So you want to buy a camcorder, but have no idea where to even begin? The Digital Camcorder News buying guide is designed to get you on your way to capturing great video.
The first step when buying a camcorder is to figure out what type of camcorder will fit your needs. Thankfully there are not a whole lot of types to choose from, and many manufacturers are combining different technologies into single camcorders to maximize shooting options.
Tape-based camcorders - Believe it or not, tape is still the highest quality format available for consumer camcorders. It is the least compressed format, which means your video footage is preserved at the best quality possible. However, tapes are only able to hold between 60 - 90 minutes each. Furthermore, to watch your footage you must play it straight from the camcorder, or find a way to get it from the camcorder to a more universal format like a DVD. Transferring footage to your computer takes place in real time, so one hour of footage will take one hour to capture.
Who is a tape-based camcorder good for? Those who are budget-conscious will find that tape-based camcorders, especially standard definition models, are often on the lower-end of the price spectrum. Professionals and Indie filmmakers who want the best quality possible for their productions will also want to put a tape-based camcorder on their list.
DVD camcorders - Camcorders that use DVDs for recording media are great for anyone who wants a format that is universally playable. This is the case with standard-definition DVD camcorders and will more steadily become the case with high-definition DVD camcorders as high-definition players become more available. DVD camcorders are generally foolproof as long as you remember to finalize your DVD, which makes it playable in your DVD player.
The downside to DVD camcorders is that they are historically not the best when it comes to video performance. Whether it is color accuracy, sharpness, or low-light performance, DVD camcorders always seem to lack in one respect or another. In general this is because of the use of much more compression on DVDs, which means that your video doesn't take up as much room on the disc, but also causes your footage to lose quality as the video file is downsized.
One other aspect of DVD camcorders to take into account is the recording time. DVD discs will generally hold about 20 minutes on the highest quality setting of a camcorder. Most camcorders are now compatible with dual-layer discs, which effectively double the recording time available to around 40 minutes. New high-definition camcorders that record to Blu-Ray discs can hold about 1 hour of footage.
Who are DVD camcorders good for? For the point-and-shoot user, DVD camcorders can take away a lot of the stress associated with trying to play your footage back. If your ultimate goal is to send footage of the little ones to Grandma, and you don't necessarily want to capture, edit, and then burn your footage to disc, a DVD camcorder could also come in handy.
Tapeless HDD camcorders - HDD (Hard Disk Drive) camcorders should be at the top of your list if you want to maximize your recording time as much as possible. With tapeless camcorders available in capacities up to 100GB, and soon higher, HDD camcorders will, on average, net you between 7-10 hours of recording time. Footage you record can easily be played back, transferred to computer, or even deleted with the push of a button. There are no discs or tapes to buy either, everything is built-in.
Who are HDD camcorders good for? HDD camcorders are very versatile and, therefore, there are many applications for their use. For example, HDD camcorders are great for frequent vacationers who don't want to worry about running out of space, and also don't want the hassle of having to switch out recording media. Parents recording plays, recitals, and even entire sporting events will also enjoy the increased recording capacity. Coaches, imagine being able to immediately play back selected shots during half-time to show the team what they need to work on. Editing options are becoming much more readily available, so creating your own home movies and sending them to relatives can be a breeze.
Tapeless Memory Card Camcorders - Tapeless camcorders that record to memory cards are becoming all the rage these days. Solid state flash memory means that the camcorders can be made much smaller and can withstand abuse to a far greater degree. As flash memory becomes cheaper and cheaper, and capacities reach the 32GB range, memory card camcorders will increasingly become a better choice for consumers.
Who are memory card camcorders good for? Low-end models are great choices for kids. They will come cheap, take a beating, and will enable easy uploading to video-sharing sites like YouTube. On the higher-end, you will enjoy tiny camcorders that generally take good quality video and are easy to use.
Hybrid camcorders - Hybrid camcorders are also becoming increasingly popular as consumers look for more flexibility in their purchases. A hybrid camcorder can be a combination of any of the above recording options including HDD/DVD, Memory card/DVD, HDD/DVD/Memory card, etc. There are plenty of combinations available, but the one that is generally sought after most is any combination with DVD in the mix. If you or the person you are buying for has an inconsolable fear of computers, a camcorder with hybrid DVD capabilities can be a lifesaver. Hybrid DVD camcorders will allow you to record your footage to another recording media (hard drive or memory card) and then transfer selected scenes to DVD, right in the camcorder itself. Most even include basic editing capabilities so that no computer is ever needed.
