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Camcorders: A Guide To Beginners
Dec 16th
Camcorder, as the name suggests is a device that combines both a video camera and a video recorder in a single unit. As compared to its previous technology that used separate devices for recording audio and video, a camcorder has a built-in recorder unit for recording both audio and video.
From the early generation of camcorder that used digital tape to store data to the more advanced ones that use non-removable media like hard disk drives to store, the camcorder has come a long way in the direction of technology and performance. The latest and sophisticated camcorders use two different storage media such as built-in HDD and memory card.
Major components:
Lens, imager and recorder are the three major components of the camcorders. Lens encompasses aperture, zoom and shutter. In a professional camcorder the lens is manually controlled for all optical functions. However, in a consumer unit it is generally controlled by the electronics of the camcorder. The prime function of lens is to gather and focus light on the imager. When the image is projected on the imager through the camera lens the light is converted to an electronic video signal. And last but not the least, it is the function of the recorder to write the video-signals to the recording medium. However, the record controlling system of the camcorders allows the user to control the device.
Classification:
The camcorders are classified as digital and analogue basing on their storage devices. The analogue components are with imager-chip. Betamax, VHS, Video8 are example of camcorders with analogue storage form. However, the digital camcorders include MiniDV, DVD, hard drive, digital8 as their memory. The digital storage allows perfect resolution of video without any colour jitter or fade. There are some camcorders using flash memory devices, small hard disks and Microdrives.
While considering the classification of camcorders according to consumer and professional aspects, the consumer camcorders emphasize on features like portability, price and ease of use. However, the professional camcorders excel in technical performance. They have many manually controlled technologies that the consumer camcorders lack despite of having ample of I/O options.
Uses of Camcorders:
Home:
Camcorders have become one of the popular gadgets in many homes like many other electronic devices. Unlike still photography a video coverage of personal celebrations like wedding, birthday and other personal events can make the memory live forever.
Media:
Any electronic media showcasing news, special events or any other live telecast can not do without camcorders. Camcorders have been proved as a feasible device to record and store events that can be telecasted from the studio later on.
Entertainment:
In many TV channels, where low budget TV shows are the target, camcorders feasibly cater to the requirements.
Politics:
The political protesters use camcorder as a useful device to make their point strong on the basis of proof. These days, even the police are using camcorders during riots or protests to track the troublemaker and take action against the real culprit.
A camcorder allows recording of video staring from 30 mins with VHS-C and mini DVD camcorders to several hours with hard disk and flash drive camcorders. The important mechanism involved in camcorders allows watching the recorded video on the device itself. The VHS-C tapes and the mini DVDs can be viewed using VCR and DVD player respectively. Camcorders with Hi8, Flash drive or hard disk require television to view the video or the video can be uploaded to the computer using video editing program.
Today, many brands of camcorders are available with different models. The change of technology has enhanced the features of camcorders in the aspect of performance, compactness and feasibility. The accessories are, to a large extent, responsible for the increasing functionality of the high-end device. For a novice user of camcorder, it is advisable to gather adequate knowledge before purchasing the sophisticated gadget.
You can have access to portuguese articles about camcorders from page Camcorder
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil
Guide to Buying a Camcorder
Dec 13th
Today’s camcorder market is full of new brands and changing technology, with products moving towards greater compactness and more ‘cross-platform’ features. Choosing the right camcorder for you need not be a daunting task provided you take the time to answer some basic questions about yourself and the technology. You can search for exactly the right product, all the way from brand through model number and vendor right here at Myshopping.com.au. It will take a lot of pressure off you.
Camcorders
What kind of camcorder user are you?
