Weighing in at around 2 pounds, Hitachi's VME545LAVP 8mm camcorder offers a wide range of advanced features in a lightweight package. It has a 0.55-inch black-and-white eyepiece viewfinder and a 2.5-inch fold-out/rotatable LCD screen. Zoom capabilities range from 16x optical/32x digital to a special-effect zoom equivalent of 120x (although the special-effect zoom compromises picture quality).

With 0.8 LUX illumination, you can film in light lower than that from a single candle. Many exposure controls come preset, such as auto backlight, auto white balance, and auto shutter, but you do have the option of focusing automatically or manually. Along with the exposure modes, the Hitachi VME545LAVP features a package of built-in special effects including mosaic, mirror, negative-positive, and panoramic shots. You can fade in and out with one of six programmed fades. This model also includes flying erase heads to keep transitions between shots smooth.

The Hitachi VME545LAVP is designed with a built-in lens cap as well as automatic tile and date options. This camcorder kit comes with a Perfect Power battery system, an 11-key remote control, a tripod, a carrying case, and an 8mm tape.