For those video buffs who dream of becoming the next Steven Spielberg, the digital camcorder is your next best friend. With it, you’ll be able to shoot home movies and edit it on the fly. You could record movies and transfer them onto a DVD and post them on the Internet.
If you’re good enough and you work hard at it, you might even land a job in a prestigious film company and get your big break. But it all boils down to starting on step one-buying your very own camcorder.
Video Quality – You will notice now if you scour the appliance sections Wal-Mart, that most of the camcorders right now have released camcorders that record in high definition. However, with these camcorders, they do come at a hefty price. Plus, not all video editing software will allow you to edit HD footage.
So try to wait for a few years to let all of the standardization happen and then, when the rest of the world has switched to HD will you are able to get that HD camcorder that you’ve always eyed. For now, get the DVD recorders which will most probably outsell the tape-based camcorders. This is where you should be focusing right now.
Screen – One thing that you need to look at is a large LCD screen. Try to look for a camcorder that provides one because it will let you see what you’re recording more easily. You might also want to get a camcorder that also has a viewfinder just in case you’re recording in direct bright sunlight and you’re not able to view the LCD properly. In cases like that, you can simply just use the viewfinder.
Lens – Every digital camcorder obviously comes with a zoom lens that allows you to see what you’re recording. Try to get a digital camcorder that has a large "optical zoom". This is what you’re looking for because you will be looking at the maximum zoom that the camcorder can get by moving its lens elements. The digital zoom part is just a mere cropping of the picture which is the same thing as enlarging it. In short, it’s not a clear picture in and of itself.
There you have it: a primer on what to look for when you’re buying a digital camcorder. Be sure that you always look for these elements whenever you’re out hunting for one because these are the necessary elements that you need whenever you’re going to get a new camcorder. Happy recording!
