The death of the MiniDV camcorder seems to be drawing nearer, but are tapeless camcorders really the end-all camcorder format? The NY Times has an excellent article entitled, “Beware the Tapeless Camcorder.” It echoes a lot of what is in the camcorder buying guide right here at Digital Camcorder News, and adds some new points as well.
The quality of MiniDV tape is still higher than that of any tapeless camcorder format, bar none. When compared to DVD camcorders, the length of time you can record on MiniDV camcorders is 2-4 times as much. Also, editing footage from tape-based camcorders is much more supported and faster than editing tapeless formats.
The article adds to these points by bringing up the issue of longevity. If you are shooting for quick dissemination to friends or to YouTube, you are not going to care about how long your DVD or hard drive will last. However, if you are shooting for posterity, and you want your children’s children to see the video, you may want to reconsider your choice of camcorders.
