Get Discounts : Guide to buying a camcorder
Summary
"Camcorder" is a contraction of the two words, "camera" and "recorder", and describes a device that incorporates a video camera and a video recorder in a single unit.
A digital camcorder allows you to record home movie footage to compact digital storage media, including MiniDV cassette tape, MiniDVD, hard disk, and solid state flash memory.
Key Features
What is a CCD?
One of the most important components of a digital camcorder is a photosensitive silicon chip, known as a "Charge Coupled Device", or "CCD" for short. The surface of the CCD is covered with light sensitive diodes, each of which measures the amount of light falling on it, and converts that information into an electronic, or digital, signal.
Some advanced consumer, and professional, camcorders employ three, separate CCDs - one for each of the primary colours - for very high quality colour resolution.
Go for optical zoom
Most digital camcorders have a "zoom", or magnification, capability of some kind, but it is important to recognise the difference between "optical" and "digital" zoom. Optical zoom determines the number of times a camcorder can magnify an image by the physical movement of its lens assembly. Digital zoom, on the other hand, is a software effect, which simply "crops" a portion of a complete image, and enlarges it to the size of the viewfinder.
The results of this latter process are often unsatisfactory, so concentrate on optical zoom; you should find that a typical zoom capability, of "10x", or more, is suitable for most applications.
Some examples include the Canon DC201 DVD Camcorder, with 30x optical zoom, and the Sony DCR-DVD106 Camcorder with 40x optical zoom.
Size Matters!
The physical size, and weight, of a digital camcorder are important, and it is possible for a camcorder to be too small, as well as too big.
A large, heavy camcorder is likely to be uncomfortable to carry around, and this will limit the frequency with which you use it, but equally, a tiny camcorder, with tiny buttons, may be difficult to operate, particularly if you have large hands. The JVC GR D720 Digital Camcorder, for example, has dimensions of 61mm x 94mm x 114mm and weighs just 410 grams.
Conclusion
The most noticeable difference between digital cameras & camcorders and their analogue predecessors is the reduction in size, and weight. Many digital camcorders are small enough to fit comfortably into the palm of your hand, and can easily be slipped into a pocket, or bag, when not in use.
Digital recordings can be transferred quickly and easily, via a FireWire, or USB, connection, to a personal computer for editing. Editing software is often included with a digital camera, and various, separate software packages are available, if you want a completely professional finish.
We recommend using Jessops to buy your camcorders. They regularly have discount promotions.
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