Choosing a camcorder is
a process that few people are familiar with, as most of us have just walked
into the store, looked at camcorders or asked the clerk for help, and walked
out with the model that caught our eye. It may seem like a complex process,
but the truth is that it is actually quite simple. Here are a few things to
remember when you’re choosing your new camcorder:
Format
The camcorder will store
the video that you are capturing in a number of different ways.
The first format for
recording is transferring the video directly onto a tape, kind of like the way
the old ones did. This tape is called Mini DV, and is the most easily available
type.
The second format is
burning the video immediately onto a 3 inch DVD disc. These are convenient for
those at home, and you can add information every time you record until the disc
is full – usually with about an hour of video. You can by discs that can not
only be recorded on, but that can be re-written on for your convenience.
The final format is a
small hard disk built into the computer, and the video is stored in digital
format. This is the latest style, and is the easiest to use for storing your
information. These camcorders tend to be more expensive.
Zoom
There are two kinds of
zoom that you will need to deal with as
Optical zoom is how much
the actual camera lens will be able to zoom in, kind of like how cameras zoom
in. You will want to find a camcorder with as much optical zoom as possible, as
the optical zoom is clear and will allow you to get close shots.
Digital zoom is what the
digital cameras can do, but this zoom is fairly useless. It will usually
produce very blurry images, but it will ensure that you can zoom up to 12 or 15
times to get up real close.
If you’re going to take
close zoomed shots, it’s important to find a camera that comes with image
stabilization features. This feature will help to reduce the blurry appearance
of the video that you’re capturing, and will ensure that the video remains
steady even if your hand is shaking.
Resolution
The average camcorder
has a decent resolution, but the more expensive ones will be able to take HD
videos. You will find that a digital camcorder that can take videos of 1080p
will produce amazing quality videos, though your average one will only be able
to shoot 720p or lower. Also, ask if the camcorders have three separate color
chips, as the three chips each control a third of the color spectrum. This will
make the videos not only much brighter and properly colored, but will also help
to improve the quality of the video.
Connectivity
The latest camcorders
are made to store the videos in digital format on the camcorder’s hard drive,
and this is the best option if you want to store the videos. It can be a bit
challenging to play the 3 inch DVDs, as you have to find the right disk drive.
The Mini DV tapes are even harder to play if you don’t have the right gear, so
it’s always best to go with the camcorders with the hard disks. It will be a
lot easier for you to copy the information to your computer, as you can connect
via USB cable.
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