What kind of digital camcorder is best for me?
Before you go out to buy a digital camcorder, you need to do your homework. You need to know precisely how you're going to be using your new camcorder, lest you suffer buyers remorse because you bought the wrong unit. Ask yourself the hard questions, then match your needs to one of these user profiles. To bone up on the audio specs that matter for your user type, take a look at the section on capturing good sound with video. And for information on High-Definition recording, read the Guide to HD Digital camcorders.
User profiles: Home and vacation moviemaker | Budget buyer | First in the neighborhood | Independent filmmaker |
Home and vacation moviemaker
I want to shoot birthday parties, baby steps, holiday gatherings, and school plays. I want to shoot soccer games and school plays. Low light usability will be important. I plan to take my camcorder on vacations, so portability is important. I don't need to do anything fancy, but I'd like the option of doing a little editing and adding some basic effects. I'm looking for simple controls and easy output.Homework Finished?
Now, search for the best deal and buy the digital camcorder you have selected.These are the specifications that matter: that matter
| Lens type | 10x or greater optical zoom controlled via switch or lens ring; electronic or optical image stabilization |
| Sensor | 1/6-inch or larger CCD; minimum 680,000-pixel effective video resolution |
| Minimum illumination rating | 7 lux or lower |
| Recording format | MiniDV; mini DVD-R/RW/+RW/RAM; SD card; hard disk |
| Ports and connectors | FireWire (aka i.Link or IEEE 1394); A/V; USB 2.0; S-Video; accessory shoe; microphone terminal; headphone terminal |
| Exposure controls | Automatic; exposure shift; programmed scene modes; backlight mode; low-light mode, white balance adjustment. |
| Focus controls | Automatic; manual option via dial on camcorder body |
| Viewfinder and LCD | Color viewfinder and 2.5-inch or larger color LCD |
| Multimedia | Tape-based models: memory card slot for photo capture; MPEG-1 or MPEG-4 video for Web and e-mail |
| Price | 250 to $1,500 |
| Cool features to look for | Bundled video-editing software; digital effects; fader; Webcam functionality; HD recording; 2-megapixel or greater photo capture; remote control; touch-screen LCD; interval recording; analog-to-digital conversion for digitizing 8mm or Hi8 video |