Review the answers to frequently asked questions or return to our home page to shop.
One camcorder I am considering has a built in video light, what benefit would this have?
If you want to record in low light settings you would want a built in video light or perhaps "night vision"/infrared feature on the camcorder. For many people this is not a concern.
I want to purchase a camcorder with a good LCD screen, what features should I consider? Size is one consideration. There is no specific guideline for what is "good" it is more a matter of your personal comfort. Turn the camcorder on and see if you are comfortable viewing the screen. This is also true when looking at image quality on the screen. Another feature that many people value is swivel screen that rotates 270 degrees, it allows a better view when shooting; even when recording over your head.
I want to be sure I get good sound, do you have any suggestions on what I should look for?
If sound is important, be sure the camcorder has a jack for an external microphone. The omni-directional mic on the average camcorder picks up noise from the front, sides, and rear which can mask out the sound you are hoping to capture. A camcorder with a microphone jack that allows you to position the external microphone for better sound is preferrable. (near the source)
What should I look for to assure my new camcorder produces good image quality?
Video is said to require less resolution than still photos. 690,000 pixels should do it. Quality pictures are dependent upon the size and resolution of the CCD (charge coupled device). The typical camcorder uses 1/2 or 1/3 inch CCDs with between 270,000 to 680,000 pixels. Higher is better! The average camcorder has one CCD although a higher end model may have three. These cameras produce excellent images but are also significantly more expensive.
What are some other features that I might want to consider?
Zoom is a common one. However, you want to keep in mind that as you zoom in the quality of the image tends to decrease. For this reason, many people choose to zoom no closer than 20x. A camcorder with image stabilzation is also preferrable as it helps to reduce the jitter or shakiness in a scene, especially when you are using zoom. Optical image stabilization is the prefered method versus digital image stabilization.
Remote control is another nice feature that would allow you to take pictures remotely or to be in the video yourself as you trigger the recording from in front of the camcorder.
What is a HDD camcorder?
HDD is a hard disk drive camcorder. These cameras store movies on their hard disk drive versus on removable media.
What are the advantages of HDD camcorders?
A HDD camcorder can eliminate the cost of purchasing other media for storage. Use of the hard disk drive allows these camcorders to capture and store far more hours of film without the need to stop and insert alternate media or download to computer. With a HDD, gone are the problems encountered when other media is lost or damaged along with the video that was recorded or when the film maker forgets to bring along the media card altogether. HDD camcorders also allow users to sort through, delete, or dub footage directly on the camera without rewinding or fast forwarding by using a convenient thumbnail grid
Are there any other things I should be aware of before selecting an HDD camcorder?
The cost of an HDD camcorder tends to be higher. In addition, users still need to be aware that movies could still be "lost" due to damage; for instance if it is dropped. Certainly safety features are usually built in to reduce the effect of such accidents.
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