If you're on the look out for a new digital
camcorder then you need to know what type
of features to look for. It's easy to
get confused and hard to make sense of
all the specifications. Looking for the
right features is the key in finding the
best camcorder for your needs. While you
compare digital camcorder reviews and
ratings, there are some items to consider.
You should have a general idea of what
you need the mini dv camcorder for. Do
you need a video camera for home movies?
Or are you looking for a professional
camcorder, for your next feature film?
Think about what you are looking for so
your camcorder comparison shopping won't
take as long.
Zoom
All digital camcorders have a zoom feature.
Older analog camcorders only had optical
zoom, but new digital video cameras have
both optical and digital zoom. There is
a difference between these two types of
zoom. Optical zoom physically lengthens
the lens,and will still give your videos
high image quality. However digital zoom
basically blows up the scene in a digital
format. The problem with digital zoom
is that when you zoom in on a subject
the video becomes pixilated and blocky
with little squares giving the video a
blurred and distorted look.
If you're wondering which zoom is better
and more important, optical zoom. The
more distance that your optical zoom can
do, the more flexibility that you have
when focusing in on a subject. I suggest
a minimum of 10x optical zoom for most
consumers.
CCD Sensors and Resolution
The video quality in a dv camcorder is
dependant on the CCD, which is an abbreviation
for charged-coupled device. The CCD is
an image sensor that converts light into
pixels to produce images; your digital
camera works in the same way. You can
find camcorders with one CCD or three
CCDs. One CCD camcorders are less costly
however you will compromise the color
quality in the video. 3 CCD camcorders
on the other hand provide the best color
quality. The reason being is that there
are 3 CCDs. Digital camcorder models with
three CCDs (one each for red, green and
blue) give your video the most vivid colors
possible, but the price is more than 1
CCD video cameras.
Viewfinders & LCD Screens
It's important to find the best possible
viewfinder when comparing camcorders.
The viewfinder is the heart of the camcorder
without it you can't see what you are
filming. Viewfinders cam in black and
white, if you buy a cheap camcorder you
will be stuck with a black and white screen.
Personally I like my color screen, you
can see the exact color and video quality
as it will appear in the video. Sizes
for LCD screen range from 2 to 4 inches
across.
Digital Video Editing & Still images
Almost all newer digital video camcorders
have FireWire (IEEE 1394). This feature
enables you to transfer digital video
footage from your camcorder to your computer
system in the fastest possible way. The
newest models even have the ability to
take digital still images and video and
transfer them to your computer for emailing
to friends and family.
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This article was posted on November
21, 2005
