Tips When Selecting Camcorders
If you haven’t picked up any of the camcorders in a few years, then you may be surprised not only by the small size and light weight of the current models, but also at the versatility and the professional work that you can accomplish. Digital pictures are clearer than ever, and you don’t have to worry about the tape getting old and warped as the years go by. Safely protected on your PC, your digital recordings are preserved for a lifetime.
Buying a Digital Camcorder
The first step in exploring what you can do with the new generation of camcorders is, of course, to buy one. As you begin shopping, you will notice the huge number of options that are available. Once you get comfortable with the way digital cameras work and feel that you are ready to move to a higher level of film making, then you may want to buy a more advanced model. In order to get started, you really just need a basic digital camcorder and the software to do the editing.
You’ll want to know about things like:
* Digital recording format: Does the camcorder record for capabilities with DV tape, DVD-R, MiniDV tape, DVD-RAM or Hard Drive?
* Still imaging recording format: Does the camcorder use secure digital recording, a multimedia card, a memory stick duo type or a standard memory stick type of recording?
* Price: How much does the camcorder cost and what comes with that cost? Does it cover any recording software or a memory stick?
* Manufacturer: Is it a Sony, Canon digital, JVC, Panasonic, etc.?
After you have some of these basic questions answered, you should be more equipped to make a choice. Most reliable cameras with a decent set of software and recording equipment will end up running less than $800, but there are some that are priced less than $500 such as the Canon Digital that runs around $300. For the best value, you should be prepared to spend a good amount of money and make your camcorder a solid investment. It could last you quite a long time.
Software
After you’ve purchased your camcorder, get some computer accessories to go with it so that you can start editing your footage. PC World is a good place to start looking for an assortment of accessories to go with your camcorder. At www.pcworld.com, you can find a ton of information about your specific camera and the software that best goes with it.
The availability of digital editing software has given camcorder users the ability to edit and produce higher quality home movies than ever before. Footage that has been cut from the stream can be deleted, altered, saved for later, or edited into different places in the film. The ability to make professionally-edited movies at home is now a reality, thanks to software like Final Cut Studio and Adobe Production Studio. You can read reviews of these and other editing products in PC World Magazine.