You’ve been saving part of your allowance or part of your salary for months just to get you dream camcorder, but your budget always seems to be short as the months drag on. Why go for those expensive ones when there are others out there that are cheaper and still are top-of-the-line? The following video cameras are all under $500.

Canon ZR850 – 35x optical zoom, 1.07 megapixels, $180 to $299.

Panasonic VDR-D210 – 1000x digital zoom, lens aperture F/1.8 to 3.7, $219 to $340.

Panasonic PV-GS320 – optical sensor type 3CCD, manual and automatic settings, $323 to $499.

Canon ZR830 MiniDV – 1000x digital zoom, 6.8 megapixels, $186 to $279.

More information: CNET

Image source: CNET