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