Looking back, we'll remember 2003 as the year camcorder vendors got serious about still-image quality. The Holy Grail for memory mongers would be a single device that can serve to take digital pictures as well as videos. The models we tested for this story are among the first 3- and 4-megapixel camcorders on the market.

This year also brought us the first affordable units with prosumer features such as manual audio gain (the ability to monitor and control volume of incoming audio) and zebra striping (where potentially overexposed areas of a scene are highlighted with stripes on the viewfinder, so that the shooter can take corrective action). This roundup also includes the first three-ccd video camera priced under $1,500.

Specs and features aside, however, quality is always a top priority for a camcorder, so we've applied a rigorous blend of labs-based and informal testing, with juries ranking the five entries on video image quality. The reviews below report and explain these findings, as well as the results of our hands-on testing. And while we found several laudable camcorders in this group, none supplants the Canon Optura 20 (see "Hot Shots, Cool Cuts," October 1) as our Editors' Choice among prosumer models. The Optura 20 delivers very good image quality and a host of features (including a 16X optical zoom lens) for just $999 list.

DV Cameras Get Better with Stills

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• Canon Optura Xi
• JVC GR-DX300
• Panasonic PV-DV953
• Samsung SC-D5000
• Sony DCR-PC330

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