Features to look for in a camcorder
If you're on the look out for a new digital camcorder then you
need to know what type of features to look for. It's easy to get
confused and hard to make sense of all the specifications.
Looking for the right features is the key in finding the best camcorder for your needs. While you compare
digital camcorder reviews and ratings, there are some items to
consider.
You should have a general idea of what you need the mini dv camcorder for. Do you need a video camera
for home movies? Or are you looking for a professional
camcorder, for your next feature film? Think about what you are
looking for so your camcorder comparison shopping won't take as
long.
Zoom
All digital camcorders have a zoom feature. Older analog
camcorders only had optical zoom, but new digital video cameras
have both optical and digital zoom. There is a difference
between these two types of zoom. Optical zoom physically
lengthens the lens,and will still give your videos high image
quality. However digital zoom basically blows up the scene in a
digital format. The problem with digital zoom is that when you
zoom in on a subject the video becomes pixilated and blocky with
little squares giving the video a blurred and distorted
look.
If you're wondering which zoom is better and more important,
optical zoom. The more distance that your optical zoom can do,
the more flexibility that you have when focusing in on a
subject. I suggest a minimum of 10x optical zoom for most
consumers.
CCD Sensors and Resolution
The video quality in a dv camcorder is dependant on the CCD, which is an
abbreviation for charged-coupled device. The CCD is an image
sensor that converts light into pixels to produce images; your
digital camera works in the same way. You can find camcorders
with one CCD or three CCDs. One CCD camcorders are less costly
however you will compromise the color quality in the video. 3
CCD camcorders on the other hand provide the best color quality.
The reason being is that there are 3 CCDs. Digital camcorder
models with three CCDs (one each for red, green and blue) give
your video the most vivid colors possible, but the price is more
than 1 CCD video cameras.
Viewfinders & LCD Screens
It's important to find the best possible viewfinder when
comparing camcorders. The viewfinder is the heart of the
camcorder without it you can't see what you are filming.
Viewfinders cam in black and white, if you buy a cheap camcorder you will be stuck with a black and
white screen. Personally I like my color screen, you can see the
exact color and video quality as it will appear in the video.
Sizes for LCD screen range from 2 to 4 inches across.
Digital Video Editing & Still images
Almost all newer digital video camcorders have FireWire
(IEEE 1394). This feature enables you to transfer digital video
footage from your camcorder to your computer system in the
fastest possible way. The newest models even have the ability to
take digital still images and video and transfer them to your
computer for emailing to friends and family.