JVC Professional JVC GY-HD201E

Accurate colour capture. Excellent choice of lenses. 50fps progressive capture.

Pricy. No battery or charger as standard. Footage not as sharp as Sony PMW-EX1.

But for more general shooting, one of its lesser siblings would make more sense. It's worth noting that the GY-HD201E uses the high-end IDX system, and doesn't come with batteries or a charger, so add around £1,000 to the price for these. If you don't...

Accurate colour capture, excellent choice of lenses, 50fps progressive capture

Pricey, no battery or charger as standard, footage not as sharp as Sony PMW-EX1

A decent camcorder, but one of JVC's cheaper models would make sense for many users.