How To Buy A Perfect Camcorder
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Digital camcorders make shooting video and editing it on your home computer a breeze. You can create movies and output them to tape or DVD, or post them on the Web. Whether you want to record shots of your new baby or you dream of becoming the next great film director, this guide will teach you what you need to know before you buy.
Which Format Is Right For You? With storage-based, MiniDV tape, and Mini-DVD camcorders all clamoring for your attention, here's how to pick the best option for your needs.
High Definition or Standard Definition? The world's gone high-def, but there are still some limitations to think about before you spend your hard-earned cash on an HD camcorder.
Key Features
Learn about digital camcorder basics, and find out how a digital camcorder can help you shoot in a variety of situations.
The Specs Explained
Why should optical zoom matter to you? How much money should you be spending, anyway? Learn which specs you should pay attention to and why.
Digital Camcorder Shopping Tips
Read our tips to find the best digital camcorder for your needs.
Which Format Is Right For You?
Tapes used to be the only game in town, but no longer. If you can't quite decide whether your camcorder purchase should be based on tape, mini-DVD, hard drive, flash storage, or SD/SDHC card, be sure to consider the following pros and cons of each camcorder type.
MiniDV tape camcorders: Tapes may be old-school, but they do offer a range of benefits. They're easy to archive, as long as you have the shelf space. Tape-based camcorders are usually cheaper than Mini-DVD or storage-based models, as well. Outputting your footage to a computer for editing is also easier, as DV and HDV footage works with any modern editing program--and on slower PCs. For the time being, tape offers better video quality than any other camcorder type. That may change very soon, though; newer storage-based camcorders record high-definition video at a bit rate of 24mbps, which translates into more recorded data per frame of video and sharper footage. The main drawbacks include the cost of repeatedly buying tapes; the fact that footage is recorded linearly and can't be accessed at random, as it can be on DVD and storage-based camcorders; the bulkier size of tapes; and the fact that tapes degrade over time.
Mini-DVD camcorders: DVD camcorders are typically a little larger than MiniDV camcorders and significantly larger than storage-based camcorders. Several video editing applications will now let you import or edit video recorded with a DVD camcorder. The advantage, of course, is that you can pop the disc out of the camcorder and into a DVD set-top playerbut bear in mind that if you have a slot-loading optical drive on your laptop, these smaller discs might not fit. Mini-DVD discs are usually harder to find than MiniDV tapes, as well as a bit more expensive. You also won't get the same video quality as you get with most MiniDV- or storage-based camcorders.
Hard-drive and flash-drive camcorders: Tapeless (and DVD-less) camcorders are the wave of the future, as more and more major vendors are switching to hard-drive- and flash-storage-based models. The main benefit here is not having to repeatedly buy tapes or DVDs as storage media, although you'll need plenty of PC storage space to offload your footage from the camcorder. Storage-based camcorders are also handy when it comes to accessing (or deleting) clips at random. Hard-drive-based models offer more storage capacity, but are also more susceptible to long-term wear and tear than flash-storage-based models due to the drive's moving parts. Another consideration: It's sometimes more convenient to have a tangible medium such as tapes or DVDs if you plan on archiving your footage.
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SD and SDHC card camcorders: With removable flash storage beefing up to astronomical gigabyte levels, many major vendors are also switching to SD- and SDHC-card based camcorders, as well as offering SD/SDHC card slots as a secondary form of storage for hard-drive, flash-drive, tape-based, and DVD-based camcorders. This is a useful option if you already have a high-capacity SD card or a computer with a card slot or card reader: You can just pop the card out of your camcorder and transfer footage without hooking up the camera itself. What's more, many new HDTVs, digital photo frames, and home-entertainment components have SD/SDHC card slots built in, so you can watch your footage without connecting your camcorder via cables. Not all SD-compatible devices are also compatible with SDHC cards, however, so make sure that any devices you plan to use an SDHC card with are specified as SDHC-compatible. You'll also want a Class 4 or Class 6 SD card, which have faster data-write speeds than Class 2 cards.
High Definition or Standard Definition?
Most camcorder manufacturers now offer models that record in high definition; however, while these models capture gorgeous footage, using high-def comes with serious limitations. The camcorders themselves are significantly more expensive than standard-resolution camcorders, and not all video editing software will let you edit HD footage.
There's also the codec issue to think about: Many storage-based HD camcorders use AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) compression, which isn't compatible with all video editing programs. AVCHD requires higher-end editing suites, such as Pinnacle Studio Plus 12 or Adobe Premiere Elements 7. What's more, you'll need a more-powerful computer (ideally, a 2.66-GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Core CPU at the bare minimum) to handle the editing process.
