Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE

There are now plenty of small and stylish high-definition video cameras, although some of those cut down on features to fit into a small body.

The titanium Sony TG7VE, however, is slick: compact, sturdy, ultra-light and packed with features. Its 16GB internal memory gives approximately six hours of standard, long-play video recording or just under two hours in the top-quality mode. There is a slot for a Sony Memory Stick to expand this by a further 16GB.

Where the TG7VE really excels is its ease of use: flip open the 2.7in touch-screen viewfinder to turn it on, then press the oversized rear-mounted record button to begin capturing. A discreet circular toggle surrounding the record button controls the zoom while a small button to the bottom left of this controls the taking of (four-megapixel) still shots.

Both the standard and high-definition video recording modes produced excellent results: well defined and, more importantly, pleasingly warm. There was a little too much red colouring in the recordings using the default settings, although this can be adjusted in the sub-menus, using the touch-screen.

There are lots of extra features. For instance, there is a smile detector that takes full-resolution stills automatically while filming video – it can be pre-set so that smiles are prioritised as the focal point. Other interesting modes include spot focus, which focuses subjects that you define by touching the screen, tele-macro, which shoots subjects in focus with the background blurred, and smooth slow record, which records fast-moving subjects in slow motion.

Interestingly, for ardent travellers who want to identify exactly where they shot their footage, the TG7VE also has built-in GPS tracking with which to add location markers to recordings. The camera can also edit together recorded footage by itself, adding a soundtrack in the process, though the results we got from this were not always good.

The TG7VE is a fantastic performer and an even better looker. However, the same features are available on cheaper cameras – with more memory – if you are prepared to put up with a less good-looking device.

If all of the above is important, though, the TG7VE is available for less than its RRP at online retailers.