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Camcorder Buyer's Guide 2006 (page 2)

  • VHS-C: Very rare. May be gone from the market by this time next year.
  • Mini DV: Still the standard by which others are judged. By far, the most selection and most common format.
  • Hi8/Digital8: Still only made by Sony. Going the way of VHS-C.
  • DVD-R: Popular because of the compatibility with most modern home DVD players and convenience of use. Good quality picture and sound.
  • Flash Memory: Using either built-in memory or replaceable memory cards, records images, usually in the MPEG-4 format. As it's still a relatively new medium, the disadvantage is the visual information needs to be offloaded to a hard drive or tape frequently for back-up purposes.
  • HDV: The newest rage in video and, maybe, the most promising high definition consumer format. This format records in either 720p or 1080i and provides the clearest, sharpest image this side of a $50,000 high def production camcorder. Price is still an issue, although more pocketbook-friendly models will start rolling out. Records onto standard Mini DV tapes, which means many HDV camcorders are backwards compatible with standard definition DV tapes.
  • AVCHD: An acronym for "Advanced Video Codec High Definition." Not so much a format as a new codec (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, to be precise). AVCHD will be able to record onto 8cm DVDs, flash memory and Sony's own Memory Sticks. Products using this format just started shipping this fall.
  • HDD: Durable and spacious disc drives really only became available recently. Always storing digital images, they use compression schemes to store huge amounts of video data. That data has to be offloaded to another drive or DVD before the camcorder can be re-used. Generally, HDD camcorders record MPEG-2 encoded video, but are capable of storing other encoded formats (e.g., AVCHD) which are starting to roll out.

    Professional
    $1,500 & up
    "How much!?"
    At this level, some serious cash is being spent on all sorts of video goodies - tripods, lights, audio gear, editing software and a high horsepower computer. It's astonishing how quickly the bills can pile up for the newest and best of everything. Camcorders are especially prone to this phenomenon. A slight growth in chip size or the latest image stabilization can end up costing a pretty penny.

    Most people investing this kind of money are doing it because they are actually charging for their services, producing the next big documentary or independent production. These folks need a larger lens barrel, allowing more light to reach the sensor, better optical glass in that lens and the largest chips possible for stunning color and clarity. Normally, audio connections are provided with one or two XLR connections and each audio channel can be independently controlled. Construction is far more rugged and built for the daily abuse and grind of regular, constant use. Smaller camcorders (or small in terms of the professional market) are starting to make their presence known in this arena. For instance, the Panasonic AG-HVX200 ($6,000) uses proprietary P2 memory cards to record images. 8GB cards will soon be available for around $1,200 each. I've used the big brother to the AG-HVX200 and the video quality is pristine with gorgeous audio.

    These camcorders have better resolution in all lighting situations, from only birthday candles to high noon in summer; colors are crisper, definition sharper and the overall "feel" of the image is as good as it can get. High definition camcorders in this range are the norm rather than the exception now, like the Sony HDR-FX1, priced at $3,800. Bleeding-edge technology has a price and it can be quite high. The good news is this technology eventually trickles down to those of us who have mortgage and car payments and finds itself in more reasonably price offerings a year or two down the road.

    Check out the grids, drool over the features, ogle the specifications and just remember: that dream camcorder that might be well beyond your reach today may soon be sitting in your gadget bag a few years from now- a ho-hum electronic marvel that, a few product cycles ago, was beyond the reach of all but a few. Enjoy!

    Randy Hansen is an award winning photographer and editor and is photo chief of a TV News station.

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