Easy Guide To Buying A Camcorder
There is a certain fun in documenting events happening around us. While photographs tell stories, candid videos take story-telling to the next level. Camcorders / Video Cameras let you capture memories and cherish for long. And for this reason, owning a sharp piece of a camcorder becomes essential. However what makes this a little challenging is the number of camcorders available out there. So how does one sift through the mass and identify video cameras that are great to use and easy on the pocket too?
That's the questions we address in this article.
What matters for most of us is the ease of use. Since we are not looking to capture events in movie like quality, an automatic camera that gives us acceptable levels of quality is fine enough. However with HD becoming a standard shooting format in all camcorders, expecting a little more from your video cameras is not pushing the envelope much. And this is where features like zoom, manual controls, LCD display and others that we discuss below become important.
Recording Format
Do check the format the camcorder shoots in. DVD based camcorders are a pass© and you would do well to leave them. Instead look for camcorders that record on hard disk or a flash memory. Even MiniDV is fine since it is known to deliver high quality footage.
Zoom
All camcorders come with zoom function but what differentiates one from another is how far they can zoom. A factor to compare in this feature is the optical zoom. See how far the camcorders can zoom on its own and then compare its digital zoom.
Viewfinder
Bigger the viewfinder, better is the display quality and more image you can check. Another addition to this is the touch screen capability that lets you control certain elements of the camcorders like playback, rewind, forward et al. Check for these too.
Manual Controls
Look for manual controls that let you manipulate aperture, iris and the focus. With such controls you can play with the background blur and bring out details much like the films. Iris control along with shutter speed control can also enable you to experiment with the look and feel of the footage without any post editing.
Connectivity
Look how easily the camcorder can be connected with a PC. Check for cables, HDMI cables and other cross connectivity medium.
So next time you go out to buy a camcorder for yourself, do evaluate the various video cameras on offer and narrow down on top options. One cheat step to go about this is to browse through Panasonic HD camcorders and pick the one that matches your need.
That's the questions we address in this article.
What matters for most of us is the ease of use. Since we are not looking to capture events in movie like quality, an automatic camera that gives us acceptable levels of quality is fine enough. However with HD becoming a standard shooting format in all camcorders, expecting a little more from your video cameras is not pushing the envelope much. And this is where features like zoom, manual controls, LCD display and others that we discuss below become important.
Recording Format
Do check the format the camcorder shoots in. DVD based camcorders are a pass© and you would do well to leave them. Instead look for camcorders that record on hard disk or a flash memory. Even MiniDV is fine since it is known to deliver high quality footage.
Zoom
All camcorders come with zoom function but what differentiates one from another is how far they can zoom. A factor to compare in this feature is the optical zoom. See how far the camcorders can zoom on its own and then compare its digital zoom.
Viewfinder
Bigger the viewfinder, better is the display quality and more image you can check. Another addition to this is the touch screen capability that lets you control certain elements of the camcorders like playback, rewind, forward et al. Check for these too.
Manual Controls
Look for manual controls that let you manipulate aperture, iris and the focus. With such controls you can play with the background blur and bring out details much like the films. Iris control along with shutter speed control can also enable you to experiment with the look and feel of the footage without any post editing.
Connectivity
Look how easily the camcorder can be connected with a PC. Check for cables, HDMI cables and other cross connectivity medium.
So next time you go out to buy a camcorder for yourself, do evaluate the various video cameras on offer and narrow down on top options. One cheat step to go about this is to browse through Panasonic HD camcorders and pick the one that matches your need.
