Camcorder Buyer's Guide
Shooting With Style (page 2)

Consumer video cameras range in price from $150 for the Flip Video Camera (standard definition) to $299 for a SANYO Xacti HD700, which records in 720p HD, all the way up to around $3,000 for the Sony HDR-FX1 or FX7 HDV camcorders. Those last two cameras share much with their professional HDV twins, the HVR-Z1 and V1, which means you're getting very professional results for a consumer camera. By the way, the FX1 and FX7 are among the very few consumer cameras that have three chips, CCDs in the FX1 and CMOS in the FX7.

Once you know your needs and budget, you'll find the right camera. One more thing: if you find that the consumer camera's fewer manual controls, XLR-audio inputs and other limitations don't fit your needs, consider a professional model or at least the Sony FX1 or FX7. But if you're shooting your son or daughter's soccer game, an affordable unit with a stable shot and great optical zoom is all you need.

Most, if not all, video editing software support the capturing, editing and outputting (to tape, DVD, web, etc.) of the newest HD and DV formats, including HDV, MPEG-4 and AVCHD. So, if you buy a consumer or professional video editing application (or something in between like Apple's latest Final Cut Express version 4), you can be confident that you can edit what you shoot. I remember living on the bleeding edge and not being able to capture and edit HDV without a lot of difficulty for almost two years. The AVCHD has finally caught up as well, but you'll always want to double check that your software and computer system are capable of handling the complexities of the AVCHD video format.

You can pretty much consider the same factors in choosing a professional camera as in buying a consumer camera: format, ergonomics, features, budget, usage and software support. With the explosion of digital filmmaking, nearly all professional cameras on the market support 24p shooting, more image controls and more manual support. These cameras can also shoot commercials, weddings and other video-related events. But it all boils down to those factors and how they fit your needs. There is no mention of DV/SD professional cameras in this article, because I believe support will soon drop, since all HD cameras support DV and SD recording. Prices are competitive among cameras like the Panasonic DVX100 and Canon XL2 DV line of cameras.

I've seen many YouTube videos shot on consumer cameras and edited on affordable but powerful video editing applications, sometimes with really nice (and affordable) visual FX, but the image quality really suffers from automatic control, a single-CCD sensor and poor sound. Heck, I've seen higher-end short films at prestigious film festivals use consumer cameras, and it worked for the story or documentary.

For professional use, three image sensors are a must, though a single CMOS sensor can hold its own (Sony's HVR-A1u sports one CMOS and is still a very popular camera). The advantage of a CMOS sensor over a CCD is lower power consumption, which will mean longer shooting times between battery changes. Another advantage is less light smear, so there isn't a halo or "star" effect if you're shooting with a light or bright spot in your frame. Since the revolutionary Panasonic DVX100 debuted in 2002, most new professional camcorders come with 24p and 30p shooting modes, greater image control (including cinegamma and extended color settings) and more. In some ways, it seems like each manufacturer is trying to outdo the other. With HD really taking over, most new cameras are available in 1080i, 720p and 480i/p. In some cases, all three are part of the camera's feature set.

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