Camcorders are the latest generation in a photographic tradition stretching back over 150 years. Film cameras, introduced in the mid-19th Century, became very popular very quickly, and inventors were soon working to create moving pictures. By the turn of the 20th Century, the digital camcorder's granddad had become a significant news-gathering tool, though only a few families were wealthy enough to own motion picture cameras of their own. In the 1930s, non-flammable celluloid film was developed and put to work in a low-cost 8mm format (that is, 8mm wide film stock). Home movies were born.
Home movies took the next leap forward in the early 1980s when videotape came into the consumer electronics market. At first, VHS camcorders and VCRs were expensive to buy, but video got from camera to screen more quickly and less expensively because there was no film to develop. Home video entered the electronics age and never looked back. Today, digital cameras have almost entirely replaced film cameras, and digital camcorders are fast taking over from tape-fed video recorders.
The 21st Century options among digital camcorders are so numerous that you need to consider a few important facts before purchasing. This camcorder buying guide includes some basic information to help you pick the video camcorder that's right for you.
Before all other considerations, decide what you are going to shoot with your camcorder. If you plan to take pictures of the children or grandchildren at home or on vacation, a mini DVD camcorder--smaller, simpler, fewer features--may be all that you need. If you're a hobbyist who demands a digital camcorder with all the extras--special effects, super high zoom lens, HD, webcam, etc.--check out the newest models. If you're a business DV camcorder user, either for meetings at an office or documentaries or the web, you'll need an ergonomically designed digital video camera that you can use comfortably hour after hour.
Second, match your budget with your priorities. A mini camcorder will be less expensive and lighter, but does it have the features you need? Memory cards are economical because they can be used with digital cameras and camcorders, but they may not give the video quality you are after. DVD video cameras have to be large enough to accommodate the disc, but all your footage is on permanent media that can be archived for future use. Do you want to set your camcorder controls by hand or do you want to keep your eye on the subject using an auto-focus, auto-exposure digital camcorder? Is standard definition good enough or do you feel the urge to splurge on high definition?
Once you know what you need and can afford in your new video camcorder, Overstock.com just might surprise you by offering you more than you need for less than you expected to spend!
Recording media or storage media
Sensor or Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)
The 'eye' that sees the image and digitizes it for transfer to a file, a camcorder's CCD should be 1/6 inch or larger for vacation shooters, 1/4- or 1/3-inch for more serious users. You'll want a minimum 680,000-pixel 'effective' or 'actual' video resolution. If illumination is listed, go for 7 lux or lower.
Cables
Focus control
Most camcorders have automatic focus control, but a manual control is nice to have.
Tripods
A great way to keep your digital video camcorder steady, tripods are far superior to handheld camera movement. If you'll be taking long shots, a tripod really is a necessity.
Aspect ratio: The width-to-height ratio of the screen; a standard TV is 4:3, a wide screen TV is 16:9.
Display Screen: Measured diagonally like any TV screen, most are liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The larger screen is easier to see, and the pixel count is not wildly important as only the camera operator sees it.
Ergonomic Design: The shape of a device can increase or decrease the stress on hands and muscles when in use. Ergonomically designed digital video cameras are less tiring to hold for long periods.
High Definition: Standard televisions have 480 lines of resolution; high-definition TVs use 720 or 1080 lines. The better camcorders can shoot HDTV images.
Image Stabilization: Tiny control mechanisms in the lens system (optical IS) or in the CCD (electronic IS) keeps recorded images from shaking due to minute hand or body movements by the videographer.
Resolution: Most often measured in kilopixels (KP) or megapixels (MP) for still images--which many new digital camcorders are capable of shooting; or lines of resolution (from 240 to 1080) in motion pictures. Larger numbers mean sharper, more detailed pictures and larger files, so you'll get fewer minutes of picture on the disc or drive.
Zoom: Most camcorders feature both optical and digital zoom. Optical means the camera elements move to change the image; digital means the camcorder computer chip alters the picture. Optical zoom, which can exceed 30x, is the more important number, as it gives the better picture. Digital zoom can exceed 1000x, but clarity generally suffers. Doubt you'll ever need 1000x magnification? Well, if you're photographing bears at Yellowstone Park, would you prefer to be up close and personal or to admire from afar?
Like all modern consumer electronics, a digital video camera has few moving parts to break, so it can provide years of service if it is not abused. Dust, heat, humidity and impact damage are primary causes of failure. Don't drop your DVD video camera, and keep it in a padded digital camera case when traveling or in storage.
Wipe it down with a clean cloth before you put it away, and blow clean all camcorder openings--tape or disc slot, battery compartment, etc.--with canned air, never your humid breath.
When traveling, keep digital video recorders out of direct sunlight. Even on cool days, a car interior can get dangerously hot, and excessive exposure to the sun's radiation can damage the camcorder's central processing unit (CPU). In fact, it's best to keep all your video and camcorder accessories locked in the glove box or trunk when not in use, as this cuts down on the likelihood of theft.
Should I buy extra batteries, discs, etc?
How are you going to feel if your camcorder battery runs dry, or your blank DVD R disc or memory card suddenly reads full and your camera goes black in the middle of your child's recital, or just before Old Faithful lives up to his name, or you are about to shoot whatever it was that caused you to buy a camcorder in the first place? Video camera batteries and blank DVD discs or memory cards are low-cost extras, and you'll feel pretty silly if you're not ready with an extra set of batteries or blank DVDs when you need them.
Geocaching
Have a GPS navigator? Want a great excuse to get out for some home movie-worthy family fun? Try geocaching. Pronounced /GE-oh-CASH-ing/, it's hide-n-seek via the global positioning system (GPS).
Players put objects (anything from a 35-mm film can to a military ammo box) in plain sight. The latitude and longitude are then logged onto various web sites. Players use GPS units to locate the caches or "waypoints." It's not as easy as it sounds since waypoints can be disguised as plants or rocks, and getting within 10 meters of a small, unknown object still leaves a lot of ground to cover, making the game a real challenge. Some waypoints have prizes inside; when you find one, trade a trinket you've brought for a trinket you found (be polite!). Geocaching combines physical exercise, mental exercise and fresh air for people of all ages. It's a great way to get out and make memories your family will want to relive through digital home movies. (You might even teach your kids that math is important!)
Ready when you are, Mr. DeMille!
Used to be that all you needed to edit home movies was a razor blade and some scotch tape. "Crude" does not even begin to describe it; all you could do was cut from one shot to another. Today, your home computer and digital camcorder can mate to produce a beautiful child named Art. Just install any of the new video editing software packages (available in Overstock.com's entertainment store), download your digital video files from the camcorder and go wild! More than just moving shots around, you can fade, morph, add titles and digital special effects the same way Hollywood does--on a somewhat smaller scale, of course.
Great movies deserve a great showplace
If you insist on boring your friends with your home movies (turnabout is fair play--they did it to you after their last vacation!) then have the courtesy to torture them in a really cool home theater. A room-sized, integrated audio-video system will show off your home movies at their best (as well as all the DVDs you've been buying from Overstock.com's entertainment store). Start with a high definition flat screen TV, add a top-grade stereo amplifier and surround sound speakers, plus a DVD player, CD player, and whatever else strikes your fancy--maybe even a new couch from Overstock.com's furniture store. You can buy it all at once and save a boat-load of cash on shipping, or you can piece together a whole new room by visiting whenever you think you'll find a great deal.
You know, with Overstock.com, that means you'll be coming back a lot.