Samsung Minidv

Consumer Reports – Camcorders

Tip grainy, home movies Jumpy of yesteryear are long gone – replaced by the cinema home based on digital or analog camcorders. You can edit and embellish the sequences with music using your computer, then read on your VCR, you can even send e-mail.

Digital camcorders, now the dominant type, offering general very good image quality excellent, with very good sound capability, compactness and ease of handling. Making copies of a digital recording will not result in a loss of image quality or sound. You can even take rudimentary pictures with some digital camcorders.

Analog camcorders, now a small market, have generally good picture and sound quality and less expensive. Some units Analog is about as compact and easy to handle as digital models, while others are slightly larger and bulkier.

What is offered

Sony dominates the camcorder market, with several models in a number of formats. Other major brands include Canon, JVC, Panasonic and Samsung.

Most digital models come in the MiniDV format. DVD formats such as disk-based-RAM and DVD-R are also emerged. Some digital models weigh as little as a pound.

MiniDV. Do not let their small size fool you. Although some models can be drag in a large pocket, MiniDV camcorders can record images of very high quality. They use a unique tape cassette, and recording time Typical is 60 minutes Standard Play (SP) speed. Expect to pay $ 6.50 for a band of 60 minutes. You will need to use the camcorder to Reading – it converts its recording to an analog signal, it can be played directly into a TV or VCR. If the TV or VCR has an input S-video, use it to obtain high image quality.

Price: $ 350 to over $ 2,000.

Digital 8. Also known as D8, this format offers quality digital Hi8 cassettes or 8 mm, which cost $ 6.50 and $ 3.50 respectively. The 8 format documents Digital with greater speed band, so a "120 minutes" tape lasts only 60 minutes to SP. Most models can also play your old analog 8mm or Hi8 tapes.

Price: $ 350 to $ 800.

Disc-based. Capitalizing on the explosive growth and capabilities of DVD movie, These formats offer advantages tape can not provide: a long-term durability, a compact support, and random access to scenes as a DVD. The 3 1/4-inch disk recording MPEG-2 video, the same format used in commercial DVD videos. The amount of recording time varies depending on the level of quality that you choose: from 20 minutes per side to create the highest quality for DVD-RAM up to about 60 minutes each side at the lowest. DVD-RAM are not compatible with most DVD players, but the discs can be reused. DVD-R is supposed to be compatible with most DVD players and DVD computer drives but are write-once. We paid about $ 25 at a local retailer for DVD-RW disc.

Price: $ 700 to $ 1000.

Most analog camcorders now use the Hi8, VHS-C and Super VHS-C are fading from the market. Blank tapes range in price from $ 3.50 to $ 6.50. Analog camcorders usually weigh around 2 lbs. Image quality is generally good, though a notch below that of digital.

Price: $ 225 to $ 500.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

A flip-out liquid-crystal-display (LCD) viewer has become commonplace on all but the lowest prices of camcorders. You'll find it useful for reviewing footage you've shot and easier to use than the eyepiece viewfinder for certain shooting poses. Some LCD viewers are hard to use in sunlight, a drawback of models that have only one eye and no viewer.

Screens vary from 2 1 / 2-4 inches, measured diagonally with a larger screen offered as a step-up feature on models with higher price. Since an LCD viewer uses batteries faster than a viewfinder eyepiece is, you do not have as much recording time when the LCD is in use.

An image stabilizer automatically reduces Most earthquakes that occur to keep the camcorder as you record a scene. Most stabilizers are electronic, some optics. Any type can be effective even if mounting the camcorder on a tripod is the surest way to get steady images. If you do not tripod, you can try to hold the camcorder with both hands and propping his elbows against your chest.

Full auto you can essentially aim and fire. The camcorder automatically adjusts the color balance, shutter speed, focus, and aperture (also called "iris" or "f-stop" with camcorders).

Autofocus adjusts the maximum sharpness; override manual focus may be necessary for situations problems such as low light. (With some camcorders, you must type in May buttons repeatedly to get the focus just right.) With many models, you can also control exposure, shutter speed and white balance.

