All of the above camcorders are compatible with Sony's just-announced DVDirect Express burner ($150), which allows you to burn standard-definition DVDs directly from the camcorders.

Rounding out the group of megazoom camcorders are two mini-DVD models, the Handycam DCR-DVD850 ($430, available in February) and DCR-DVD650 ($300, also available in February). The DCR-DVD850 has a 16GB flash drive and a Memory Stick slot, in addition to a 3-inch mini-DVD writer; the DCR-DVD650 records only to Memory Stick and mini-DVD. Both offer a 60X optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens, a 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD, and Super SteadyShot optical stabilization.

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