Camcorder Reviews 2012 From Camcorders Reviewer
Before
spending your hard earned money, there are a number of things to
consider when searching for just the right
digital camcorder. There are
a number of features to take into consideration; and a lot of models to
pick from. This camcorder review
is intended to assist the serious shopper in finding the
best camcorder on the market. We will be looking at various aspects
of digital camcorders and
pointing out what features to look for in the best
camcorder reviews 2012.
What kind of Video Storage Formatting do you want?
The first
thing on your list to investigate is the video storage format. There are
five different format designs on the market today. These range from the
MiniDV, which is the most popular, to Sony’s
Digital 8 MicroMV. In between
are DVD discs, hard drives and flash-based designs.
Sony camcorder, Canon, Panasonic, and
JVC camcorders all support the MiniDV. For those who aren’t familiar
with MiniDV, it uses a miniature digital video cassette for its storage.
These camcorders tend to be smaller but also more expensive than the
Digital8. For the most part,
people find the video appears to be a higher quality on the MiniDV. If
you are upgrading from a Hi-8 or
8mm camcorder, the Digital8 would probably be a good fit for you.
Keep in mind
when looking for a camcorder that a DV format, ensures compatibility
with other DV equipment. This format is currently being supported by
over 56 companies worldwide. On the other hand, Digital 8 is currently
supported by only two companies, Sony & Hitachi.
Mini DV tape format is also
about 56 percent smaller than 8mm tape. As a result,
Panasonic digital camcorders are smaller than the comparative
Digital 8 models. An 80 minute Mini DV tape, when using LP mode, will
provide two full hours of recording time, but the Digital 8 is capable
of only 90 minutes of recording time.
The first
camcorder manufacturer to offer hard drives as an alternative storage
format was JVC. One advantage the hard drive offers is it eliminates the
need to reconvert the video to interface with a computer. Another
benefit is the ease of editing from within the
camcorder. The cost savings
from not having to purchase additional tapes is still another advantage
the hard drive gives. If you are using this camcorder for your family,
the hard drive storage may be best for you. But, if video quality is
your main concern, or if you plan on shooting more than two hours of
action on an outing, you may want to look at one of the other options.
Digital Zoom vs Optical Zoom
If you want
to preserve a high quality picture when zooming with your camcorder,
optical zoom is definitely an advantage.
What is optical zoom? This
magnifies the image through the lenses, and then captures the zoomed
image at the higher quality. What
digital zoom does is simply take a portion of your image and
enlarges it, resulting in a loss of quality. Images that are zoomed
using optics enlarge the picture, without sacrificing on quality.
Keeping this in mind, look at the optical zoom power rather than the
digital zoom rating on the camcorder to determine the actual amount of
zoom you need. In reality, it isn’t wise to even use digital zoom, since
it affects the quality of your video. I would recommend looking for at
least a 10x optical zoom lens,
which is common on most camcorders today.
According to
tests conducted by CNET Lab, Carl
Zeiss lens deliver exceptional
image resolutions. These
lenses are featured in several of the Sony models.
LCD Displays and Viewfinders
Most
digital camcorders are now equipped with at least a 2.5 inch color
LCD display. These displays
allow you to easily view, as well as play back, the video images you’ve
recorded. Camcorders with a 4 inch LCD screen provide a better view. The
drawback of the larger screen is normally a higher cost, and generally
results in a larger size unit to accommodate the larger display. Since
the display is so handy and much easier to see, the
viewfinders aren’t used that
much anymore.
Digital Still Capture
Most digital
camcorders allow you to take still pictures and store them directly to
the camcorder. The still capture images may not be of as good a
resolution you would get from many modern day digital cameras, but add
convenience to the process. On most all digital camcorders, you have the
ability to capture still shots and store them on the tape or directly
into a flash memory card. In the coming years, camcorders will be equal
in quality to that of digital still cameras.
Three CCD Verses Single CCD
3CCD
provides a much sharper picture quality. Using three Charge-Coupled
Devices (3CCD) a camera splits the light coming into the camera using a
trichroic prism assembly. Each CCD takes a separate measurement of the
primary colors; red, green, and blue light. This assembly directs the
appropriate wavelength ranges of light to their respective CCDs. 3CCD
cameras achieve a much more precise picture than single-CCD cameras. The
resulting picture provides superior image quality with enhanced
resolution and with a lower noise level. 3CCD technology is usually
found in semi-pro or professional camcorders. However, for most consumer
purposes, cameras with one CCD are normally good enough.
Built-in Lights
These
lighting systems allow you to record video in a low-light condition but
are a good substitute for fine lighting.
Image Stabilization
Digital image stabilization is found on most of the
latest digital camcorders. The feature corrects image blurring due to
one’s hand shaking during the recording.
Progressive Scan
In a
nutshell, progressive scan
provides a more film-like image display that is more pleasing for
viewing DVDs on a television display. This feature allows the camcorder
to capture a full frame of video rather than alternative lines of
pixels, as in most standard camcorders. The result is better-quality
videos in fast action sequences.
Video Inputs
With these,
you can convert video footage from your video recorder or another analog
camera into a digital format
for editing instead of using a
video capture card.
Do Your Homework
In the final
analysis, when you go into the big chain stores, keep a couple of other
things in mind. Remember that when you see the display
camcorders in the store, they
normally attach a small monitor to the camcorder. The picture quality
will look fairly good for all units. If that video was displayed on a
large screen, you would pick up on a lot more imperfections. The second
thing that they do is brightly illuminate their store. Light is the key
ingredient in offering a clear video. The more light you have, the
better any given camcorder
will perform. You may be disappointed when you start using your new
digital camcorder under normal (dimmer) conditions. Hopefully this
2012 Camcorder
Reviews from
camcorders reviewer has been
helpful. Here are some additional camcorder reviews of some of the top
Canon camcorders:
Canon HV40:
The Perfect Versatile Camcorder
The Canon
Vixia HV40 Reviews: The Low-down
Canon XF300
and XF305 [video]: Review With Rig
Canon XF300
and XF305: [video] A Features And Benefits Summary
Canon XF300
and XF305: Professional Video Perfection