Steve's Tips
How to shop for a camcorder
The good news is that, like most technology, camcorders keep getting better and cheaper every day. In fact, even a bottom of the line camcorder is a pretty darn good piece of machinery! But the bad news is that, like most technology, there are so many choices, so many features and such a glut of products out there, sometimes it’s hard to even know where to begin or what features to look for.
For the serious video hobbyist – meaning those of us who care about what we shoot and plan to edit it on our home computers – there are several features worth considering. I’ve listed them somewhat in order of priority. How many of these features you ultimately make priorities for your next camcorder depends a lot on your personal needs, preferences and, of course, budget. But, if I were shopping for a new camcorder today, here’s what I would look for:
Format – Despite new technologies, more compact storage media (such as DVDs) and the emergence of flash memory as means of capturing and storing video, the DV-AVI remains the standard file format for PC-based video editing – and digital camcorder formats (camcorders which produce DV-AVI files when they are connected by FireWire to a PC) are the preferred choice for the serious video hobbyist. For this most part, this means that, if you plan to edit your videos on your computer, you should confine your new camcorder search to miniDVs and Digital8s and, to lesser extent, the relatively rare camcorders which save DV to flash memory. This essentially rules out devices, including DVD and MicroMV camcorders, which store video as MPEGs. Can you capture video from these MPEG-based camcorders and edit it on your computer? Certainly. It’s just not the ideal workflow. Remember, most PC-based editing software uses a DV-AVI workflow. This means that every non-DV-AVI file will need to be re-encoded by the software before it is output. Why go the extra step? Computers, editing software and miniDV and Digital8 camcorders all speak the same language. Using DV camcorders means a smoother, more efficient workflow all around – and, in turn, less likelihood of unforeseen issues developing.
Oh and, in case you’re wondering what the difference is between the miniDV and Digital8 camcorder formats, the answer is: virtually nothing, really. At least as far as the quality of the image they produce and the way they interface with a computer. The only real difference between the two is that Digital8 records to a standard 8mm cassette, which can be a little cheaper than a miniDV tape. Additionally, Sony has designed many of their Digital8 camcorders to be backwards compatible. In other words, many Digital8 cams also play 8mm and hi-8 video – a real advantage if you’ve got a lot of old analog 8mm tapes you’d like to port into your computer for editing. The biggest disadvantage? Sony is pretty much the only manufacturer of Digital8 cams, and only a few models remain in their line. So, ten years from now, when your current D8 camcorders gives out, it may be tough to find a replacement. (On the other hand, ten years from now, all videotape may have gone the way of the floppy disk!)
Manual focus option – This is pretty much standard equipment on cams nowadays, but it’s worth double-checking for anyway. Although auto-focus systems are becoming continually more accurate and powerful, it’s always better to have the control if you need it. (For one thing, most auto-focus systems don’t work well in low-light situations.)
External microphone jack –Although your on-board camcorder microphone will work fine for close-ups and home movies, sometimes capturing a quality audio track can be a real challenge. Interview subjects talk too quietly, background noises overwhelm conversations and public speakers sound like they’re a million miles away. I picked up a clip-on microphone and an extension chord from Radio Shack for under $25. And I found a wireless microphone and receiver online for about $30. They’ve both added a tremendous richness to my audio that I couldn’t have otherwise achieved. But, if my camcorder didn’t have an external microphone jack, I wouldn’t even have the options. So this feature is definitely worth looking for.
Virtually all camcorder microphone jacks are mini headphone size, so you’ll have plenty of great microphone options available. Electronic stores and on-line sources offer a variety of mikes – from tiny, clip-on lapel microphones to shotgun style mikes that pick up sound from only what you point them at.
Exposure control – This is another feature which has become pretty much standard equipment on camcorders, but it’s worth double-checking for anyway. Again, your camcorder will likely do a pretty good job of automatically setting the aperture for most of lighting situations. But in mixed light situations – situations in which your subject is lit differently than the rest of the scene, for instance – it’s best to have some control. Also, many camcorders offer controls for reducing contrast (as when you shoot in bright daylight) and even shooting in total darkness (supplemented by a virtually invisible infrared light built into the camcorder). I shot a laser tag game with the Nightshot setting once, and the cool, green, night-vision look created some of the most impressive footage I’ve ever shot! They may seem rather gimmicky at first, but you’ll certainly be thankful for these features if you ever have the need.
Manual white balance option – This is a professional feature that is now becoming available on more and more consumer camcorders. Light is rarely pure white. Indoor fluorescent light tends toward yellow; outdoor lighting tends toward blue. Usually your camcorder makes a pretty good best-guess based on what it presumes is the whitest area in your shot. But if you subject is lit by fluorescent light while standing near a source of daylight (such as a window), your camcorder doesn’t know what to think! Shoot your video in a church, where fluorescent light mixes with daylight streaming through stained glass windows, and your camcorder will go nuts trying to figure out what do to! Manual white balance allows you to set and lock to what you tell it white is supposed to look like, regardless of whatever other light source sneaks into the shot. You get the same balanced, consistent color in every shot.
Three CCDs – CCDs are the charged coupled devices, the equipment in your camcorder that changes light into electronic information. Most consumer camcorders, until fairly recently, had only one CCD, which is fine for most consumer purposes (and is still quite good). But the professionals use cams with three CCDs – one for each of the three primary colors. And, if you take your color reproduction seriously, you may well find the extra investment in such a set-up well worth it. You’ll see a major difference in the way the camcorder produces blues, violets and reds. Single CCD camcorders are very good with the central spectrum, but they simply can’t compete with three CCD cams at the higher and lower end. A 3 CCD miniDV camcorder is about as close to broadcast quality as you can get for under $1000.
And if you really want to reach for the stars, there’s always the high-def option. Technically, it’s overkill for most consumers, since few in our audience will even have devices to play it on and television remains a relatively low-resolution medium for most of us. And DV camcorders do an excellent job of filling the standard video frame with hundreds of thousands of well-defined pixels. Still, at least in some form, HD may be the future, so:
Resolution – High definition video is the latest technology that’s becoming available on consumer camcorders. The most popular format, HDV, offers twice the vertical and twice the horizontal resolution of standard video (or standard television, for that matter) but records to a standard miniDV cassette. There is growing support for HDV among consumer video editing software , and it’s very likely this, or some form of high-definition video, will be the next big thing, once it becomes more affordable (and likewise the equipment to view it on becomes more popular). At this point, however, it remains a pretty expensive toy (though certainly an enviable one). Unless you feel an urgent need to get into high-definition, I’d wait a few years until their cost becomes more consumer friendly.
One feature that may not be worth considering is the camcorder’s ability to take quality still photos. A rising number of all-in-one camcorders purport to offer high resolution still photography as well as quality video, and it’s up to you whether or not the cost is worth the convenience. But, in my opinion, if you spend the money you would have put into this feature on a good stand-alone digital still camera and you’ll get so much more bang for your buck.
December 2005
About Steve
Steve Grisetti earned a master's degree in writing for television and film from Ohio University. He has instructed college-level courses in television and video production, and has taught adult education classes on Photoshop and principles of design.
Steve spent nearly 10 years in the Los Angeles-based entertainment industry, working on the sets and in the production offices of several large television and film companies. Currently, he is employed as a graphic designer in the Marketing & Communications Department of a Milwaukee-based investment firm.
He also serves as host on Adobe's official Premiere Elements Support Forum and is author, with Chuck Engels, of "Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 In a Snap," from Sams Publishing, Pearson Education.
