Weighing just 13.5 ounces, the Canon Elura 40MC is the sleekest MiniDV camcorder yet. The 2-inch flip-out LCD is small, but the unit's nicely rounded vertical design and thoughtful control layout more than make up for this shortcoming. Only the photo button and zoom slider occupy the right side of the camera—a welcome minimalist touch.

Viewed on a TV, our videos were close to flawless. The 40MC revealed individual hairs on a golden retriever, exhibited excellent color saturation outdoors, and performed admirably in low-light conditions. Audio was loud but never unclear. Our only gripe is that the device was sometimes slow to focus.

Unfortunately, there's no built-in flash for taking still shots. But since camcorders are judged primarily by how they handle moving images, the Canon Elura 40MC is one of the most alluring choices available.