At the outset, you need to think a little about why you are buying a camcorder. There are essentially six loosely defined categories:
1) the traveller, buying a camcorder to record travel experiences;
2) the family, usually with young children or soon to be, wanting to record family lifestyle experiences as the children grow up;
3) the grandparent or retiree, often with a little time to look at the world through the lens and capture moments of life that would otherwise slip by;
4) the technophobe, a person with a genuine interest in finding the best bit of gear to make movies and record things of importance;
5) the artist, similar to the technophobe, but has a deeper interest in the pictures and less interest in the technical specification, usually wanting to make movies and document items of interest;
6) the educator or student, maybe a school or classroom teacher, or student with an interest in multimedia. We can add a seventh category: that of the “I just want one” brigade who has no real underlying purpose for the purchase.
Once you have some idea of which category your purchase might fall into, then you have some way of being guided through the maze of choices. There are possibly five basic judgements you need to make about the camcorder you want to buy.
1) How comfortable it is in your hand? Remember, if you’re a traveller, you will want to lug your camcorder wherever you go. The last thing you want is a lead weight that makes your hand tired before you’ve even squeezed the trigger.
2) How easy is it to use? You need to be able to easily understand the basic functions of the camera and reach the controls as you need them.
3) Similar to 3 above, how convenient it is to playback your footage and copy it onto another storage medium.
4) What is the picture quality like? Naturally some picture quality is sacrificed for lower prices and added features in some of the range. But at the end of the day, you really want the best picture quality you can get for the money you are willing to spend. After all, it is picture quality-subjective though it is-that you will judge the camera on in years to come.
5) How much you are prepared to spend. Your purchase decision needs to be balanced between the features and accessories you want in your camcorder and the amount of funds you have available.
The technology
The latest digital video cameras make shooting and editing as easy as falling off the back of a truck, and can help you along the way to winning the grand Funniest Home Video prize. Coupling your digital camcorders with video-editing programs on your computer means you can edit, add visual effects, create titles, add sound effects and play it back at different speeds.
Most digital camcorders use videotape, the most common being a format called MiniDV making it easy to edit it on a computer and output your finished movie to tape, Video CD or DVD. All you need along with your digital camcorder is a FireWire interface on your PC, and a video-editing program.
Some camcorders now use flash media memory cards or sticks to store video, which allows for a smaller camera than digital tape types, but at the expense of lower video quality and smaller storage (although this is quickly changing.) There are two big advantages with the memory stick cameras: one is their portability, especially for travellers, and the other is the small size and easy ‘plug-in’ accessibility of the storage media.
There are also camcorders that record directly onto mini DVD discs, which you can then play it back in your DVD player. These cameras use an 8-centimeter recordable DVD discs that can hold up to an hour of video, and record a good quality image. One drawback, however is that the discs have to be ‘finalised’ by the camera before they can be used in a DVD player. However, there are constantly changing standards in disc technology, and it is worthwhile looking at any new developments in this media.
Main Features
Battery: Power consumption varies from camcorder to camcorder. Although it stands to reason that a camera recording to memory stick will have a longer battery life than one recording to DVD or MiniDV tape. However recording and playback time runs out a lot faster than you expect. There are a different ways to address this issue. In many instances you can buy batteries that provider a longer discharge life than the original one that comes with the camera. Ordinarily a camcorder has its battery at the back of the body in an indented housing that has no cover or door, enabling a larger battery (extended life) to fit. A camcorder with room for an expandable battery will give you plenty of recording time while you’re still learning.
Screen: One feature commonly espoused by the camera manufacturers is the size of the LCD screen. The bigger it is, the more you can see what you’re recording and what you’ve captured. But the bigger it is, the more battery power it requires too. Also, some LCD screens are not very effective in bright sunlight, and that’s one place you will likely be using your camcorder often. Having a viewfinder as well as an LCD screen is a useful option, enabling you to see what you are recording when seeing the screen in bright light is difficult and saving battery power.
