About Digital Camcorders

Camcorder is a handheld video camera. It is a combination of video camera and recorder. Early models were analogue in which image signals were recorded on tapes. Later digital camcorders were introduced. The advantage of digital camcorders is that image quality is far superior than that of the earlier counterparts. They are featured by digital zoom, adjustable LCD screen and rechargeable battery. Digital camcorders are user friendly. The user can zoom in for a close up image and zoom out for a wider view. Recorded images can be seen then and there on the screen. Like all other electronic equipments, digital camcorder also underwent substantial changes in the course of time. Video tapes used in the analogue versions were replaced by optical disks, hard disk drives and solid state memory. Professional camcorders are now widely used for broadcasting programmes. Earlier models were massive and have to be carried on the shoulders by the users. Latest products are hand held and are easy to operate.

The basic components in a camcorder are lens, imager and the recorder. There are lot of differences between a professional camcorder and ordinary unit used widely by the consumers. Most of the modern digital camcorders have lens with optical zoom level of a minimum 10x. There are many advantages for digital camcorder than its earlier versions of analogue format. Video quality will be superior with higher resolutions. Users can find that capturing and editing is a simple process. Expert photographers attribute the qualitative superiority of these devices to the innovative features incorporated in them. Mini-DV, Digital-8, Micro-MV and DVD camcorders are the popular models of digital camcorders available in the markets.

With 720 x 576 pixels resolution (PAL) and 720 x 480 pixels (NTSC), the Mini-DV uses JEPG compression to achieve 5:1 ratio. It can send both audio and video data to computers. Micro-MV encodes data in MPEG-2 format and is having higher compression rate than Mini-DV. But due to this rate of compression ratio it is difficult to avail editing software. Consumers find Mini-DV a better alternative to Micro-DV for the above reason. Digital-8 uses the same format as Mini-DV, but uses an entirely different type of tape. As Digital-8 is cheaper many photographers choose this format to start with the profession. DVD camcorders are chosen by those who do not want to edit videos. These camcorders record data straight into DVD recorder or DVD RAM instead of recording them on tapes.

Leading market players like Sony and Panasonic have introduced many models of digital camcorders in the markets. Consumers can visit relevant websites to gather information about the various products. Technology is in a fast forward mode, and periodically new products are getting introduced in the markets. Digital camcorders undergo changes in their form and contents very frequently for the above reason. Lay persons or amateurs may find it difficult to understand the relevance of many new features that are getting incorporated now and then. Consequently professional advice becomes necessary for the new generation shoppers to choose the right products. As an expensive product it is always better to be cautious while shopping for a camcorder. Many websites post product reviews which are highly subjective to guide the consumers.

By: shary123

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