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If you're on the look out for a new digital camcorder then
you need to know what type of features to look for. It's easy
to get confused and hard to make sense of all the specifications.
Looking for the right features is the key in finding the best
camcorder for your needs. While you compare digital camcorder
reviews and ratings, there are some items to consider.
You should have a general idea of what you need the mini dv
camcorder for. Do you need a video camera for home movies? Or
are you looking for a professional camcorder, for your next
feature film? Think about what you are looking for so your camcorder
comparison shopping won't take as long.
Zoom
All digital camcorders have a zoom feature. Older analog camcorders
only had optical zoom, but new digital video cameras have both
optical and digital zoom. There is a difference between these
two types of zoom. Optical zoom physically lengthens the lens,and
will still give your videos high image quality. However digital
zoom basically blows up the scene in a digital format. The problem
with digital zoom is that when you zoom in on a subject the
video becomes pixilated and blocky with little squares giving
the video a blurred and distorted look.
If you're wondering which zoom is better and more important,
optical zoom. The more distance that your optical zoom can do,
the more flexibility that you have when focusing in on a subject.
I suggest a minimum of 10x optical zoom for most consumers.
CCD Sensors and Resolution
The video quality in a dv camcorder is dependant on the CCD,
which is an abbreviation for charged-coupled device. The CCD
is an image sensor that converts light into pixels to produce
images; your digital camera works in the same way. You can find
camcorders with one CCD or three CCDs. One CCD camcorders are
less costly however you will compromise the color quality in
the video. 3 CCD camcorders on the other hand provide the best
color quality. The reason being is that there are 3 CCDs. Digital
camcorder models with three CCDs (one each for red, green and
blue) give your video the most vivid colors possible, but the
price is more than 1 CCD video cameras.
Viewfinders & LCD Screens
It's important to find the best possible viewfinder when comparing
camcorders. The viewfinder is the heart of the camcorder without
it you can't see what you are filming. Viewfinders cam in black
and white, if you buy a cheap camcorder you will be stuck with
a black and white screen. Personally I like my color screen,
you can see the exact color and video quality as it will appear
in the video. Sizes for LCD screen range from 2 to 4 inches
across.
Digital Video Editing & Still images
Almost all newer digital video camcorders have FireWire (IEEE
1394). This feature enables you to transfer digital video footage
from your camcorder to your computer system in the fastest possible
way. The newest models even have the ability to take digital
still images and video and transfer them to your computer for
emailing to friends and family.
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This article was posted on November 21, 2005
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