Lens: Camcorders come with a zoom lens allowing you to shoot close-up images of distant subjects. Like digital cameras, there is a distinction between digital (zoom) and optical (telephoto) lens capability. A digital zoom enlarges part of the image to fill the screen, whereas optical zoom is the telephoto capacity of the lens itself. The difference is in the final images. Images with high levels of digital zoom can be grainy and lack definition because only a part of the image that is captured through the lens is recorded. With optical zoom, the full image that passes through the lens is captured. Consequently a higher optical zoom is desirable.
Sound capture. Camcorders usually have a front-mounted microphone. Those with a microphone located below the lens, or at the bottom of the front housing usually produce a better sound capture than those with a microphone mounted on top of the camera. Some camcorders have zoom or highly directional microphones that can zoom into the subject when the zoom lens is used. If you are frequently filming in difficult auditory environments or want to capture ‘news style’ content, it is best to have a socket for using an external microphone.
Stills: Most digital camcorders allow you to take still images and save them to a memory card. However they rarely offer the same level of control or quality as dedicated digital still cameras.
Controls: Comfort and control go somewhat hand-in-hand. Be sure that the camera you choose is comfortable in your hand and that the important controls are easy to access with your fingers while your eye is glued to the viewfinder. Confusing layouts and labels on much current technology conditions many of us to accept automatic functions and controls. But sometimes the automatic settings simply don’t cut it with the conditions in which we’re filming. Check out how much of the camera’s functionality can be turned ‘manual’. You should be able to, for example, make a manual ‘white balance,’ control the aperture on the lens to adjust the amount of light that is let in, and possibly digitally adjust the gain of the captured image.
Low light functions: Choosing a camcorder that has the ability to film in very dull light may be important, especially if you want to shoot at night or indoors. A special slow shutter mode helped by an infrared light can make filming in ambient lighting very effective, as can built-in illumination from one or more LEDs.
Accessories
Some accessories are necessary for you to have success with your camcorder. You might consider the type of carry case, with good pockets to house additional batteries; storage media lens cleaners and so on. You should consider additional battery power, preferably one with an extended life. You may want to consider a tripod, additional lenses, and a camera-mounted light. You will certainly need storage media for which system you choose. You can check out the full range of accessories for any brand or model by searching our database at Myshopping.com.au.
Andrew Gates is a writer for comparison online shopping site MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare video cameras and buy online from top-rated online stores. You can also read camcorders reviews and specifications.
Guide To Selecting The Best Digital Video Equipments!
Dec 11th
Looking for suggestions on how to set up your own video production unit? Here is a guide to selecting & buying the best Digital Video Equipments – that includes Digital camcorders, Video editing Hardware & Software.
Whether you intend to do this as a serious hobby or you want to be a professional down the line, understanding the video creation process is recommended. You also need to know what you want to shoot. Is it going to be simple home videos… or some high quality work?
Answering these questions makes it easier for you to take the decisions around what video equipments would be needed. So here is a list of equipments you would need!
A Digital Camcorder
You cannot shoot without this equipment. The price range varies a lot, so decide if you intend to shoot home videos or want to do professional work. Look at technical factors like Firewire support, lens quality, optical zoom, still image capability, etc.
A Decent Computer
The Computer is where you will capture your video and do things like editing, adding effects, adding soundtrack, etc. and then share it for use on different media. So your computer needs to have a good configuration, factors that need to be considered include CPU, RAM, Hard disk, upgradability, Monitor size, etc.
Video Capture Device
To capture analog video (from VHS tapes), you will need an analog-to-digital conversion device to transfer the video to your computer. If it is digital video that you intend to capture, your computer will need a Firewire card to be able to transfer the video to your computer.
Video Editing Software
You can polish your video further using a video editing software program. You can add Menus, Titles, Transitions, Effects, Soundtrack, Narration, etc. Depending on the product you choose, you may be able to do customization of these effects as well.
DVD Authoring Software
The process of burning a VCD / DVD is made easier using an authoring package. They also let you make other changes like adding menus and chapters for easy navigation. But if you intend to go in for a good video editing software program, you don’t need a DVD authoring package.
