It can be quite bewildering when choosing a camcorder, especially with so many available in the different formats combined with the array of different model numbers and opinions from different sources. If your prime consideration is to produce short video clips for publishing on your web site then there is no need to go overboard and buy the most expensive model. A lower priced model offering the desirable features mention towards the end of this article will be perfectly adequate.

Here’s a quick overview of each of the main digital camcorder formats that you should consider for producing videos for your website. There are other formats not mentioned here but our advice is to choose from one of the following three formats.

Mini-DV

Launched by Sony in 1995, DV (or Mini-DV) is the most popular consumer digital video format. DV camcorders provide what is arguably the best quality of all of the home video formats, with all models possessing the capability to transfer video signals out to another device (such as a Windows or Apple Mac computer) via FireWire, also known as i.Link. An increasing number of DV camcorders also make it possible to copy edited recordings back to the DV tape in the camcorder using what is known as DV-in. This format offers the most choice and is the standard by which all other formats are judged.

DVD

Hitachi first launched camcorders that record to 8cm DVD disks back in 2001, and several other major manufacturers soon followed suit. DVD camcorders use MPEG-2 compression prior to writing the signals to disk. One of the major problems of DVD camcorders has been the compatibility issue between DVD camcorders and home DVD players, though these are quickly being resolved. If you’re planning to import your DVD footage into a computer for editing, you should note that editing DVD (MPEG2) compressed files is much more difficult than it is when working with a format like DV or Digital-8. Editing applications (as bundled with camcorders) aren’t that good and it is advisable to purchase third party editing suites. However, the format is now very popular, despite the difficulties with editing.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

JVC is one company that is forging ahead with its drive to make Hard Disk recording camcorders more popular and push tape and disk based formats aside altogether. The Everio G camcorder range is a good example of camcorders which uses tiny internal hard disk drives very similar to the larger HDs used in all computers. The company’s GZ-MG50 model, just one of many, enables recording of up to 7 hours at best quality. Apple’s iPod MP3 players use very similar technology and provide a similar level of interactivity with the files saved onto them. HDD camcorders save files which can then be deleted, moved and transferred just like those on your computer or iPod. They also much more flexible in your ability to access different clips on the hard drive before editing takes place. All the major manufacturers make models of various specifications to suit every pocket. One major drawback is the fact that once the hard disk is full you need to download to a computer or stop shooting.

Which ever format you choose, and at this site we are using miniDV, bear in mind the following four desirable requirements for producing good quality videos for your website.

Firewire compatible

External microphone jack for connecting an external microphone for enhanced audio quality.

Remote control, essential if shooting a video on your own.

Quality lens.

As the mainstream consumer market favors ease of use, portability, and price, consumer camcorders emphasize these features more than raw technical performance. For example, good low light capabilities require large capturing chips, which affects price and size. Thus, consumer camcorders are often unable to shoot useful footage in dim light. Manual controls need space, either in menus or as buttons and make the use more complicated, which goes against the requirement of ease of use. Consumer units lack many manual settings, often excluding video exposure, gain control, or sound level management. For the beginner, entry level camcorders offer basic recording and playback capability.

For the more advanced user, high end units offer improved optical and video performance through multi-CCD components and name brand optics, manual control of camera exposure, and more, but even consumer camcorders which are sold for $1000 are not well suited for recording in dim light. When dimly lit areas are brightened in camera or in post production, considerable noise distracts the viewer. We recommend setting up a basic home studio with lights to make best use of your camcorders abilities and to produce good quality videos.

Ten years ago, consumer video editing was a difficult task requiring a minimum of two recorders. Now, however, a standard PC of even modest power can perform digital video editing with low cost editing software. Many consumer camcorders bundle a light (feature limited) version of such software, as do some computers, and more advanced software is highly recommended and is widely available at a variety of price points.

