There were plenty of high-definition camcorders at this year’s show, but none of them rivals the innovation inside Sony’s HDR-UX20. This model not only captures footage at an impressive 1920 x 1080 pixels, it offers face detection for both photos and videos, allocated more pixels to the detected face on the fly. We really like the Face Roll Index, which remembers specific faces and lets you sort accordingly. The HDR-UX20 also has a built-in zoom mic, so as you zoom in closer visually on a subject, you should be able to hear what he or she is saying.

You won’t find more recording flexibity on any camcorder. You can record to the built-in 8 GB of internal memory (about an hour of footage in 1920 HD mode), Memory Stick Pro DUO, or DVD media. And you can copy images and videos from the internal memory or Memory Stick to DVD for playback. A 2.3-MP CMOS censor in combination with a BIONZ image processor ensures crisp video footage with a minimum amount of noise, and you can capture 4-MP still shots. If you’re going to shoot in high-def, you won’t find a more versatile or powerful option for the price.