Home Media Store

So you (or a loved one) want a camcorder this Christmas, how do you decide which one is best? Best is kind of an elusive idea, but in general if you assess the needs of the person or how they will use the device most often, then that should guide your decision making process.

For example, camcorders clearly come in a variety of formats. Some store infomation on a hard drive, some on miniDV tapes, some on DVDs, and some on flash memory. Flash memory camcorders tend to be the most portable but miniDV is a good choice for those who want to do a lot of film editing. Hard drive camcorders with 40GB drives or more are great for those who want to record video for hours and hours before downloading.

For those who want to take their camcorder along on outdoor excursions, it can be important to get something more rugged that will withstand the elements.  In fact there are some waterproof camcorders that can not only tolerate some moisture, but can record while submerged in shallow water; depths of say 5 to 6 feet.  A few are made for diving, but special housings are often the best answer for such purposes. Of course, another consideration for those who will be out and about with their camcorder is GPS. GPS camcorders always keep the accurate time regardless of your location, can pinpoint location, and geotag what you record. These are great for travelers.

Some people want to consolidate and use their camcorder as a still camera as well. Luckily, some camcorders can capture still photos that are quite respectable and may even allow you to grab still images from video that you've taken.  It's important to look for digital camera type features however, to get good results.

If something small, affordable, and super easy to use is more important, then there are a wide variety of pocket camcorders available now. Some record HD quality video and will upload to online video sharing sites with just the push of a button.

If someone is more serious about their filmmaking, then a camcorder with better audio capabilities can be important. It's said that good audio is even more important than good video to make a film enjoyable. Of course, if a filmmaker wants to record indoors, in low light, or at night time, then low light camcorders that use infrared lights or simply have a larger lens, wider aperture, and a low light mode are a better choice.

Of course, when we're talking about a potential gift, we can forget about kids. A kids camcorder often needs to be eash to handle, rugged, and affordable. There are several models that are great for the preschool through early grade school kids from makers such as Polaroid and Disney. Then of course, there are some options among the pocket camcorders that may also suit kids from late grade school through high school although kids with more serious filming needs may want something more.

Hopefully, this will stimulate your thinking and the links above will help you narrow down your choices based on your needs.