Digital camcorders make shooting videos and editing them on your home computer a breeze. You can create movies and output them to tape or DVD, or even post them on the Web. Whether you want to record shots of your new baby or family holidays, we have right type of camcorder for your needs.
Depending on the model, camcorders will have a mix of the following features:
Screen: A large LCD screen built into the camcorder lets you see what you're recording more easily and facilitates playback previews. But remember that some screens don't work well in bright sunlight. Most camcorders come with both an LCD screen and a viewfinder, giving you the option of using either. The viewfinder can be useful if you can't see the screen in bright light; it also uses less power than the screen, extending the camcorder battery's life
Lens: Every camcorder comes with a zoom lens that lets you get closer to your subject. Camcorder manufacturers don't always distinguish clearly between digital and optical zoom. The spec for maximum optical zoom is the more relevant figure: it denotes the maximum zoom that the lens itself can achieve without enhancement. Most modern camcorders have at least a 10X optical zoom, which should be more than adequate for general purposes. A digital zoom, on the other hand, magnifies after the optical zoom is fully extended, and the camcorder then enlarges part of the image to fill the screen. This method leads to grainy, pixelated, and generally unpleasant-looking images. At higher digital zoom settings, the quality is so poor that you often can't see what you are taping
Image stabilization: All camcorders offer one of two types of image stabilization -- optical or electronic -- to minimize shaky video caused by unsteady hands. With optical stabilization, the camcorder's lens mechanism moves to compensate for external movement. With electronic image stabilization, the image captured by the lens "floats" on the CCD, and the camcorder uses internal circuitry after the image has been captured to interpret the video. Optical stabilization usually provides the best results, but it's typically found in more expensive camcorders
Microphones: Sound is almost as important to a video as the images. Camcorders with microphones mounted on the front tend to produce better sound than those with microphones on the top; in particular, top-mounted microphones often pick up the voice of the person operating the camera, drowning out everything else. Some camcorders offer zoom microphones that emphasize the subject's voice when the zoom lens is used, and some also come with a socket for plugging in an external microphone. Either type of microphone can be very useful when you're recording presentations or speeches
Still photography: Many digital camcorders can serve as digital cameras, saving still images to a memory card. Some can save images at the same resolution as a 5-megapixel camera. Their quality, though, isn't as good as a digital camera
Controls: Owning the fanciest camcorder in the world won't do you any good if you can't use it. Smaller camcorders can be a little more difficult to use because their controls don't naturally sit where your fingers fall, particularly if you have large hands
Night mode: Many camcorders have the ability to film in very low light, whether with the help of an infrared light (which you can't see, but the camcorder can), a special slow-shutter mode that makes the most of ambient lighting, or built-in illumination from one or more LEDs. Some models offer all three methods. Night modes can be very useful in poorly illuminated settings, such as when you're recording a camping trip or capturing on tape the creatures that wander into your yard after nightfall
Format: Most camcorders use the MiniDV and DVD formats, but a few other formats are available, such as Sony's Digital 8, MicroMV, and Flash memory. A Digital 8 camcorder records digitally to Hi-8 videotapes and can also play back videotapes recorded on analog camcorders; the downside is that camcorders that use Hi-8 tapes are typically larger than miniDV models. MicroMV camcorders use a type of tape that is smaller than a MiniDV tape and the camcorders that use such tapes are smaller than MiniDV models. Flash memory-based camcorders are smaller still, but their recording times are limited by card capacity
3CCD models: Some MiniDV camcorders record video using three CCD sensors instead of one. They record reds to one CCD, greens to another, and blues to the third. The camcorder then combines the footage into one stream
Wide angle shooting: Several camcorders now allow you to shoot in the 16-by-9 aspect ratio used by HDTVs (even if the camcorders still shoot in standard definition resolution)
High-definition recording: Two or three expensive camcorder models record in a high-definition format called HDV. Because HDV is highly compressed, it requires a very powerful computer to decode the files and an HDV compatible video-editing application to edit them. (Few consumer video-editing applications support HDV right now.) Even a powerful computer will take much more time -- hours, not minutes -- to render HDV files than standard definition, DV-format files
The choice that you make will depend on a lot of factors such as budget and what you intend to use the camera for. In general, along with price, you should look at the size of the screen you want, weight, type of microphone (if sound is important to you) to find a model right for you.
Also keep in mind that the size of the screen and lots of extra features will increase the price, ease of use, weight and overall size. The smallest camcorder is no good to you if your hands are too big to use the controls. Always try out the camcorder before you buy.
Digital and optical zooms don't vary much across categories. Most camcorders come with at least 10X optical zoom, which is more than enough for the average user. The optical zoom capability is far more important than the digital zoom.
Users generally fall into three categories:
Entry Level
You fall into this category if you are a first-time buyer of a camcorder and want to use the camera to capture memories. If you want to edit at home, you will need to have a computer that will allow you to do basic editing and have at least 13 GB of free space, 512 RAM and over1.5 GHZ processes.
Mid-Level
You fall into this category if have owned an entry-level camcorder before and want to upgrade, or want specific features and willing to invest more in technology. If you wish to edit on your computer, you should at least those requirements of the entry-level user and probably allow more RAM and a higher processor speed.
High End
These users would probably be video hobbyists or professionals who have experience in using digicams.
The table below will help you buy the correct digicam.
| Feature | Entry Level | Mid Level | High End |
| LCD Screen | A large screen makes it easier to see what you are recording and play back | ||
| 2 to 2.5 inches | 2.5 to 3.5 inches | 2.5 and above | |
| Microphone | Sound is a almost important to a video as the images. A font mounted microphone gets better results and a zoom or external microphone even better | ||
| Top or front mounted | Top or front mounted with zoom and external option | Front mounted with zoom and external option | |
| Weight | A heavy camera can tire you out before you even finish shooting but cameras with lots of features will be heavier | ||
| 425g-650g | 284g-650g | 650g and above | |
| Night Mode | Night mode allows you shoot in very little light. This is done using special infrared or long shutter modes. In high end models LED illumination can be built into the camera | ||
| Infrared or long shutter mode | Infrared, long shutter mode, LED light | Infrared, long shutter mode, LED Light | |
| Number of CCD’S | The camcorder’s CCD device captures your image information. With three CCD’s each captures a different colour, resulting in greater colour accuracy and a shaper image | ||
| 1 | 1 or 3 | 3 | |
| Ports | S-Video and composite in ports allow you to record from other sources such as older analog camcorder | ||
| Fire Wire, S-Video Out, Composite Out | Fire Wire, S-Video In/Out, Composite In/Out | Fire Wire, S-Video In/Out, Composite In/Out | |
| Recording Media | The most widely available recording tape is the Mini DV but DVD camcorders are also growing popular | ||
| Digital 8, MiniDV | Digital 8, Mini DV, DVD, MicroMV | Mini DV | |
Here are some additional tips to help you get the best camcorder for your money:
- See the LCD screen in the sunlight so they you can see if you’re happy with the display. Use the view finder in bright light if you’re unhappy with the display
- Look at the optical zoom not the digital zoom – you want at least 10X optical zoom
- Go for a higher capacity battery to give you more recording time
- Front-mounted microphones give better results as top-mounted ones tend to capture the voice of the person recording
- Buy an external microphone if you want the best sound quality
- Try out the controls to ensure it is comfortable to use
- Check if the camera has night mode
- Know the format you’re getting. Digital 8 camcorders record on Hi-8 tapes and can also play back video tapes recorded on analogue camcorders
- Micro MV tapes will require special software for editing as most video editing software don’t support this format, or you will have to convert it into another format first