I have been dealing in video editing hardware and software for last many years.
Simple Guide to Buying a Camcorder
Dec 6th
Ten years ago the only video cameras that were available were the analog type that were so big and bulky that they had to be carted around on a trolley while professionals used them to shoot video for television. Camcorders have come a long way, they are smaller, slimmer, user-friendly and have tons of options that are available on many different models. Also with today’s digital technology comes the digital camcorder, which makes shooting and editing a movie a simple and fun activity for many people.
When buying a camcorder it is important to choose one that fits with you. Store counters are filled with a great variety of brands and models each with an array of features and formats. It is important to understand these features when buying a camcorder and buying the right camcorder which fits your purpose and budget.
The following guide to buying a camcorder details these features and will give you the guidance needed to buy the right camcorder the first time.
While analog camcorders still exist, digital camcorders are the camcorders of the day. Digital camcorders provide a superb recording quality by recording audio and video digitally without any loss in quality. In fact the quality far outweighs analog in yielding excellent color and clarity with 500 lines of resolution. And while digital camcorders are more expensive than analog, the price difference has shrunk enough in the past couple of years to make it very worthwhile to purchase the digital type.
Digital camcorders display recorded images by using the fantastic flat LCD screen feature. These screens can be rotated about 290 degrees along the vertical line, and horizontally about 90 degrees. These screens have made digital camcorders very popular with consumers since the recording process becomes so easy and fun when you are able to see what is being recorded on the LCD screen in real time. Also it is important to note that the DVD camcorders LCD displays a list of the recorded scenes for quick, easy searching.
When buying a camcorder you want to get an LCD screen that is as large as you can afford. The larger the screen the more you can see what you are recording in real time. One thing to keep in mind is the larger the screen the more battery power it will draw.
Another feature of LCD screens is the viewfinder, which is intended for shooting in bright sunlight and helps to save power. The panel size of LCD screens is presented in inches ranging from 1.8 to 3.5 inch screens
Camcorders have two types of zoom capabilities, digital and optical, and many camcorders come with both. The digital zoom enlarges images by magnifying the actual pixels. The finished image is thus affected and lacks clear definition. Pixilation is the term that defines this process of blurring. This option can be turned off on most models of camcorders and should be for optimal image quality.
The optical zoom feature actually utilizes the movement of the lens. The focal length is changed and image that passes through the lens is captured with optical zoom. Higher optical zoom ratings give better image quality.
Very often the audio that is recorded with your camcorder is just as important as the video. Mostly camcorders have the same audio quality. Some problems may occur, such as recording of tape motor noise, no sound at all, noise from hand movement and even times when the camcorder will record the wrong thing. The best thing you can do when buying a camcorder is to look for options, and make sure that the camcorder has a microphone jack to which you can attach an external microphone as opposed to relying on the camcorders internal microphone. An external microphone will be of great benefit at those times when you are recording something like a concert, wedding or graduation speech because the external microphone will allow you adjust the channels to fit with the sound levels you are recording.
There are several media formats available with digital camcorders. When buying a camcorder this feature is very important to look at and choose the right format that fits your needs and budget. This is the feature which determines how the video is recorded and what kind of storage device is used.
DVD Camcorders – Before discussing the actual DVD media camcorders, first let’s take a look at the different types of DVD formats of which there are three: DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM. DVD-R is a recordable DVD format with a write-once only capability. DVD-RW is a recordable DVD but it allows rewrites and so provides unlimited writing to same disk. DVD-RAM – DVD Random Access Memory is a DVD disc, which can be recorded with information, erased, and recorded again. DVD-RAM is considered a highly reliable format, as the discs have built-in error control and a defect management system. Therefore, DVD-RAM is perceived to be better than the other DVD technologies.
