Digital Camcorder Buying Tips

By George Kissi

If you're in the market for a digital camcorder, it's prudent that you're arm yourself with a few tips before you buy otherwise you might end up with some thing that does not suit your needs. Below are a few guide lines that will help you along the way.

Take a Look at the LCD screen in daylight, if at all possible

Certain screens will fade out in bright sunlight, and you need to ensure your ability to easily see what you're recording under any circumstances. If you're unable to view the images on the screen in bright daylight, resort to using the viewfinder. Not only will using the view finder get the job done but it will do so without using up a lot of your battery power.

Examine the lens's optical zoom ratio rather than the digital zoom ratio

With a digital zoom, the camcorder is merely making the image larger through the viewfinder as opposed to actually delivering a closer look. The optical zoom spec is more expedient in that respect and you'll want at least 10X optical zoom.

Buy an additional higher-capacity battery for longer recording times

The normal battery that comes with majority of camcorders usually only last an hour or so. For $50 to $100, you can purchase a longer-lasting battery, so consider that into your cost if you think you'll need it. There's nothing more frustrating than running out of power in the middle of recording an important event!

Microphones that are mounted in the front get better results

When the microphone is mounted on the top of the camcorder, it has the tendency to capture the voice of the person using the camcorder rather than the event being recorded. In this regard it's better to buy a camcorder with the microphone mounted in the front.

Buy an external microphone for the best sound

If the camcorder you're interested in buying has the ability to connect an external microphone, then factor in an extra $50 to $100 for an external microphone as this will give you the best sound possible .

Play and familiarize your self with the camcorders controls and features before you purchase

Occasionally the smallest camcorders can be difficult to use, particularly if you have large hands. A bigger model may work better for you if it is more comfortable to handle.

Examine exposure controls and Low-light options

All camcorders come with a completely automatic mode, but certain models have manual and semi-manual exposure modes. For eg, some models allow you to record at slower shutter speeds than others, or have aperture settings that permit more light to enter. Quite a few also offer scene modes, which you might be familiar with from digital still cameras. Low-light options also allow you to shoot in dark environments. Numerous camcorders come with an infrared light or a long shutter mode to assist in capturing images in the dark.

Look for wide-screen shooting and know your format:

If you own a high definition TV, you'll get a full picture with no black bars at the top and bottom if you record with a wide-screen model. Also it is important to know the format the camcorder records in. Majority of camcorders record onto mini-DVD discs or MiniDV tapes. Bear in mind that MiniDV is the most widely available format which is a major boost if you find yourself short on tape while on vacation mainly because Mini-DVD discs are ofttimes difficult to come by.

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Making the Most of Your Digital Camcorder - Filming Family History Videos

By Paul Casinelli

One of the most popular and upcoming ways of using your digital camcorder is filming family history videos. Generally speaking, family history videos feature interviews with an entire family. However, a project like this takes planning and coordination of interviews as well as video editing. If you are looking for a project using your digital camcorder, a family history video is the perfect project to start!

Getting Started

Before filming, you should ask each of the family relatives to write a brief summary of what they will be discussing during their interview. These topics include family ancestors, past achievements, future goals, and even an interesting statement on where they see themselves in 10 or 20 years! Next, plan dates on which your relatives will be available for at least an hour to two hours for an interview. Remember, there will be errors made by both the filming party and your relatives' interviews. However, these errors will be taken out during the editing process.

The Editing Process

After all of the filming has been completed, it is time to edit. There may be emotional out takes, filming errors, or interview errors. These problems should be addressed and either erased or edited. Before deleting all of the recorded video, you may want to consider creating a "blooper" section on the DVD to show after the family history video is shown.

The perfect screen filler while an interview is taking place are family pictures. It is important to bring in other elements into the video to make it more interesting to the viewer. If you interview all 25 of your relatives, it will be boring to the viewer if you have consecutive interviews with face after face. Switch it up a little with pictures, or even a section for each family relative to show their talents such as playing an instrument. This can dramatically increase the attention of the viewer.

It is important to use a decent film editing program during this process. Windows computer users may have Windows Movie Maker available already installed on their computer. Or, an Apple user may have iMovie installed. One of the most popular and professional programs available is Final Cut Pro. But, if you have a small budget, standard editing software installed on your computer will do the job.

Burning to DVD

The final element of the filming and editing process is burning. Usually, a computer will have pre-installed burning software. However, if a program is not available, just search on Google for "free cd burning software".

