Sony's Latest mini DV based hi-def shooter is so attractive, you won't be able to turn your gaze elsewhere until you've picked it up, pasted your fingerprints all over it, and had a go at it. In a part-metal part-plastic jet black body, it looks more like a weapon. Weighing a rather heavy 550g, the HC9 is certainly heftier than its competitors. Still, it's very comfortable to hold and shoot, and Sony's tried and tested touch-sensitive LCD screen ensures that it's a breeze to set up and use. The overall look is slick and devoid ofbuttons. There's your regular mode dial to change between shooting, stills, and playback mode, and dedicated buttons for flash and manual focus. Before all you home-porn buffs start squabbling, Super NightShot mode in all its greenie infra-red glory is present as well, and instantly activated via a simple slider. So go ahead, lads, and shoot your escapades for all the world to see.

Feature wise, there's a lot to be had: the 1/2.9inch CMOS sensor now dishes out 6.1-meg still images, and video in the industry-accepted HDV format 1440X1080i. The 10X optically stabilised zoom lens is made by Carl Zeiss. There's no dearth of manual controls and the camcorder is loaded on the connectivity front. For instance, you'll find USB, Firewire, HDMI, hot-shoe flash support, and a Memory Stick Pro Duo slot that will come in handy for shooting stills or video when you're out of tape.

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Overall, this hi-defbaby is a charm to use. The battery ought to last you anything between 75-90 minutes depending on how much you use the zoom or keep the LCD on. Video quality is top-notch - footage is rich, perfectly focused, and generally noise-free. The built-in microphone too is quite sensitive and catches softly spoken dialogue clearly. You won't feel the need to attach an external mic even though this shooter supports the option.

To sum it up, Sony's newest miniDV camcorder will let you create your own short film with ease while churning out professional looking results. And to make the offer juicier, this one's cheaper than its predecessor.