There are a many formats of professional camcorders available on the market today. A good level of video awareness is required before one can decide to invest in a professional camcorder. However there is no denying the fact that professional camcorders give one the best possible video and audio quality.
DV, DVCAM and DVPRO are the three main formats for professional camcorders available in the market. They are also the most popular.
Of the three, DV is the most popular. Most electronic manufacturers as well as mainstream and professional editing software packages are DV compatible. Owing to its popularity, the pricing for DV formats are also competitive in the market.
DVCAM and DVPRO are professional formats and not all manufacturers make it. DVCAM is made by Sony and Ikegami while Panasonic, Philips, Ikegami and Hitachi make DVPRO. Both of them are equally professional. Both these formats have true drop frame and non-drop frame time code. (This is important if one is planning to shoot professional videos for theatrical release.) The main difference between the formats is their sampling rate.
There are a few factors that can help one decide which format to choose of the professional camcorder options. The most important is the optical quality of the lens. The ability to change lenses easily and good optical zoom (digital zoom is not good for quality) are of prime importance. Also, a professional needs to know the optics, expansion potential, interoperability and lens specification in the professional camcorder that one wants to buy.
Another important factor is the CCD (charged coupled devices), which is the chip in a camcorder that captures light and converts images into pixels to process the video into a digital format. Professional camcorders come with around 3 CCDs. This is one of the prime factors that will determine the quality of the final video that is shot.
There is a wide range of professional camcorders available today. However, the point to keep in mind here is that branded professional camcorders are the best since the products have a longer life, better support and features for professional shoots.
