Choosing a Digital Camcorder

It's important to know what to look for when choosing a digital camcorder. A digital camcorder captures sound and images by converting them to digital files that you can store and edit on a computer. At a minimum, a digital camcorder offers a lens, a microphone, a zoom function, an LCD screen for recording and viewing and basic playback options. High-end digital camcorders will include additional microphone jacks and manual controls for shutter speed and focus.

Image quality is the primary concern when shopping for a digital camcorder and quality is determined by the lens and the digital technology. Less-expensive models have lower-quality lenses that may not work well in low light or at long distances. Spending more may get you a better lens, or it may get you an average lens with a lot of features you don't need. Know what you're paying for, and be willing to sacrifice convenience features for a digital camcorder with a better lens.

Digital Camcorder CCD Chips
Every digital camcorder uses charged-coupled devices (CCDs) to convert light into digital data. Most digital camcorders have either a single CCD chip that does all the work or three CCD chips that process red, blue and green separately. Three-CCD digital camcorders produce the best possible image quality often work better in low light and at longer distances, but you'll pay a lot more for this technology.

For family events or video that you plan to post on the Web, a single CCD digital camcorder is an excellent choice. If you need the digital camcorder for business presentations or professional purposes, you'll want a three-CCD model.

The resolution of a digital camcorder is determined by the size of the CCD chips and the number of pixels they have. Higher pixel counts typically result in sharper images, but this depends on the quality of the lens and the actual resolution when image stabilization and other real-world factors come into play. Don't be too dazzled by the potential resolution of a digital camcorder; try it and judge the performance yourself.

Storing Your Video
A digital camcorder will store data either on MiniDV tape, DVD or on an internal hard drive. MiniDV is the most common storage format, and these compact 8mm tapes are easy to buy and carry around. If you shoot a lot of video, a MiniDV digital camcorder is your best bet.

The biggest drawback to MiniDV digital camcorders is the tape, which degrades each time it is used and decomposes over time. You'll get better image quality from a camcorder that uses rewritable DVDs that can play in most computers and DVD players. Digital camcorder DVDs are more expensive and fragile than MiniDV tapes, but they'll last for 5 to 10 years with proper care. They also support higher image resolution than MiniDV, which tops out at 720x480.

For all-digital recording without media, digital camcorders with built-in hard drives are available. The biggest drawback to these digital camcorders is their limited recording time. Once the hard drive is full, you'll need to download the data to your computer to keep recording.

If you need high-definition video, choose a digital camcorder that writes to DVD or a hard drive. For everyday use or recording long events, a MiniDV digital camcorder is the best choice. Remember that you can download your video to your PC with any digital camcorder, which overcomes the limitations of storage media.

Don't Forget Sound
Digital cameras record CD-quality digital stereo, ranging from 12-bit and 16-bit sound in budget models to full Dolby Digital at the high end. The quality of sound depends largely on the digital camcorder's built-in microphone. A MiniDV or DVD digital camcorder should have the microphone mounted in the front so you won't hear mechanical noise from internal motors.

A top-mounted microphone is good only if the microphone's sensor is mounted well in front of the digital camcorder's body. Digital camcorders with top-mounted mics tend to pick up much more motor noise, including noise from the zoom lens.

To get the best sound and minimize motor noise, look for a digital camcorder with a microphone jack and purchase a separate mic.

Zoom and Other Features
The zoom feature allows a digital camcorder to get closer to the action through magnification. Optical zoom moves the lens to achieve magnification, while digital zoom magnifies the size of recorded pixels. A 10x optical zoom is ideal for most users.

Beware of the claims made about digital zoom. This function can cause the image to degrade to the point where it's unwatchable. If you need to shoot video from a distance, you're better off getting a digital camcorder with a longer lens, or a model that supports changeable lenses.

Most digital camcorders work best in daylight. For nighttime or low-light interior shooting, you'll need a three-CCD digital camcorder designed for this purpose. These high-end digital camcorders will include manual controls for focus, shutter speed and white balance.

If you choose a digital camcorder with manual controls, make sure the buttons are located where you can reach them while you're shooting. Watch out for buttons that are set too close together if you have large hands.

Electronic image stabilization is a common feature on digital camcorders. By reducing the size of the image, it reduces the impact of hand movement while you're shooting. This is a great feature for home users, but it's no substitute for shooting from a tripod.

Connectivity and Editing
A digital camcorder should have RCA video or composite video jacks to connect to your TV and a USB port to connect to your PC. Deluxe models may include FireWire ports for faster data transfer.

Although some digital camcorders offer flying erase heads, character generation, dubbing and other editing functions, you'll find it much easier to edit video on your PC. Shop for image quality and don't pay extra for editing capabilities unless you need to edit in the field.