Who knows camcorders? [Archive]

Master of Faster

02-19-2006, 08:47 PM

Alright guys, I'm looking for a lesson on digital camcorders.

I can already do a little bit with editing videos but all I've shot with were cheap digital cameras and the quality hasn't been great. I know I could do some cool stuff if I could manage to catch some of our riding on video with decent quality.

So when shopping for camcorders, how many megapixels do I need for decent clarity. I have a 3MP camera and the video is really pixelated and crappy looking, so how many megapixels should I look for to get nice quality (doesn't need to be the best, just good)

What about zoom? Its sooo frustrating when you can't video things well because you're too far away. What should I look for as far as zoom goes?

Whats the difference between optical and digital zoom? The one I looked at today had 20x optical and 900x digital zoom and it seemed to work well.

Is there anything else to be aware of? Can I get a decent one for 200 bucks or so? Anyone favor any certain brands?

JCHoefer

02-19-2006, 10:29 PM

Megapixels don't really matter in video. Typically the best quailty video will be produced with a 3 CCD camcorder. They usually cost around $1k though. A 3 CCD camera uses one CCD for each of the primary colors (Red, Green & Blue). They have better color representation which translates to a higher quality image.

You should also look at two things about zoom: what power ("x") lens it has, and the wide-angle focal distance. I've found that higher power lenses typically don't offer as wide of a shot as lower power lenses do. That's one of the trade-offs. You should be able to get a wide-angle accessory lens, but it's one more thing to lug around....not to mention put on and take off. They're especially useful when videoing from a car, bike or sled (wide field of view = more realistic viewing experience.) That said, a threaded lens is needed for any lense adapters.

Digital zoom is akin to using a magnifying glass on a newspaper picture. You're looking at a smaller portion of the original image, but you're also able to see the individual pixels/dots that make up the image. Once you use the digital zoom, your image quality goes in the toilet. I have mine disabled.

Another thing to look at is the CCD size. The larger the sensor is, the lower light and better quality the video will be.

There are 4 different storage types for digital video. MiniDV, Digital 8, DVD, and solid-state. Stay away from VHS-C....or anything with "VHS" in the title.

I definitely recommend getting a MiniDV camcorder. The media is easy to find and very compact. It is also the most prevalent so playing back on someone elses camcorder is easy. The standard is 60 minutes of recording time in SP and up to 120 minutes in LP using longer tapes.

I own a Digital8 Sony TRV-120. It's a great camera, but Digital8 is only useful if you have 8mm or Hi8 tapes already. You'll need to buy Hi8 tapes to record new video on, but the camcorders allow you to play back old analog 8mm tapes. They also allow you to export those analog tapes as digital video into your computer. Recording time is 60 minutes on a 120 minute Hi8 tape.

DVD camcorders use 3" recordable DVDs. It's a great technology and allows you to put the disk straight into a DVD player. However, the cameras are usually more expensive and the media is harder to find (especially if you run out!). They also have half the recording time (30 minutes) of MiniDV at the same quality setting.

Solid state camcorders store the video on a hard drive or in memory within the camcorder. Most of the units available do not record "TV quality" video, but rather MPEG4, which is about 1/4 the resolution of regular TV. They are ideal for people using the video for the internet.

You'll also want to consider an extra battery or two. Out in the cold, Lithium-Ion batteries tend to run out quicker. Keep the extra battery(ies) in your coat where it's warm.

$200 is pretty low. Most of what I'm seeing is around $250. If you're going for price, you may want to consider a used one off eBay. You can get some great deals, especially now that people are starting to move towards HDTV camcorders.

Hope that helps.