Mini dvd camcorders use a tiny tape while mini dvd camcorders use a small dvd disc. As far as what camcorder to choose. It all comes down to what you want to do with the final video. If you’re looking for a camera to make video productions that you will edit on a computer, go with a mini dvd camcorder. Going with this option means the use of video editing software and can become a time consuming process: Capture video from the mini dvd tape onto your computer (no quality loss), edit that captured video using free or low cost editing software, distribute your edited video out to a dvd using your dvd burner.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one camera you can take on, say, a cruise and instantly make a dvd without any editing for all to view in any dvd player, go for the dvd camcorder. There are two forms of consumer cameras. dvd Camcorders, that is great for people who don’t want to make changes. Shoot, take the dvd out and then put it in a dvd player. The advantage is pretty straightforward. You can just edit without having to capture (depending on the editing system + hardware.)

I want to make sure we’re not talking about capturing on, say, a still camera as an avi.I’m talking about the $500+ systems that attach to the back of cameras like the XL-1s from canon.

It stores footage in MPEG-2 format. In MPEG-2 format, not every frame has all the information. That’s how you can store hours of footage on a dvd . MiniDV Camcorders (which uses fire wire, and you’d have to get a card for your computer that uses fire wire), permit you to capture the data off the tape in the camera. The footage is stored in “DV format’, where every frame has all the data. I’d pick MiniDV (if you want to be able to easily edit it). You’ll need a fire wire card. The tape stores the 0s and 1s (which is data). Fire wire permits you to slurp the data from the tape and edit it on the computer.

Not a “camcorder”, but a simple 8mm movie camera made for the typical point-and-shoot amateur photographer. Eastman Kodak made several million Brownie 8mm movie cameras in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, both with single lens and multiple lenses. The crank on the side winds up a spring motor, and then you can shoot about 20 seconds of film at a time. I’m afraid these cameras have no historical significance at all, they remain common as dust today, they are virtually unusable, and so they rarely sell for much more than $20.

After you install the new drivers from your camcorder manufacturer, try to switch the USB port, and then check the USB port version, if it is the same with the camera. You can find this in the camera’s documentation. Connect the camera by USB (it must be power off), and after that press the “power on” button, wait a little and go to My Computer, there must be a new driver, go on it and copy the files.

For best quality video, you need to transfer MiniDV or Digital8 video from your camcorder to your computer with IEEE 1394, commonly called FireWire or I. Link. USB will not work well with most camcorders to transfer video as they output USB 1 not “High Speed” USB2. USB is normally used for transferring still images and web cam features. Most editing programs will not transfer with USB; if they do it will not be the best possible video quality.

There are some dvd burners out there that do have a direct connection to the recorder available. The link is one such interface – it’s a Sony spec I believe. Generally, when you download video to a computer, the computer has to store the images digitally on a memory system at least temporarily because the ram is limited and video eats tons of memory.

Once it’s on your hard disk, there are numerous programs available like Avid Pro that will allow you to edit and manipulate the video like a professional. You can add titles, fades, intersect clips, add sound tracks you name it. Once you’re done editing, then you can select an option to permanently record it to a dvd if you like. You can also simply record it without editing of course.

Once the video is stored on the dvd , it’s basically permanent, unless you obtain dvd +RW discs, in which case you can record over it, erasing the original recording.

I’d recommend always recording the original video first to a dvd or some other permanent storage medium, and then upload the video from the dvd disc to a computer for editing. Once you’re done editing, use another DVD disc and burn it with your edited version. This way you always have the original handy and you can put it and the edited version in a safe place for the future when you’re an old fart like me and want to cry watching your little kids playing in the backyard.

Buying a Mini DV camcorder is like buying a car: though the priciest models cost eight times as much as the cheapest, they all have essentially the same parts and they kook similar to the uninitiated. So why spring $4,995 for a JVC GY-DV500U when a Samsung SCD67 has an MSRP of $600?

