Sony's HDR-SR12 HD camcorder is just one of the many models you'll find in our latest Ratings of high-definition camcorders. (Click to enlarge.)
[ Photo: Consumer Reports ]

We've just added more than a dozen new camcorders to our Ratings, including nine high-definition and five standard-definition models. The new batches reveal a number of trends that, for the most part, will benefit consumers:

• Both HD and SD camcorders are cheaper to buy: About 18 months ago, the cheapest HD camcorder in our Ratings was $590. Now, there are three models available for less than $575. (The cheapest is the Sanyo VPC-CA9, for $375.)
• Manufacturers are producing more flash-based and hard-disk models and fewer MiniDV and DVD disc models than in the past. However, we still have at least four models of each of these older formats, and they're generally less expensive than the flash and hard-disk models.
• More optical zoom: SD models have optical zooms as high as 70x. HD models have also increased, with some models including 16x optical zoom lenses.
• Most models are smaller, lighter and easier to carry. Some can almost slip into a pocket. However, with this reduction in size comes some trade offs, such as the elimination of a viewfinder. This can be a problem when trying to shoot on a bright day, since the sun can wash out the image on your display, making it a challenge to compose your video.
• One common problem we've found in nearly all HD and SD camcorder models of the past was that they didn't perform well in low light. But our newest batch has some exceptions to this rule, at least among the high-def models. Look to our Ratings to see which HD camcorders excelled in low light.

You can check out the latest HD and SD camcorders on our Ratings pages. Also, stay tuned for our upcoming coverage of high-def pocket camcorders, which are smaller still than any of the models in our main Ratings. —Terry Sullivan