Different Types of Camcorders
Do you want to buy a camcorder to capture the memorable events in your life? However, as a first time camcorder user, you might be unsure which model is best suited to your needs. Besides your budget, the format and ease of operating a particular model are the main factors that will influence your choice.
Format
VHS camcorders were earlier popular, but the popularity of DVDs in recent times, have increased the demand for digital camcorders.
Types of camcorder
Analog Camcorder
Analog camcorders are cheaper than digital camcorders. They have limited use. These low-end models cannot be used for transferring video to a PC and cannot be edited easily.
Mini-DV camcorder
The popularity of mini-DV camcorders is due to its affordable price tag, the excellent quality of video and easy to edit features. The video can be copied to a DVD. You can also connect it directly to a television or VCR. When the video is copied to a computer, the quality of the image remains intact. The size of a Mini-DV cassette is not only smaller than the conventional VHS cassettes, but they are also smaller than Digital8 and Hi8 cassettes used in the bigger digital camcorder models.
A disadvantage of this form of camcorder, which uses magnetic tape, is the difficulty in finding a particular area on the video clipping. Even fast-forwarding and rewinding doesn’t help to solve your problem.
Mini-DVD camcorder
The disadvantage of using magnetic tapes in Mini-DV camcorder can be resolved by using a higher priced Mini-DVD camcorder. The nonlinear 3 inch DVDs used in this camcorder will help you to access a desired spot on the video instantly. The quality of digital video is undoubtedly better than analogue videos. They can be easily copied to a personal computer through USB cable or Firewire. It can record video footages directly to all forms of DVDs.
HDD Hard Disk Drive Camcorder
This high-end camcorder uses neither tapes nor discs for recording. Instead, it has a built-in 30 to 60GB hard disk drive. You can easily copy the recordings directly to a computer, DVD or VCR and clear the drive for further recording.
HDV Camcorder
This is the latest camcorder model, which produces the best quality high definition video. Currently these models are most expensive.