Or, to go even further, why not just get a nice analog camcorder for $300 on the street? The short answer is, if you don’t plan to copy or edit your tapes, go right ahead: the quality of Hi8 camcorders is quite good. Otherwise, Mini DV is an overwhelmingly superior format because you can make exact digital copies, you can make edits without loosing quality and (with some maintenance) you can make your precious videos last forever. Also, the ability to connect with a single cable and edit digital footage with an up-to-date desktop computer is amazingly powerful, even with software you can

learn in an hour.

So let’s make a quick survey of the Mini DV format, to help you decide how much camcorder to buy and how much to pay for it.

For the Casual Shooter

Today, you can find many fine DV camcorders for $1,000 or less, all chocka-block with nifty features. Models like the Panasonic PV-DV101, the RCA CC9360 and several others use imaging chips (CCDs) with a generous 680,000 pixels, which produce very high-quality video images.

A few entry-level cameras lack some useful features that might be found in a more expensive

camcorder. If you just want to point and push, you may not miss the lack of manual shutter, iris, focus or white balance; but you can’t take control of your camcorder without them. Many models lack analog (S-video and/or composite) inputs, which means you cannot copy your old tapes to the camera in order to convert them to the DV format for archiving.

The Canon ZR20 is one of several models with a color viewfinder, which is better than black and white because it shows a truer picture of what you’re getting (external screens are not as accurate as

internal finders.)

Finally, a couple of camcorders in the under-S1000 category, like the Sharp VL-WD450U, can capture stills on memory sticks that can be inserted in card readers and uploaded into your computer. Models with tape-only stills record each as a several-second freeze frame, which must be located and

transferred like any other video shot, and that’s a far less convenient process.

For the Serious Hobbyist

And what do you get if you move up to the $1,000 to $2,000 price range? Part of the answer’s

easy: all the desirable features mentioned previously that are often missing from low-end camcorders. If you consult the matrix, you’ll see that these models are loaded.

Because you’ll be using more accessories at this level, you’ll want an accessory shoe to hold a movie light or an external microphone. The Sony DCR-TRV17 and the Canon Elura 10 both have this desirable feature. A headphone jack is indispensable for any serious sound recording: think of headphones as a viewfinder for your ears. Most models in this range include them but a few omit this basic accessory.

In the $1,000 to $2,000 range, look for two very desirable editing features: remote controls and

docking stations. The JVC GR-DVM55 has both. In shooting, a remote is useful for wildlife photography and other special applications. In editing, however, it is essential, because you can set your camcorder safely aside and run all its controls from the remote.

A docking station works just like the same animal on a laptop. Instead of wrangling spaghetti cords and tiny plugs and sockets every time you lash up your edit rig, just plug everything permanently into the docking base and then attach the camcorder when you are ready to edit.

For the Budding Professional

Camcorders between $2,000 and $5,000 are intended for the dedicated amateur, for education, corporate and government applications and even broadcasting.

The quality imaging of many of these camcorders comes from a three-chip design. By directing each primary color of white light to its own dedicated CCD, they obtain better color and higher resolution than single-CCD camcorders.

High-end camcorders also add key professional features. The Canon XL1S for example, offers interchangeable professional-grade lenses, including several designed for it, in particular.

Another major improvement is in professional XLR microphone inputs, which are far superior to amateur mini-plugs for many reasons. In addition, one model, the JVC JY-VS200U, includes an audio level meter built right into the viewfinder.

Finally, some high-end models use optical image stabilization instead of electronic. Though both

systems work well, the optical approach generally results in higher resolution and higher video quality.

Last but far from least, the best Mini DV camcorders are engineered and built with satisfying ruggedness and precision. To return to our auto metaphor, the controls work with the elegant,positive feel of a BMW or Jaguar — with what the French like to call “exactitude.”

How (and Where) to Buy

Like car shopping, buying a camcorder should involve judicious test drives; but how are you supposed to do this? Most local camera stores have dropped camcorders completely; though if you live in a megacity, you could get it easily.

More Mini DV information at http://www.dv-auction.com