Of all the camcorders I reviewed this year this one sticks in my mind as being the overall best looking, great shape, practical camcorder I reviewed. I was very impressed with the picture quality in normal lighting conditions, loved the use of SDHC cards, the most affordable media available to date and the SxS clip on recorder.

JVC decided to use 1/3″ CCDs in this camcorder instead of CMOS and apart from low light shooting the CCD gives a great account of itself. The huge flip out LCD is not only sharp but very usable and as usual we get two headphone sockets…fantastic.

The use of the three colours to indicate what mode you are in is the best I have seen to date, this is a truly groundbreaking camcorder from many angles and JVC should be proud to be given the title of “Best HD Camcorder of 2009″

This was a hard one but for frame rates and practical usage the GH1 in my opinion beat the competition. The main reason I choose this HSLR is it was the first and only swivel viewfinder camera to appear during 2009.

I was further convinced by Joe Shaw’s “Salsa Kingdom” shot entirely with the GH1 although not with the stock lens, though thats OK as interchangeable means not having to stick to stock lenses.

( http://exposureroom.com/members/jshaw300.aspx/assets/a68b3949b9ab4abc9dba49e59fe7168d )

With the swivel viewfinder this DSLR is the only model to come close to a video camera in usage and the AVCHD is a standard video codec which saves conversion time. Personally I think this is the cinderella of HD DSLR’s, the Canon’s are all getting huge hype while this camera hits far more sweet spots than a 7D.

Well done Panasonic for their well deserved title of “Best HD HSLR of 2009″.

This is a cracking piece of kit from Sony though it took 16 months to develop the firmware to allow EX users to transfer their files back to the U1, technically it belongs to 2008 but the new 2009 firmware  made it a good al-rounder. It’s the only solution for a number of HD formats and can also store Panasonic P2 files as well !

Well done Sony.

Having reviewed this APP during the year when it was called ‘Hitchcock’ I thought how useful this APP would be for producing simple be effective storyboards. Some Productions won’t start till you have produced a storyboard and this is the best way of producing a very quick but informative set of ideas which can be printed for your clients to view.

Once you have taken all your pictures you can move them about, add timings, audio and various tracking and crabbing effects which will playback like a small movie right in front of impressed clients.

You can even add male or female silhouettes as full body, mid or tight shots, this APP is stunningly brilliant and at £11.99 a snip for anyone producing storyboards in a regular or not so regular basis.Well done Cinemek for this more than useful tool for both the video and film industry.

So why did I pick H Preston Media…read on…

Preston’s as they are affectionately known as have been selling Pro video kit for over 20 years selling Sony and Panasonic gear plus all the accessories that no one has to offer or keep in stock.

Even today if you phone the London office you can speak with the boss, John Preston himself and that’s what stands Preston’s head and shoulders above the rest is the fact that the boss mucks in and is not hidden away in an office.

Preston’s are a friendly bunch to deal with and the first Pro video retailer to offer trade in’s. This one feature has given John and his staff the edge and has kept a loyal band of professional cameramen happy for a good number of years.

When I phone up Preston’s I am usually recognised by one of the boy’s and giving my credit card details can have a badly needed piece of kit up to Glasgow the next day.

Preston’s is all about comradeship to old regulars like myself, having the odd joke over the phone and having a laugh with John’s mother talking about her wee dog Chelsea who frequents the shop in Malvern.

John’s father, the late John Preston snr. started the business in 1961 selling electrical equipment to evolve into a thriving pro video retailer with 2 shops, Malvern and London.

Well done John, the boys, Mrs Preston and her wee dog ‘Chelsea’ and the accounts dept for all your hard work and the well deserved title of “Best Pro Retailer of 2009″

PS. I have to put my hand up as having an interest with Preston’s as I produce video reviews for them but that was only to address the balance against one other internet/shop retailer.

You have got until the 15th December 2009 to tell us your Best Camcorder…HD SLR…Best Retailer…HD field monitor…Tripod…HD Archive solution…Best Gadget…Apple App for Video. Leave your list in the “comments tab” above and good luck.