No-one would deny that the HG10 is high spec. A compact, lightweight HDD AVCHD device, based on the imaging system of its prestigious precursor the HV20 and retailing at around £600, it’s obviously aimed at the experienced and demanding camera user – making it an ideal target for some outspoken commentary on the net.

Camcorderinfo.com is a great place to start, with David Kender posting a thorough review which concludes that the HG10 ‘tops the competition in performance, portability, and handling’, and sparks an interesting debate about the overall value of HDD capability in the reader comments.

Over at CNET, Lori Grunin awards the HG10 a ‘very good’ 7.5 score thanks to the ‘sharp, well-exposed photos and HD videos’, although she has some reservations about the design. TrustedReviews are less cautious, awarding a stonking 9/10 for ‘an impressive piece of kit.’

However, don’t take their word for it – talk to the man on the (digital) street. Two lively forum threads can be found at Digital Director and Simply DV – both good places to browse the latest HG10 buzz.