The zoom control is generally finger – press one way to zoom in and one way to expand the view. The rate of the zoom changes depends on the effort you press the switch. Typical optical zoom ratios range from 10:1 to 26:1. The zoom relies on optical lenses, like a film camera (hence the term "Optical Zoom"). Many camcorders offer a digital zoom to extend the range of 400:1 or more, but less good image quality.

For tape-based formats, analog or digital, each camera has a top speed of tape the same way a VCR does. Each model, for example, includes an SP (standard play) speed. Downloads are slower, LP (long play) speed that adds 50 percent to the length registration. Some of 8mm and Hi8 models have a speed that doubles LP recording time. All VHS-C S-VHS-C camcorders have an EP yet slower (extended play) speed that triples the recording time. With analog camcorders, slower speeds degrade image quality. Slow speed usually does not reduce the image quality on digital camcorders. But the use of slow speed to sacrifice some rarely used editing options and may restrict playback on other camcorders.

Disc-based formats over a variety of modes that trade off recording time for image quality.

Quick Review allows you to view the latest seconds of a scene without having to press lots of buttons. For special lighting situations, preset auto settings exposure may be useful. A snow & sand fixation, for example, adjust the shutter speed or aperture to accommodate high reflectivity.

A light provides some illumination for close shots where the image would otherwise be too dark. Backlight compensation increases the exposure slightly when your subject is backlit and silhouetted. A recording mode sensitive to infrared (also known as night vision, zero lux, or MagicVu) allows shooting in very dark or black, with infrared transmitters. You can use for night shots, although colors will not register accurately in this mode.

Audio / video inputs let you record material another camcorder or VCR, useful for copying part of another video on your own. (A digital camcorder should have such an input jack if you want to save paper analog to digital.) Contrary to a microphone, an external microphone is plugged a microphone jack will not find the noise from the camcorder itself, and it typically improves audio performance.

A digital camcorder Functionality lets you take snapshots, which can be downloaded to your computer. The photo quality is generally lower that of a camera.

Features that aid in May edition includes a built-in generator capacity, once and date stamp, and a time code, which is a frame of reference exactly where you are on a tape – in hours, minutes, seconds, and frame. A Remote Control allows when you use the camcorder as a playback device or when you use a tripod. Programmed recording (a timer) starts the camcorder recording at a preset time.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Choose your price range and size. The cheapest camcorders on the market are analog. Everything else is digital.

Once you've decided which part of the price range to explore, you must choose a recording format specific. Who determines not only how much you spend on tapes or discs, but also how long the record you receive. The tape-based formats are generally superior in image quality.

With analog, you can obtain 120 to 300 minutes Recording on Hi8 tape, with the SVHS-C or VHS-C, you can get 30 to 120 minutes.

With digital formats that use MiniDV, Digital8 or MicroMV tapes, you can get at least 60 minutes of recording on a standard cassette. D8 and MiniDV tapes are cheaper and easier to find.

DVD camcorders from Panasonic and Hitachi can accommodate DVD-RAM, which can be reused, but are not compatible with all DVD players. All brands also use a DVD-R, one of the disks use that work in most DVD players. The Standard setting yields 60 minutes check the "fine" setting, 30 minutes.

If you are replacing an older camcorder, think about what you do with bands that you've accumulated. If you do not stay with the same format you use, you'll probably need to transfer old tapes to an average information readily available, including a DVD.

If you're buying your first camcorder, concentrate on finding the best for your budget regardless of format.

Check the size, weight, and controls. In the store, try different camcorders to make sure they respond to your hands and is comfortable to use. Some models can feel surprisingly tiny. (You will need to use a tripod if you want rock-steady video, whatever camcorder you choose.) Most camcorders are designed to control the most frequently used – Switch to zoom in and out, and the record button – fall easily to hand. Make sure the controls are convenient and you can change the tape or DVD and remove the battery.

Check the flip-out LCD screen. Most measure 2.5 inches diagonally, but some are larger, adding approximately $ 100 price. If the viewer seems small and difficult to use or suffer from too much glare, consider negotiating a similar model or another brand to get a better screen.

Think about lighting. A camcorder is not always used outdoors or in a well lit. You can shoot in dim light, but do not expect miracles. In our tests, using default camcorders mode, most images produced only fair or poor to very low light. Many camcorders have settings that can improve performance but can be a challenge to use.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

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