Buyer's guide - Digital camcorders

Users

A novice will want a camcorder that can be used without having any prior knowledge, and without having to dissect the user manual. If you’re part of this crowd, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of entry-level consumer camcorders available at a range of prices.
If you are a practiced user and wish to shoot, project and add special effects to your videos, some components are a must. You’ll want your camcorder to have many connection options, enough to allow for easy output. Some camcorders have an editing function, to allow you to edit your video directly. Opt for medium to high-end equipment and you’ll also get a higher quality picture.
Professional and semi-professional users will go for a more specific type of equipment, recognisable according to size (some professional camcorders are rest on the shoulder) and price, which is among the highest on the market.

Different kinds of camcorders

Once you know what your needs are, it’s time to start looking for your camcorder. Today’s camcorders have little to do with their analogue predecessors; they’ve all become more compact and lightweight, and some even fit in your pocket!
There are three types of camcorder: standard definition, high definition and semi-professional or professional camcorders. The latter are intended for experienced users who are looking to shoot documentaries or short films. Mainstream consumers will find all they need in the standard to high-definition range.
Standard definition camcorders are widely popular among mainstream consumers. Ever since they came on the market in 2001, their ranges have expanded, offering devices that are ever more compact and attractive. The quality of their picture is the only thing that separates them from high-definition camcorders; zoom, stabiliser, screen, built-in microphone… it's all there!
High definition camcorders are the newest arrival to the mainstream market. Manufacturers are taking advantage of HD TV and are offering compatible devices that are essential to enjoying the best viewing conditions possible. If you’ve just acquired an HD TV or are hoping to get your hands on one soon, we would recommend that you start choosing from the high-definition range. Thanks to special connections, you can hook your camcorder up to your high-definition TV and instantly enjoy the quality of HD.

Recording media

Camcorders are usually lumped into categories based on the recording medium they use, including DVD , miniDV, hard drive, memory card and flash memory. There are even hybrid camcorders.
DVDs make watching your home movies easy since you can just take the DVD out of your camcorder and put it in your living room DVD player; you don’t even need to bother with cables! DVDs are small in size (only 8cm) but hold a lot of information – from 30 to 90 minutes of film -- and can be read by any DVD player. Choose a rewritable DVD (RW) and you’ll be able to re-use the same disc as many times as you like, after having taken a few seconds to copy your films onto your computer of course.
For even better value than DVDs, choose a MiniDV cassette for your previous generation camcorder. MiniDV cassettes are very easy to use but aren’t as fast at transferring data to your computer. The most compact camcorders usually feature a memory card for fast and easy transfers. A memory card can hold up to 32 GB of film so you can always shoot when you need to and can be read by any PC or DVD player equipped with a memory card slot.
At the high end of the market, you’ll find hard drive camcorders that have between 30 and 240 GB of storage space so you can shoot to your heart’s content. These camcorders are the bulkiest of all but do have long battery life and provide quick and easy access to your favourite scenes. Since hard drives can contain dozens of hours of film, transferring data to your computer will take longer than with a DVD or memory card for example.
Hybrid camcorders use two (or even three in the future) different types of media to record video, allowing you to not only take advantage of both media, but to have a much larger storage capacity too!

Cases

Cases are perfect for protecting your camcorder when you're out and about. A case will not only shield your camcorder from bumps and scratches, it’ll also protect it from accidental falls.
Put your camcorder in a waterproof case to enjoy shooting footage you're when skiing or at the beach. Watertight housing will let you shoot several metres underwater -- perfect if you're a diving enthusiast!

Battery

Users are becoming more and more mobile, and an extra battery is an easy way of continuing to shoot video when when you don't have a mains socket handy for recharging your camcorder. You’ll be able to take home as much holiday footage as you like! See all accessories

Stands, video lamps and microphones

If you want smooth footage, set your camcorder on a tripod to prevent shaky images when you're filming.
Although some camcorders do have an excellent nigh-vision mode, this feature doesn't come as standard in all models. An additional lighting system is a good alternative.

Sensors

The sensor has replaced the role of film in traditional cameras. A sensor is made up of millions of electronic cells called pixels. Pixels react to light and convert it into a signal for photography.
There are three types of sensors: CCD (Charge-Coupled Device), tri-CCD (tri Charge-Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). Most consumer camcorders have either CCD or CMOS sensors. Tri-CCD sensors (made of three sensors) give richer colour representation and better overall picture detail.

Lenses

The zoom lens is the primary component of your camcorder, defining the quality of your videos and allowing you to frame your shots. There's a difference between optical and digital zooms, digital zoom artificially magnifies the central part of a [#url typecms=c,id=1#]photo, which means the more you zoom in, more detail and precision you lose.

Sensitivity

Have you ever been disappointed to find out that your video was too dark to make anything out? The quality of a video depends on the sensor’s sensitivity and ability to capture light. Light sensitivity is measured in lux units, the lower the lux setting, the less light a sensor needs to capture details in a scene.
A camcorder with good low-lighting capability will have a low lux rating. The standard lux illumination rating, ranging between 3 and 7 lux, allows camcorders to adapt to most lighting situations. Minimum levels of light at which a camcorder will record a satisfactory image can go from under 3 lux to up to 0 lux.
Camcorders with good low-lighting sensitivity are becoming commonplace and let you shoot in places where light is low or nonexistent, in the middle of the night for instance, or any other dark environment where you can’t use a video light (in a theatre or aquarium for example).

Image stabilisers

Images get blurrier when you use the zoom or shoot footage in poorly lit surroundings. To keep blurry images to a minimum, a stabiliser is a must. Optical and mechanical image stabilisers automatically correct the effect of unsteady hands during filming, while digital image stabilisers correct the image after filming. Digital image stabilisers are becoming more advanced but still don’t rival with optical image stabilisers (or OIS).

LCD Screens

Conventional viewfinders are being replaced by liquid crystal displays (LCD). Located on the side of the camcorder, these screens allow you to monitor the footage you're shooting and watch it afterwards.
LCD screens are about 2 to 3 inches wide on average, but the bigger the screen, the easier it is to use.
Some camcorders have intuitive touch screens that are great for beginners, and give you easy access to all the menu settings on your camcorder. Some screens can even rotate, which is ideal for shooting at arm’s length or during festivals and sports events; you can even film yourself!

Automatic exposure and other features

Scene modes, known as automatic exposure modes, guarantee successful shots at all times. Whether you're shooting fireworks, the beach, snow or a nocturnal scene, you’ll be able to find the right mode to suit the situation. Some devices feature more of these modes than others.
Most digital camcorders have a photo mode, so you can take still photos as well!