Selecting the Right Camera to Meet Your Needs
Published: November 1, 2002
By Jason R. Dunn
When you shop for a digital video camera, you'll probably find that you are presented with an almost bewildering range of choices. Ultimately, the choice you make will require tradeoffs between features and price. That means it's a good idea to understand the basic features of a camera so you can decide which ones are worth spending extra money on. Consider this article a starting point to your research process.
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Video Storage Formats
Consumer camcorders come in one of five main formats:
MiniDV
MiniDV provides the highest quality currently available to consumers. Because it stores the signal directly in digital format, MiniDV is capable of producing professional-quality video that is free of video noise and quality problems typical of other consumer formats. Digital tapes can also be duplicated with very little loss of quality. The MiniDV format uses 6-millimeter (mm) tape in a small cassette.
Most MiniDV camcorders support IEEE 1394 connections, also known as FireWire, which enables you to transfer video and audio digitally to and from your computer. IEEE 1394 is a very fast connection, which means you can copy a great deal of data—such as full-frame, full-motion video, and audio—with little loss of quality. With Windows Movie Maker, you can capture video and audio through an IEEE 1394 connection and operate the camcorder transport controls (stop, play, rewind, and so on) from your computer.
Standard 8 and Hi–8
These formats offer good consumer-quality video recordings. Hi-8 camcorders have a better recording system and use a high-quality metal tape, which results in a cleaner, sharper picture than Standard 8 format. Hi-8 camcorders can also record high-fidelity stereo sound.
Because Standard 8 and Hi-8 video cassettes are compact, the camcorders themselves are small and light. One drawback is that the 8mm-wide tape is more fragile than VHS tape, making it more susceptible to tape distortion and drop-outs. Drop-outs are caused by imperfections in tape stock. Drop-outs appear in the picture as specks and flashes. A Standard 8 camcorder can use only standard 8mm tape; a Hi-8 camcorder can use either standard or Hi-8 tape.
For the best quality when using Hi-8 video for editing in Windows Movie Maker, you should capture video from the camera original tapes and not from copies of the originals.
VHS and S–VHS
VHS and S-VHS also provide good consumer-quality video recordings. Like Hi-8, the S-VHS format has an improved recording system that, together with high-quality metal tape, is capable of producing broadcast-quality video. The VHS cassette is larger than the 8mm formats (you're probably familiar with VHS cassettes from renting home videos), so the camcorders must be larger and requires a bigger battery. However, some people prefer the larger size because the tape is less fragile, and therefore more likely to produce a clean picture.
Newer VHS camcorders use VHS-C or S-VHS-C cassettes, which contain the same tape in a compact cassette. Recording time is shorter, but the camcorders are more compact. Also, note that a VHS camcorder can use only VHS tape, but an S-VHS camcorder can use either VHS or S-VHS tape.
The Lens
Lens quality and features are a critical consideration. Perhaps the most important aspect of the lens is the optical zoom. Optical zoom uses real glass lenses, resulting in a high-quality image. The level of optical zoom is typically printed on the side of the camera or lens. Most cameras have 10x optical zoom, but some have 22x zoom. In most situations, 10x zoom is fine. If you want to get close to the action without physically being there, however, look for 20x or higher.
Inputs and Outputs
All digital video (DV) cameras have a Firewire port, but you may need other ports, depending on what tasks you want to perform with the camera. For example, A/V outputs are used to connect to a TV for playback or a VCR for recording. Other output ports let you take advantage of your camera's photo-capture capabilities (if it has them) or use the S-Video (Super-Video) cable, which offers high-quality recording to VHS. A/V inputs are usually not that useful, though if your camera can accept incoming composite (RCA) video and audio signals, you can use that to save video off decaying videotapes.
Image Stabilization
Image stabilization enables you to avoid the "camera jitters" that are just about inevitable, even if you have the steady hands of a surgeon. When you're shopping for a camera, be sure to ask how the cameras you're looking at deal with image stabilization.
Still–Photo Capabilities
Many digital video cameras also take still photos, and some even have built-in flash capabilities for low-light situations. But because digital video cameras are really designed for recording video, still photo quality can be inconsistent, so it's a good idea to stick a dedicated digital camera for stills. If the option to take still photos interests you, be sure to discuss it with your salesperson.
Low–Light Performance
You won't always be able to capture video outdoors on bright sunny days, so the ability of your camera to take video in low-light situations (or near no-light situations at night) is very important. When you're in a store, try to find a relatively dark corner to test out each camera's capabilities.
Battery Life
There's nothing worse than having your battery start to fade right in the middle of a great shoot, so be sure to check out the maximum recording time of each camera you look at. But be careful: This maximum time often assumes that you don't start and stop the recording, and that you don't use the zoom functions, which use more battery strength than a single continuous record. That means that your actual real-life record time is likely to be less than the stated maximum.
