Camcorder Jargon

If you are a layman who is just starting on buying on his first camcorder and humbly wish to only have device with which to record your memories, a list of imposing features can completely blow you out. Here is a quick understanding of basic specifications of camcorders so that it may not remain as technically scary as it seems and you get to know what to look for in which one.

Design and Looks:
The first thing to look for in a camcorder’s design is not it’s beauty but comfort. Considering that more often than not you will be using it on your own arm and thus it should be designed so that it is convenient and light weight to hold. At the end of a large recording it should not end you up with a painful arm or shoulder. If however you plan to use your camcorder on a tripod then you can afford to choose an elaborate one. However, do remember that you pick one with easy side loading for the cassette so that it is convenient to use. All in all, the physical functions should be so placed that they are easy to access.

Performance:
A camcorders performance before buying it can be tested by seeing if it is quick in response and accurate in auto focus. You can check the speed control of the zoom and also how does it adjust to light changes in the scene.

Lens:
It is the zoom of your camera. There are two types of zooms, optical and digital. In the optical zoom, you will get a wider shooting range if your zoom range is broad. While with digital zoom, the lower its magnification, the better is the quality of picture. For an average use, a camcorder zoom of 10X magnification is just fine. However, for people who are more serious about video shooting and take it as a hobby or business, a manual focus is the best bet.

Sensor:
A sensor size between 1/6 and 1/3 inch are usually good for normal use camcorders and a camcorder with effective resolution rather than gross resolution is a better pick.

Recording Format: A recording format refers to the media that you insert in the camcorder for recording, for instance a cassette. Today, you can choose between a MiniDV cassette and either a MicroMV or mini DVD camcorder. The former one is for you if you are into a lot of editing and the later two options are for you if you only want simple recording.

By: Monty Alexander

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Monty Alexander has written many articles on many camcorders – sony camcorders, canon camcorders, Hitachi Camcorders, samsung camcorders, Panasonic Camcorders etc.