An additional option when burning is printing out CD covers. You can purchase special printing paper that has circular pre-cut CD top covers on which you can print designs or text. Simply peel them off and place on top of the compact disc. For example, you could put pictures of your family and a title such as "Smith Family Video".

Choosing the Right Digital Camcorder

It is important to select a capable digital camcorder that will fit on your budget. For the clearest quality and best price, I recommend any of the following digital camcorders at http://camcorderhut.com/panasonic.html or http://camcorderhut.com/jvc.html Both Panasonic and JVC camcorders offer camcorders that feature impressive recording methods, internal hard drives, and even high definition capable recording modes!

Get Creative!

Remember to always be creative and implement your own ideas when filming. This sort of project is a piece of media you will be able to look back and remember in 10 or 20 years and even show future relatives and generations in your family. So, make sure you personalize the video!

CamcorderHut.com sells affordable and brand name digital camcorders, camcorder cases and camcorder bags, as well as camcorder accessories. We strive as a company to offer our customers informative digital camcorder information in addition to our low priced items. Please visit http://www.camcorderhut.com for great deals on digital camcorders as well as other informative articles regarding digital camcorders! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Casinelli

How To Choose The Right Digital Camcorder

By Paul Casinelli

Choosing which digital camcorder is right for your recording purposes is a difficult decision and process. There are several factors that you must consider including the picture resolution, new technology, screen sizes, recording methods, and other options that will affect the price and user-friendliness of your digital camcorder.

Picture Resolution

It is important to select a digital camcorder that has a decent picture resolution. Having a higher resolution or a higher amount of mega pixels has several advantages. It will allow you to capture photographs with better clarity. If you are interesting in playing back any media on a large television or computer screen, it will allow you to use a higher resolution or a larger screen to playback your video without losing its quality. Generally speaking, it is great to have a digital camcorder with 3+ mega pixels because you can find a camcorder of this caliber without breaking your wallet!

New Technology

Because of new technology, there are always new features that companies will implement in digital camcorders that you should be aware of. You can now purchase a digital camcorder that will allow you to capture videos but also several other tasks. This is known as an all-in-one or multi-functional digital camcorder. Most all-in-one digital camcorders will allow you to capture video, take still digital photographs, play Mp3 files, record your voice, and store files on its hard drive!

A new technology worth considering when purchasing is CCD technology. CCD stands for charge-couple-device and can affect the brightness and colors of your recorded video. If your camcorder includes 3 CCD technology, this means that it will capture the three primary colors (RED,GREEN,BLUE) separately for optimum color quality!

Digital camcorders are also beginning to feature high definition capabilities. With high definition capable devices, you can capture video in stunning 720p or 1080i high definition quality. High definition additionally asks for a higher price.

Screen Size

It is very important to consider the screen size of your digital camcorder. If you are recording video, you may want to review your video by playing it back in the screen. Having a larger screen size will allow you to preview your recording before you decide to upload it to your computer. You may have missed what you initially intended to record so it is important that you playback your video.

Recording Methods

Camcorders are beginning to introduce several efficient recording methods available to the consumer. You can store video on your device with VHS, Mini DV™, Secure Digital™ Cards, DVD recording, Internal Hard Drives, and several other methods. You should choose a camcorder that will record the video according to what you prefer. Using an Internal Hard Drive and Secure Digital™ Card will allow you easily manage your video on the computer however with the current technology you will not be able to record long durations of video (this is quickly changing with the growth of our technology!). Also, if you decide to use a VHS camcorder, you will notice that the size of the camcorder is much larger and the portability of it decreases.

It is extremely important to consider the options that are listed above before purchasing a camcorder. Your preferences will play a vital role in selecting a camcorder. For example, if you are looking for a device to shoot home videos with you will want a decent picture resolution. With new technology, you will most likely want an all-in-one digital camcorder so you can shoot digital still pictures as well. Your screen size should be relatively large, but because you will not be editing profusely or looking to capture everything perfectly, this is not entirely important. As for a recording method, you will want something efficient but will allow you to keep the size of the camcorder smaller and more portable such as a Secure Digital™ card.

With these factors considered, you will be able to find an extremely affordable and durable digital camcorder such as the Mustek DV-5200 5.4 Megapixel 6-In-1 Multi-Functional Digital Camcorder Camcorder Hut.com sells affordable and brand name digital camcorders, camcorder cases and camcorder bags, as well as camcorder accessories. As a company they strive to offer customers informative digital camcorder information in addition to low priced items. Please visit http://www.camcorderhut.com for great deals on digital camcorders as well as other informative articles regarding digital camcorders! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Casinelli