Camcorders

Camcorder Basics

Analogue Camcorders

Analogue video cameras are also called Tape video cameras as they record the pictures onto film or tape. Before digital filming was invented, this was the standard used for both home and industry use.

The different formats are:

8mm

This was the standard means of home video before digital photography. Its quality is obviously inferior to digital, with a resolution of just 270 lines, although compared with the VHS 250, it is not that bad. 8 mm camcorders are usually equipped with adaptors to be plugged into your television or VCR for viewing.

Hi8

This format takes the 8mm format to a higher level, with a 400 line resolution. It features better quality than VHS, with tapes that last around two hours.

VHS, VHSC and SVHSC

VHS is less popular now mainly because of its large, bulky size- in both cassette and machine. With just a “fair” resolution of 250 lines, its best feature is that it is extremely easy and convenient to use for those with VCR machines – ones simply needs to insert in the machine like an ordinary video cassette.

VHSC is the video camera format in VHS. Smaller and still convenient to use, it utilizes a tape adapter in a standard size, which allows you to plug the VHSC tape to view the film immediately.

The SVHSC format, which has a resolution of 400 lines, is considered redundant since the dawn of digital filming, as it is expensive and not user-friendly to the average consumer.

Digital Video Cameras

Digital camcorders became readily available to the mass market a few years ago and has since outdone all other camcorder formats. This is seen in its outstanding film and sound quality, design, size and other features like an LCD screen which may be used as a viewfinder.

MiniDV and DV

• These are some of the more popular formats in Digital filming.
• Tapes range around 80 minutes.
• 500 line high resolution
• Up to 120x zoom feature
• MiniDV is very portable because of its small size.

Digital8

• Less popular than MiniDV.
• Able to use Hi8 tapes to film footage digitally.
• Overall picture and sound quality surpasses the 8mm and Hi8 formats.

MicroMV

• New to the market, this relatively miniscule tape uses MPEG-2 compression.

• Although one is able to store more pictures, the quality is often compromised.

DVD Camcorders

A recent addition to the video camera market, DVD technology is quickly making its mark with home users.

• Offer lengthier recording times, 60 minutes in the highest quality, 120 minutes regular format.

• Many models use the 8cm DVD, which results in smaller-sized cameras.

• All models have an LCD lens, fantastic digital picture and sound quality, zoom and other special features.