Camcorders - What to Look For

A camcorder is a portable electronic device (generally a digital camera) for recording video images and audio onto a storage device. The camcorder contains both camera and recorder in one unit, hence its portmanteau name. This compares to previous technology where they would be separate.

 

As the mainstream consumer market favors ease of use, portability, and price, consumer camcorder emphasize these features more than raw technical performance. For example, good low-light capabilities require large capturing chips, which affects price and size. Thus, consumer camorders are unable to shoot useful footage in dim light. Manual controls need space, either in menus or as buttons and make the use more complicated, which goes against the requirement of ease of use. Consumer units offer a plethora of I/O options (IEEE 1394/Firewire, USB 2.0, Composite and S-Video), but lack basic manual settings for video exposure. For the beginner, entry-level camcorders offer basic recording and playback capability.

For the sophisticated hobbyist (prosumer), high-end units offer improved optical and video performance through multi-CCD components and name-brand optics, manual control of camera exposure, and more, but even consumer camcorders which are sold for $1000 such as the Panasonic GS250 are not well-suited for recording in dim light. When dimly-lit areas are brightened in-camera or in post-production, considerable noise distracts the viewer.

Before the 21st century, consumer video editing was a difficult task requiring a minimum of two recorders. A contemporary Personal Computer of even modest power can perform digital video editing with low-cost editing software. Many consumer camcorders bundle a light version (with limited features.)

As of 2006, analog camcorders are not marketed anymore. In terms of sales, Digital8 and miniDV recorders dominate most first world markets. Camcorders which record directly on DVD media are also on the rise.

Hard disk based camcorders are appearing as well. They allow for recording directly to a large internal hard drive. JVC has several models out and Sony has released only one so far. Increased storage capacity over other types of media is the main advantage with these models. But with this follows a sligthly reduced image quality when compared to other formats such as MiniDV, making the ease of transferring the footage to a PC for quick editing the main attraction of Hard disk camcorders.(Wikipedia)

There are many, many options out there for individuals that want to buy a camcorder at a substantial discount. Oe of the best options is eBay. Simply search for your model and if you buy, buy from a seller with many positive ratings.

 

This Month's Submitted Article

Tips on how to get the most out of you video recording Let me tell you from experience how important it is to know how to shoot good digital video with your camcorder before going on that vacation or filming that big event. When I was getting married my sister offered to film the happy
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