Fancy
Sony Handycam HDR-CX7
Compact and comfortable to hold in your palm, the CX7 captures brilliant high-definition footage and puts it on a flash memory card (in this case, memory stick). To help fight shaky-hand syndrome, Sony added optical image stabilization. The LCD screen features touch controls.
$1,200; sony.com
Cheap
RCA EZ201 Small Wonder
This no-frills pocket camcorder with a flip-out lcd screen has enough built-in memory to store an hour's worth of clips, and the microSD card slot lets you add more. A USB plug slides out of the top for quick uploads to your PC, and the basic button controls take no time to figure out.
$99; mysmallwonder.com
Something Different
Canon DC50 DVD camcorder
It's a bit pricey for a standard-definition digicam, but you get top-notch picture quality and rich color because of its extra-large image sensor. The DVD drive adds heft, but the mini discs will play in almost any DVD player, so when you mail one off to your parents, they'll know what to do.
$799; canon.com