to see if the newer model could live up to its predecessor's reputation. The VX2000E looks the business, although its appearance isn't as professional as Canon's XL1S.

The lens and lens hood take up a good third of the camera's length, and the microphone is located on the built-in camera handle, away from the body to reduce background noise. This results in an extremely well-balanced camcorder that's surprisingly comfortable to use hand-held, despite its 1.4kg weight. The camcorder setting controls and AE programs are all conveniently placed within easy reach during shooting and encompass absolutely everything you need, including manual audio levels. There's even a neutral density filter with two levels. This is useful for reducing overexposure without adversely affecting colour reproduction when shooting in extremely bright daylight.

The LCD isn't the largest around at 2.5in, but with over 200,000 pixels it's very high resolution and still viewable even under fairly bright light. Some of the functions, such as the digital effects and zebra control, are hidden underneath the LCD, but you're unlikely to use them that often so this isn't a problem. As well as the zoom rocker, one of the rings around the lens can also be used for precise manual zooming, while another ring is available for manual focusing. IEEE-1394 and analog video connectivity can be found beneath a protective rubber strip. We had no problems capturing and playing back video over IEEE-1394 using an OHCI FireWire card and Ulead MediaStudio Pro 6.5.

Although feature rich, the VX2000E most impressed us when it came to image quality. Both indoors and out, colour reproduction and detail were top of the heap. The indoor shots exhibited no loss of detail when bathed in red light - the stumbling block for Canon's XL1S. The external shots offered a clear, properly contrasted and very faithful reproduction. The optical image stabiliser was effective without adversely affecting image quality, and autofocus was responsive and smooth. Audio reproduction was also the best on test, picking up the lowest amount of camera noise and showing the built-in mic was of high quality.

If you're after professional results and you have around £2,000 to spend, the DCR-VX2000E should certainly be at the top of your list.