About HK$9,000 to HK$10,000 buys a mini-DV camcorder offering broadcast-quality video. Once the domain of TV stations and movie makers, the DV format has become affordable to the consumer as technological advances drive prices lower.

Unlike analogue camcorders, DV camcorders produce all-digital video that can be downloaded to the PC, edited and written back to a fresh tape or CD without losing quality. They also reproduce better colour, picture sharpness and sound quality and the video captured by DV camcorders will not degrade over time, as analogue video does.

DV camcorders also can take still shots, so those contemplating buying a digital camera might want to consider DV camcorders. However, if you are looking for high-quality, high-resolution digital photographs, stick with a still camera - I still haven't seen a DV camera in the HK$8,000 to HK$12,000 price range with comparable quality.

The same goes for digital cameras with video. While many three-plus megapixel digital cameras can take 30 seconds to 45 seconds short video clips - and the Sony DSC85 records up to 90 minutes of video if you get the 128MB Memory Stick - the video quality is inferior to DV camcorders.

All DV camcorders have a high-speed serial connection for loading video into a PC or laptop. You will need an IEEE 1394 (FireWire or i-Link) card, and video-editing software. At Windsor House and Wan Chai Computer Mall, you can buy DV editing components, including the IEEE 1394 card and lower-end editing software, for about HK$600 to HK$1,000.

Adobe Premiere is the professional's choice. Entry-level to mid-range choices include editing software from Ulead Systems, MGI Software and Digital Origins.

You also will need a powerful computer to work with video files. It could be frustrating if you are working with an underpowered PC. If you have a Pentium II 333 MHz and upwards, you should be right.

According to a helpful Fortress sales assistant at Times Square, the best-selling DV camcorder there is JVC's GR-DVM90. It costs HK$8,990, just $1,000 more than the Sony DC85, a digital still camera. However, do not think that the JVC gives inferior graphics just because it is relatively inexpensive. The camcorder offers stunning pictures with great clarity though it seemed to have a little trouble focusing in dark settings.

While the JVC looked like an ogre next to the slim and sleek DV swans from Canon and Sony, you will appreciate the bulkier form because it is easier to handle the controls.

The smaller and ultra-light Canon ZR10 has tiny buttons cramped on to a crowded surface. While you are still unfamiliar with the camcorder, it is easy to keep hitting the wrong button.

I have read rave reviews of the Canon ZR10 in the US editions of PC Magazine and PC World. Panasonic has several entry-level and middle-of-the-road performers at Fortress, ranging from less than HK$7,000 to HK$9,000. Sharp's VL-SD20U, priced at HK$5,480, is the cheapest camcorder on the market.

I said earlier the JVC was ogre-like, but the Sharp is a bigger monster. Shaped like an old Kodak Polaroid, you will need two hands to carry its obese form. It reproduces decent video but I would recommend the unit to those who are price-sensitive.

If you want the top of the line and would not think twice about parting with HK$11,990, get Sony's DCRPC110. From my experience with the Sony, and this was confirmed by a friend who bought it a month ago, the DCRPC110 produced high-quality video in the widest range of settings - on bright days, in dimly lit rooms and even in the dark of night.