High-definition miniDV camcorders normally use the HDV format, which works with more video editing suites (including Windows Movie Maker HD and Apple iMovie). HDV also requires a powerful computer to decode files, but less so than AVCHD: A 2-GHz Intel Pentium CPU and 2GB of RAM should do the trick. Even a powerful computer, however, will take much more time--hours, not minutes--to render HDV or AVCHD files than standard-definition, DV-format files.
Also, even if your editing application does handle HD, you may not be able to output your movies to an easily viewable high-definition format--often, these editing apps let you burn only a standard-definition disc.
Key Features
Screen: Having a large LCD screen built into the camcorder lets you more easily see what you're recording and facilitates playback previews. Be careful when considering a camcorder's screen, though--some don't work well in bright sunlight, an environment in which you'll often use the device. Most camcorders come with both an LCD screen and a viewfinder, giving you the option to use either. The viewfinder can be useful if you can't see the screen in bright light; it also uses less power than the screen, extending the camcorder battery's life. Also, if you are considering purchasing a camcorder that can shoot in wide-screen (720-by-480-pixel) format, look for a camcorder with a wide-screen LCD, so it won't crop your view of the video you're shooting.
Lens: Every camcorder comes with a zoom lens that lets you get closer to your subject. Camcorder manufacturers don't always distinguish clearly between digital and optical zoom. The spec for maximum optical zoom is the more interesting figure: It denotes the maximum zoom that the camcorder can achieve by moving its lens elements. Most modern camcorders have at least a 10X optical zoom, which should be more than adequate for general purposes. A digital zoom, on the other hand, magnifies after the optical zoom is fully extended, and the camcorder then enlarges part of the image to fill the screen. This method leads to grainy, pixelated, and generally unpleasant-looking images. At higher digital zoom settings, the quality is so poor that you often can't see what you are taping.
Image stabilization: All camcorders offer one of two types of image stabilization--optical or electronic--to reduce jittery video caused by shaky hands. With optical stabilization, the camcorder's lens mechanism moves to compensate for external movement. With electronic image stabilization, the image captured by the lens "floats" on the CCD, and the camcorder uses internal circuitry after the image has been captured to interpret the video. Optical stabilization usually provides the best results; in the past it was typically found in more expensive camcorders, but these days some moderately priced models have it too.
Batteries: The amount of recording and playback time you get out of a battery varies, but most camcorders should be able to record for at least an hour with the included battery. Additional higher-capacity batteries typically cost from $50 to $100.
Microphones: Sound is almost as important to a video as the images. We've found that camcorders with microphones mounted in the front tend to produce better sound than those with microphones on the top of the unit; top-mounted microphones often pick up the voice of the person operating the camera, drowning out everything else. Some camcorders offer zoom microphones that emphasize the subject's voice when the zoom lens is used, and some also come with a socket for plugging in an external microphone. Either type of microphone can be very useful when you're recording presentations or speeches.
Still photography: Many digital camcorders can serve as digital cameras, saving still images to a memory card or to tape. Some can save images at the same resolution as a 5-megapixel camera (but watch out for models that produce interpolated high-resolution images from lower-resolution CCDs). However, none of the camcorders we've tested has performed as well at taking still pictures as a dedicated still camera--they don't provide the same level of control or the same image quality.
Controls: We have found that smaller camcorders can be a little more difficult to use because their controls don't naturally sit where your fingers fall, particularly if you have large hands. Of course, heavy, bulky models can bcome tiring to carry, so strive for a balance.
Low-light modes: Many camcorders have the ability to film in very low light, whether with the help of an infrared light (which you can't see, but the camcorder can), a special slow-shutter mode that makes the most of ambient lighting, or built-in illumination from one or more LEDs. Some models offer all three methods. These modes can be very useful in poorly illuminated settings, but video captured with these tools enabled won't be as good as video captured in well-lit settings. For example, slow-shutter modes may cause moving subjects to smear or ghost.
Format: Most camcorders use the MiniDV and DVD formats, but models that capture high-definition footage to onboard hard drives and flash drives usually employ the AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) format. AVCHD hasn't lived up to its full potential yet, as many video editing programs can't handle that format. What's more, you'll need a more powerful computer to edit your footage. MiniDV models still capture the best-quality video, but maybe not for much longer: newer AVCHD camcorders can record high-definition video at a bit rate of 24mbps, which translates into more recorded data per frame of video and sharper footage.
Wide-screen shooting: Several camcorders now allow you to shoot in the 16:9 aspect ratio used by HDTVs, even if the camcorders still shoot in standard-definition resolution. Note that some camcorders use a CCD with a native 16:9 orientation, so you get the full resolution of the CCD when you shoot in wide-screen format, whereas others use a CCD with a traditional 4:3 orientation and thus use only a portion of that CCD when doing wide-screen shooting.