Who are hybrid camcorders for? Anyone who wants to bypass a computer but wants basic editing options. Hybrid camcorders are also good for those who want more recording options, or who want to pick and choose scenes to keep and discard while maximizing initial recording capacity.
What type of camcorder is right for you? This is the most important question to ask, and only you can answer it. The above suggestions don't apply to everyone, and even if they do there will be probably be something that makes your situation unique. Sit back and think about how you are really going to use your camcorder. Do you really need 13 hours of recording time, or is 20-40 minutes enough? Do you want to edit your footage together, or will you be using it exactly as it was recorded?
High definition or standard definition? If the camcorder is for your kids to use to record themselves and friends, standard definition will most likely be more than enough. The camcorder will be less expensive; therefore, if they break or lose it, you won't be as sad to lose the money you invested. However, if the camcorder is for yourself and you are using it to record "precious memories," you will want to spring for a high-definition camcorder.
"Precious memories" are things you will record that years down the line will be played back by your kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and so on. Whether it is your baby's first step, a child's birthday, or the family reunion, your precious memories deserve to be preserved in the highest quality possible. On top of this, technology is hurtling toward high-definition in every way possible. Down the road your movies will be played back on a screen that is HD, so why should your footage be recorded at a sub-standard resolution?
And so we come to perhaps the biggest qualifier for any camcorder purchase: price. Once you decide what type of camcorder you need, set a budget that you want to keep close to before you start shopping. True, camcorders that are higher priced will offer increased functionality and image quality, but life is what it is, and money can be used for more important things sometimes.
If you are stuck in the $200-500 price bracket I would suggest saving your money a little longer to get the best HD camcorder you possibly can. With prices on good HD camcorders approaching the $500-700 price range this is becoming much more feasible. If you absolutely cannot wait and save more money make sure to read the reviews and figure out which camcorder is going to give you the best quality for your money.
On the other hand, if you have absolutely no problem with spending your money you will still want to read the reviews since not all camcorders are created equal. Camcorders that cost hundreds of dollars more can sometimes be beat by the model that is much cheaper.
Where to now? Digital Camcorder News is a great place to start hunting for your new camcorder. You can browse camcorder reviews by brand or camcorder reviews by type or even camcorder reviews by date. You can also pick through the latest camcorder news from a number of different categories including: all camcorders, DVD camcorders, tapeless camcorders, and hybrid camcorders.
If you already know exactly which camcorder you want, or just want to check current prices, I highly recommend Amazon.com
Things you need to know - If you are new to camcorders there are some terms you will absolutely want to know before going shopping. These are also things that you may decide are necessary features for your camcorder to have, which will further narrow down you choices, making it easier to reach a decision.
Sensors - Camcorder sensors are a large part of what determines the video quality of a camcorder. As a general rule of thumb, camcorders with larger sensors will perform better in low-light situations, and camcorders will more pixels on the sensor will produce a sharper image. Camcorders with three sensors (one each for the red, green, and blue color spectrum) will also increase the sharpness and quality of the image, though sometime at a slight cost of low-light performance. If you are new to camcorders, don't worry too much about the difference between CMOS and CCD sensors, as they are both getting almost interchangeable when it comes to quality. All these rules are flexible when it comes to camcorders, however, and it is important to read the reviews on the camcorders you are looking at to make sure they match up with your needs.
Zoom - A major feature to look for is the zoom capabilities of a camcorder. Those recording sports or plays will want to invest in a longer zoom, since sometimes you will be up in the bleachers or in the back of the auditorium. Camcorders have both an optical and a digital zoom. Optical zoom refers to the zoom that is done through the lens using real-world optics, like binoculars or a telescope. Digital zoom is basically equivalent to zooming into a picture on your computer. The picture becomes pixelated because you are essentially zooming in on a portion of a picture. Bottom line: ignore digital zoom and only focus on optical.
Stabilization - Camcorder image stabilization decreases the amount of shake when you are handholding a camcorder. It comes in two flavors: digital image stabilization and optical image stabilization (OIS). OIS is superior 99% of the time because it involves elements within the lens itself moving to correct for shakiness. Digital image stabilization is the process by which the camcorder moves the image on the camcorder's sensor around to compensate for any shake. This results in decreased resolution and is less effective than optical image stabilization.
Audio - Are you recording anything that requires good quality audio? Make sure the camcorder you choose has the option of using an external microphone. This can apply to situations such as recording short films, plays, or singing engagements.
Battery - Be sure to check the estimated life of your chosen camcorder's battery. Most will only last about 1 to 1.5 hours on a single charge. It is always a good idea to buy an extended life battery for your camcorder. You will need it a lot.
