All about Camcorders

Knowing what you need

Twenty years ago, the camcorder was a giant, unwieldy contraption that had to be balanced on the user's shoulder. It could barely be classified as portable and was a pricy investment. Camcorders have since become quite small as the technology developed.

Big gains

There has been a giant leap in portability as the use of digital video formats, in the place of magnetic film, has allowed the units to shrink even smaller and capture more video.

Camcorders come in every shape and style, these days and are relatively inexpensive, typically ranging from $300 - $1000.

The basic analog camcorder is broken up into two parts:

The camera component, containing the lens, the imaging device, focus and aperture.

The VCR component, which is where the images captured by the camera component are recorded

Digital camcorders are inherently similar, with an added component that encodes the image into a digital format prior to recording. This encoding process makes the video footage a much smaller packet of information, allowing users to store more video on less physical space than analog models.

CCD class

The component that sets a good camcorder apart from the pack is the quality of the "charged coupled device" or CCD. This is a passive light sensor that captures an image based upon an interpretation of the light intensity range in a given shot.

Better quality CCD's produce sharper, more exact images with accurate color saturation and lighting. This technology is also used in digital still cameras.

Another feature that is indicative of a camcorder's quality is the lens. Lenses come in a wide variety, offering different types of focus systems and zoom ranges.

Formats?

There are a number of recording formats to choose from, as well. Analog camcorders can use a variety of VHS standards ranging from basic cassettes to Super VHS film, a higher resolution version.

Also available are more expensive film formats like 8mm, which is is often much smaller at the same quality as VHS, and Hi-8, which is a favorite of amateur filmmakers for its cost-efficient quality.

Analog/digital

Digital recording formats are quite different, ranging from compact and high resolution MiniDV and Digital8 cassettes to more editing friendly file storage solutions like memory cards or DVDs.

Analog and digital camcorders can be found with a vast range of feature sets that cater to general users or situation specific needs. Sony digital camcorders, for instance, offer a proprietary "Night Shot" mode which uses an infrared lamp to shoot video in near complete darkness.

It is important to determine what the camcorder is needed for when weighing the pros and cons of different models. The internet is a valuable resource, providing access to thousands of camcorder reviews and camcorder accessories, such as battery chargers and storage cases. The only limit to the amount of choices is the user's budget.

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