The Specs Explained
While a digital camcorder's specifications don't tell the whole story, they can help you narrow your choices. You can use the camcorder's price, along with specs like LCD screen size, weight, and type of microphone, to weed out the ones that won't work for you.
Keep in mind that while a big LCD screen and lots of extra features justify a higher price, ease of use and overall size are also important considerations. Even the lightest camcorder won't do you much good if the controls are too small for your hands; always try the camcorder out before you buy. Remember that the lightest cameras may sacrifice other features, and will often have a top-mounted microphone simply because there's nowhere else to put it. But weight may be an important enough consideration to justify these trade-offs.
Digital and optical zoom specs don't tend to vary much across categories, and thus aren't represented here. Most modern camcorders come with at least a 10X optical zoom. Don't pay too much attention to the digital zoom, which simply enlarges the image the lens captures. The optical zoom is far more important. In the semi-pro range, you can expect to get a lens with higher-quality optics.
Important: Weight
A camcorder's weight is a key factor in how easy it is to use; it affects whether you decide to carry it along on your outings. Weight is also one of the most important issues affecting camcorder price: Tiny camcorders often mean higher cost, at least in consumer models. And often those tiny camcorders will have less-capable lenses, fewer features, and harder-to-use controls.
Important: Recording Media
DVD and hard-drive models are fast becoming the most commonly available types; MiniDV models are growing more scarce, even though at this writing they still capture the best video quality and allow the easiest editing. To help you pick which recording media type might be best for your needs, read our explanation of the pros and cons of each camcorder type.
Somewhat Important: Microphone Placement
Look for a front-mounted microphone, if possible. But if you have to settle for a top-mounted mic, look for one with an audio-zoom function. Also look for the ability to connect an external microphone, especially if you anticipate shooting stationary subjects.
Somewhat Important: Low-Light Modes
Special infrared or long shutter modes allow you to shoot in very little light. Higher-end models include battery-thrifty LED illumination built into the camera (but this method doesn't work nearly as well as a dedicated, external video light).
Somewhat Important: Screen Size
A larger screen makes it easier to see what you're recording and facilitates playback. But keep in mind that the screen size will take a toll on your camcorder's battery life, especially if the camcorder uses that LCD as its only viewfinder. Simply put, a big, bright LCD will drain your camera's battery more quickly. Although some models have whopping, 3-plus-inch screens, those big LCDs ultimately will make the camcorder larger, too). As for touch screens, that's a personal call; many new camcorders offer access to menu items and playback controls via a touch-screen LCD, which may be good or bad depending on your preferences (and how clean your fingers are).
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Minor: Ports
Most MiniDV camcorders have FireWire ports for transferring video to your computer; some models will also let you transfer video by using a USB 2.0 port (and if the camcorder captures still images, it will almost always let you transfer them via USB). Almost all models have S-Video-out and/or composite-out ports so you can view footage on a television, but some models also have S-Video-in and composite-in ports, which allow you to record from other sources such as older analog camcorders.
Digital Camcorder Shopping Tips
Are you ready to buy a digital camcorder? PC World's recommendations can help you find a camcorder that's right for you.
Check out the LCD screen in daylight, if possible. Some screens will wash out in bright sunlight, and you'll want to make sure you can easily see what you're recording under any conditions. If you can't see the screen in bright daylight, try using the viewfinder: It can help get the job done without eating up a lot of battery power.
Look at the lens's optical zoom ratio instead of the digital zoom ratio. With a digital zoom, the camcorder is only enlarging the image in the viewfinder instead of really giving you a closer look. The optical zoom spec is more important--you'll want at least 10X optical zoom.
For longer recording times, buy an extra, higher-capacity battery. The battery that comes with most camcorders often lasts only an hour or so. For $50 to $100, you can buy a longer-lasting battery, so factor that into your cost if you think you'll need it. (Remember, however, that larger batteries add to the camera's weight.)
Front-mounted microphones get better results. Top-mounted microphones tend to capture the voice of the person using the camera, drowning out everything else.
Buy an external microphone for the best sound. Factor in an extra $50 to $100 for an external microphone if you want the best sound possible. Make sure, of course, that your camcorder has a place for you to plug it in.
Try out the camera's controls before you buy. Sometimes the smallest camcorders can be difficult to use, especially if you have large hands. A larger model may work better for you if it's more comfortable to handle.
Check out exposure controls. All camcorders offer a fully automatic mode, but some models have manual and semimanual exposure modes. For example, some models let you shoot at slower shutter speeds than others, or have aperture settings that allow more light in. Many also offer scene modes, which you might be familiar with from digital still cameras.
Low-light options let you shoot in dim settings. Many cameras offer an infrared light or a long shutter mode to help you capture images in darkness.
Look for wide-screen shooting. If you own an HDTV, you'll get a full picture (no black ba
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