There are two versions of DVD camcorders. The first one works with rewritable DVD-RAM discs requiring a DVD player with RAM playback or a PC with a DVD-RAM drive. The second works by using the more popular DVD-RW and DVD-R discs that work with most ordinary DVD players and allow for actual recording of images to the DVD disk. A great feature of this recording format is the ability to edit in-camera and with repeated playbacks the disk does not degrade.
MiniDV Camcorders are types of camcorder that store recorded data to MiniDV cassettes. The video and sound quality is exceptionally good. The MiniDV camcorders are small, sleek and stylish because of the small size of MiniDV cassettes.
MicroMV digital camcorders use tapes that are much smaller than MiniDV tapes and also use more of compression technology. The MicroMV is compressed much more that the MiniDV and records very high quality video as well as possess the capability of full digital editing. The MicroMV is also very compact, lightweight and ultra small.
Flash Media Camcorders record images to an internal Flash drive and Flash Memory cards. Flash Memory cards include: SD, Compact Flash, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo.
HDD Camcorders, or hard disk drive camcorders are compact and record in MPEG-2 video as well as other encoded formats and recorded data is stored to an internal hard disk. The upside of this format is the ability to store huge amounts of video data by using compression. The video is saved to the internal hard disc within the camcorder and then downloaded to a computer and burnt onto to a DVD. The HDD camcorder has no moving parts and so there is less chance of mechanical breakdown.
Digital 8 Camcorders record digital video to Hi-8 videotapes. Digital 8 is a consumer digital videotape format developed by Sony, and introduced in 1999. Digital8 equipment uses the same videocassettes as analog Hi8 equipment, but differs in that the audio/video signal is encoded digitally. Picture quality is fairly good and this format allows playback of analog videotapes recorded on Hi-8 camcorders.
VHS Camcorders are types of camcorders that record video digitally to VHS videotapes. Picture quality is good and this format allows playback of analog videotapes.
HDV Camcorders, are the newest standard in high definition recording and viewing. High Definition Video camcorders usually utilize MiniDV tapes or Hard Disk Drives which yields a full high definition 1920 by 1080 resolution. This resolution provides a superb high-def video picture quality, which looks great on a high definition television. When buying a camcorder with this capability it is important to know that for editing high-def video a computer is required with a fast processor and lots of memory to meet the requirements of video editing software.
Hitachi has manufactured the world’s first full HD digital camcorder which both records and saves image data in the Full HD format on both the hard drive and on Blu-ray Discs, which are the next standard for recordable media.
When buying a camcorder a key feature to consider is built in stabilization. Unless you are shooting video with the camcorder sitting on a tripod, which most home users do not do for everyday shoots, the hand must be stable while holding the camera to avoid image distortion caused by unsteadiness or jerking of the hand. This feature helps to fix these errors caused by jerking of the camera in the hand while shooting.
The stabilization feature comes in two types, Optical and Electronic. Superior to the electronic technique, the Optical Image Stabilization technique is where a part of the lens is moved in the camcorder to compensate for the shake.
With the Electronic Image Stabilization technique the camcorders internal computer shifts the image electronically in the opposite direction of the shake. This is achieved by slightly zooming in on the image. Poor electronic techniques can cause loss of sharpness or resolution.
Controls and Camcorder Size. When buying a camcorder you do not want to compromise usability for size. While a small camcorder maybe cute and convenient to carry, it is important to make sure that it is also user-friendly. You want to be able to reach and use the controls of a camcorder with ease while recording, if the camcorder is so small that you cannot easily access the control buttons the recording experience will be hindered and it will also become a hassle.
The battery a digital camcorder uses is also a vital feature to consider when buying a camcorder. Does the camcorder come with a rechargeable battery? How long recording time is available on a fully charged battery? The best option is to purchase a camcorder which has a rechargeable battery. Generally different models of camcorders have different battery capacity which allow for varying amount of recording time on a fully charged battery.
The two most common rechargeable batteries are the NiCd and the Lithium Ion. The lithiums are usually preferred because they take a charge quicker, are lighter than others and have a longer life span. Most full charges give a battery 6 hours of life.
