Tft Monitor
Moving pictures capture an event and tell a story more completely and more dramatically than still pictures. Today’s video camcorders and dvd authoring software are so technologically advanced and easy to use that making interesting and entertaining motion pictures is within reach of almost everybody.
Some digital cameras and camcorders, like the new RCA Small Wonder Point and Shoot, are small enough to stick in a pocket or an evening purse and reliably produce up to 60 minutes of quality video for tv, dvd, and the internet. Size, then, can safely be your first consideration in selecting a video camera without having to give up too much in quality. In the remainder of this article we will discuss the other major camcorder features to look for in camcorder reviews.
The size of the display screen or LCD monitor is an important selection factor. You use the display monitor for composing your video and also as a convenient playback feature. Look for a display monitor of at least 2.5 inches. Most are TFT and display 100% of the captured image but you want to check anyway.
The camcorder lens is probably the most important feature of camcorder comparisons. Top brands like Sony, Canon, and JVC engineer the finest lenses that you can buy with confidence. Small aperture numbers like 1.4 or 1.8 mean that you can shoot successfully in low light. Higher aperture numbers like 4.1 mean better quality in sunlight and other brightly lighted conditions. Camcorder electronics are sophisticated enough to adjust for different lighting conditions by automatically varying the aperture and the shutter speed. 10x optical zoom is fairly standard and you will find it sufficient for most purposes. If you want to shoot very long shots, faces on the other side of a football field for example, then consider a 20x optical zoom but be sure to add a tripod to your camcorder accessory bag.
All camcorders offer one of two types of image stabilization – electronic or optical. Image stabilization is very important for picture quality. The electronic stabilization method counteracts images that seem to float on the CCD by using internal circuitry to interpret video after the image has been captured. Professional quality camcorders use a 3CCD configuration for image stabilization. The optical method uses features within the lens itself to compensate for external movement.
Although it is a digital camera camcorder sound quality is also important. Most camcorders have a mircrophone attached to the camera body, which is the most convenient location for self-recorded interviews. Some camcorders have sockets to attach remote microphones and some high end camcorders have wireless connections for the ultimate flexibility. Stereo sound recording is nice, but an expensive addition unless you really need it.
If you plan on doing lots of night shooting look for an infrared feature or a manual setting for very slow shutter speeds. Look for a lens with an aperture of f1.4 or an even smaller number. Ironically smaller aperture numbers mean bigger lens openings.
Image storage capacity is a major consideration. The storage champion is the hard disk drive or HDD camcorder which could allow you to record a two week vacation without worrying about changing media. Other popular media styles are the dvd camcorder and the high definition minidv camcorder.
Camcorder batteries always run down at the most critical moment no matter what the brand but from time to time certain manufacturers and models have serious battery issues. Read some camcorder reviews for the models you shop to see if customers are complaining about battery life. Check the dates of the reviews, however, because manufacturers often solve this problem quickly.
hdd-camcorder.com offers camcorder reviews, MiniDV, Digital DVD, hard drive, analog, and all major brands of camcorders and camcorder accessories.