Compare Camcorders

There are so many types of camcorders available in the market today that it becomes difficult to be sure about which one to buy. Very often, the price, brand name and a few such basics become the only parameters that help one decide from the array of camcorders that are available today. However, one can go a step further. One can get information about various camcorders and then decide what is best suited for each person's requirements.

For starters, magazines and Web sites that compare camcorders based on various criteria are invaluable guides in helping one choose a camcorder.

There are various parameters that are to be kept in mind while comparing camcorders. First of all, decide whether you want a digital or an analogue camcorder. This is an easy decision to make. What way is the world going? Digital, right? Obviously there are many reasons that can prompt one to choose a digital camcorder over analogue ones.

Primarily, the quality of picture and sound in digital camcorders is heads above the analogue ones. Digital camcorders offer better options for editing picture and sound. There is no noise and no loss of quality with subsequent copies in a digital camcorder. Besides, they are easy to carry and store, and the digital files are easy to transfer. Digital camcorders are often a cheaper alternative.

Whether one wants to go for a cheap or an expensive camcorder depends totally on the individual's requirement and his or her budget. If the need is for home video shoots only, a cheap camcorder can serve the purpose. However, a good camcorder deck with various editing options cannot be compromised if the camcorder is intended for professional use.

It is very important to look at the features of various camcorders that are available on the market, before selecting one. Each camcorder comes with different features. The basic ones come with the essential capabilities of recording and editing. The more expensive ones are rich in features and are laden with facilities like picture and sound enhancements, night recording, higher zoom capacities and other features.

The comparison of the sales and support provided by one company with that of the other can also help one to come to a correct conclusion about the camcorder one will eventually buy.

Professional Camcorders

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.