The brand of camcorder will of course play a role when buying a camcorder. There are plenty of manufacturers of digital camcorders including but not limited to Canon, Panasonic, Sony Hitachi, JVC and Sharp. Canon has some of the best high-def machines on that market today, JVC has a couple of great budget models and Sony is best known for their handycam, which provides superb picture quality in compact machine.
In the end, the most important factor to consider when buying a camcorder is your personal use, the features you desire and price. Ratings of brands are available and the list of key features and specifications should be looked at to determine if the brand and model fits your needs and budget.
Digital camcorders are not cheap, in fact they are often thought of as a hefty investment that could range anywhere between $280 to over $2500 retail price. Something to consider is that in todays world with the Internet providing a stage where millions of sellers and merchants compete for your business it is easy to save significant amounts of money by avoiding retail merchants and purchasing discount digital camcorders.
To learn more about digital camcorders and to browse and buy all models and brands of Discount Digital Camcorders please visit: JR’s Discount Digital Camcorders
Digital Camcorder Guide!
Nov 28th
Everybody enjoys watching their own videos, especially if it involves close ones and events that are close to our heart. So if you do not own a camcorder and intend to buy one, here is a quick guide on what features to look for before you buy a new one. You may even consider buying a used one as long as it is well looked after and has good
features.
As usual, you will have to weigh between the features and the cost. The more features you are after, the more money you will have to shell out. An important thing to note is that a camcorder is for capturing video whereas a digital camera is meant for taking still pictures.
Avoid looking for something which will give the best of both the worlds. It will not give the best results and at the same time it will be expensive. Also, if you are looking for a used one, go in for a digital camcorder than an analog one. It is easier to get your video from a digital camcorder into a computer and edit it.
Optical Zoom is better than digital zoom. Higher the optical zoom, the better it is. At higher levels, digital zoom distorts the videos making them useless so avoid camcorders with higher digital zoom. You need higher Optical Zoom.
Another important thing to know is the number of CCDs. A CCD (Charged coupled Device) converts light into digital data, and helps in recreating the images. A 3-CCD camcorder is better since it creates better images but then it costs more than one CCD.
When it comes to the LCD, a bigger size will help you to clearly look at your recorded video. But then if it is adding too much to the cost, think whether you really want to put in that extra dollar.
Besides the above features, you may choose to go in for additional features like Image stabilization feature and Still Image capability. But then these are not a necessity; if you are on a tight budget avoid them.
Everybody enjoys watching their own videos, especially if it involves close ones and events that are close to our heart. So if you do not own a camcorder and intend to buy one, here is a quick guide on what features to look for before you buy a new one. You may even consider buying a used one as long as it is well looked after and has good
features.
As usual, you will have to weigh between the features and the cost. The more features you are after, the more money you will have to shell out. An important thing to note is that a camcorder is for capturing video whereas a digital camera is meant for taking still pictures.
Avoid looking for something which will give the best of both the worlds. It will not give the best results and at the same time it will be expensive. Also, if you are looking for a used one, go in for a digital camcorder than an analog one. It is easier to get your video from a digital camcorder into a computer and edit it.
Optical Zoom is better than digital zoom. Higher the optical zoom, the better it is. At higher levels, digital zoom distorts the videos making them useless so avoid camcorders with higher digital zoom. You need higher Optical Zoom.
Another important thing to know is the number of CCDs. A CCD (Charged coupled Device) converts light into digital data, and helps in recreating the images. A 3-CCD camcorder is better since it creates better images but then it costs more than one CCD.
When it comes to the LCD, a bigger size will help you to clearly look at your recorded video. But then if it is adding too much to the cost, think whether you really want to put in that extra dollar.
Besides the above features, you may choose to go in for additional features like Image stabilization feature and Still Image capability. But then these are not a necessity; if you are on a tight budget avoid them.