Videomaker

The best video production products of 2011, selected by the editors of Videomaker.

2011 was a great year for video products. The increasing convergence of traditional camcorders with DSLRs, the emergence of consumer 3D, the widening availability of cameras with interchangeable lenses and other innovations have made this an exciting time to be passionate about video. After duking it out once again, defending our favorites, we're ready to reveal our picks for the best of the best from 2011. And the winners are...

Most Groundbreaking Camcorder

Sony NEX-FS100
That the NEX-FS100 by Sony should receive Best Product honors was a given as it excels on so many levels. It sports a Super 35mm sensor, uses interchangeable lenses and records in a variety of sizes from 480 to 1080p, to you-name-it in the AVCHD codec at 9, 17, 24 or even at Sony's new 28 Mb/s mode. Add dual medium recording, a viewfinder that rotates more than 90 degrees to either side and the ability to under or over-crank from 1 to 60fps and you'll see why the Sony FS100 is our pick for Videomaker's Most Groundbreaking Camcorder of the Year.

BEST Consumer Camcorder

Panasonic HDC-TM40
Big on low price and compact size, the HDC-TM40 is a very capable camera. Its ability to shoot full 1920x1080 HD onto a 16GB built-in flash drive and up to 64GB SDHC/SDXC media card, with 16.8x Optical Zoom, POWER Optical Image Stabilization, and all at an affordable price make the Panasonic HDC-TM40 a worthy recipient of Videomaker's Best Consumer Camcorder award.

BEST Professional Camcorder

Canon XF300
More than just a pro look and feel, the XF300 proved itself most worthy of Best Product honors with intuitive, easy-to-use controls; focus, exposure and saturation assist features. Add to that 4:2:2 color sampling, dual CompactFlash card slots and the ability to switch frame rates, resolutions and bit rates on the same card - without rebooting. Throw in a killer 18x HD lens, with independent rings for focus, zoom and iris and the Canon XF300 is a shoo-in for Videomaker's Best Professional Camcorder of the Year. read more...