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When
choosing a camcorder, the most important decision
you will make is what format to buy. The format of
a camcorder dictates the quality and kind of tape
you will need. In order to make this decision, there
are several factors you will have to take in to account,
for example, will the camcorder be used for personal
or professional purposes?
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VHS
This is the same format as a standard home video recorder.
It is an ideal low-cost option for using on family holidays,
but not ideal if you want to use the camcorder semi-professionally.
VHS-C
This is also a low-cost camcorder which allows you to play
back video tapes on a standard VCR using an adaptor. However,
VHS-C will only allow about 30 mins of footage per tape.
SVHS
Super VHS is better quality than VHS, giving better resolution
and audio quality. The SVHS tapes are the same size as a
standard VHS tape. This format is mostly used by professionals
as they can be expensive and bulky.
8mm
8mm gives the same quality as VHS, but the tape is much
smaller, with a longer recording time. It gives 260 lines
of resolution. In order to play back tapes, the camcorder
has to be plugged directly in to the television.
Hi8
Hi8 offers higher quality recording than 8mm. It is the
best lower cost option before digital format and has 400
lines of resolution. Hi8 camcorders are generally more expensive
than VHS or 8mm, but there is a noticeable quality difference
and they are small and light to use.
Digital
Digital camcorders are often termed as DV camcorders. Video
quality is very high, with 500 lines of resolution, which
leads to improved colour and audio quality. You can make
digital copies without losing any quality and on some models,
even take digital still shots, just like a digital camera.
Editing is also possible with DV camcorders, as long as
you have the necessary IEEE 1394 port (FireWire and i.Link)
on your computer.
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- Image
stabilisation - helps to correct camera shake.
- VCR
capability - apart from VHS and VHS-C camcorders, all
camcorders can be connected to your television and can
be operated like a video recorder.
- Zoom
- lets you move in closer to your subject.
- Microphone
- all camcorders should have a built-in microphone
- Viewfinder
- to show you what you are recording.
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Buster |
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Zoom
- 10x-20x for optical zoom, which allows you to magnify
the image without loss of quality. 300x-400x digital
zoom, allows you to magnify specific parts of a picture.
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| Digital
still - some camcorders allow you to take still
photographs which can be downloaded to a PC. |
| Video
resolution - measured in lines. VHS has a maximum
of 270, SVHS has 400 lines, 8mm has a maximum of 270,
Hi8 offers 400, DV offers 500 lines of resolution. |
| 8mm
tape - for use with 8mm camcorders. |
| Hi8
tape - for use with Hi8 camcorders. |
| EVF
- Electronic view finders |
| LCD
- screens used as electronic view finders and lets you
view recorded action. The size of the screen is measured
in inches. |
| AE
(Auto Exposure) - pre-set modes for action,
landscapes and portraits etc. |
| Picture
effects - examples of these include "reversing
out" images and converting images to black and
white or sepia. |
| Digital
effects - examples include taking stills, fading
pictures and even adding old movie atmosphere. |
| Titler
- lets you add a title to your handy-work. |
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