Camcorder buying guide

Posted on 14 Dec 2009 at 17:18

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Find out all you need to know about choosing the right camcorder.

Find out all you need to know about choosing the right video camera.

Recommended minimum specifications

Sensor: 1/6in CMOS

Video standard: 720p

Video ports: HDMI out

Monitoring: 2 1/2in LCD display

Media: SDHC card slot

Follow the steps to find your ideal specs

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[LI]If you want to shoot quick and easy home movies, get a mini camcorder costing around £140. Even a cheap model will produce good looking 720p HD video in good lighting conditions, though it may struggle in low light. The size of the sensor is more important than the number of pixels on it. A bigger sensor will improve video quality and enable you to shoot better footage in poor lighting conditions. Most new camcorders should also support 1080p HD footage.

[LI]Most modern camcorders use built-in flash memory or memory cards for storage. SDHC is the most popular card format and a couple of inexpensive 8GB cards should store at least three or four hours of footage. One alternative is a hard disk camcorder, which can store many hours of video. With both you can easily transfer your video to a PC for editing.

[LI]If you're shooting something more involved than a family holiday, you'll want extra features. Manual focus control allows for more flexible camerawork, as do manual exposure settings, while an accessory shoe and microphone input lets you use an external microphone, greatly improving audio quality.

If you're really serious about film-making, buying a few accessories can make all the difference. A tripod will improve your results far more than splashing out on a big sensor. Spare batteries are essential for longer shoots, and some decent video-editing software will help you produce a more polished end product.

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Author: Expert Reviews Staff

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Buying Guides : Video cameras

User comments

Good mini camcorder

Good mini camcorder.
low price and excellent functions.

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