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Pro Camcorder Buyer's Guide

The professional camcorder market is not as intimidating as it was several years ago. These days, a shooter can find a professional-quality camcorder with cutting-edge features at a reasonable price. The video quality of these camcorders continues to improve, while the price continues to drop. Now is a good time to be thinking about an upgrade to a professional camcorder.

Camcorders can be broken down into a myriad of categories. In fact, there are several consumer-level camcorders that can be tweaked to meet the needs of a professional shooter. For example, the Canon HV20/HV30 with a 35mm adaptor can acquire beautiful images for the guerilla filmmaker. So, the term professional camcorder is up for a wide range of interpretation. But, for this Buyer's Guide, we'll look at prosumer camcorders, categorically. In the television and film industry, the term professional usually has a $20,000 entry-level price tag. That's unnecessary for most of us. The demarcation point between consumer and professional camcorders is approximately the $2,000 mark.

Let's look at some of the features you'll absolutely need for your next professional camcorder. New camcorders come fully loaded with all sorts of whiz-bang features. The truth is, a good professional camcorder doesn't need much.

I challenge you to try to find a new prosumer camcorder that's not HD. Standard-definition camcorders are still out there, but they are the least-expensive models in each manufacturer's lineup. Most, but not all, HD camcorders can also shoot in SD modes, so, if this is an important feature to you, do a little research first. For the sake of future-proofing your next purchase, make sure your camcorder shoots HD. Yes, it's gotta be HD.

Professional shooters also need manual control of the lens, specifically the focus. A pro camcorder will not only allow you to selectively focus, but it will also have a manual focus ring on the lens. This is ideal for maximum tactile control. You do not want manual focus to be controlled by a dial, toggle or button. Professional shooters need to be able to quickly set the focus on their camcorders.

Next up is manual exposure. A professional shooter will want to control the camcorder's iris and shutter speed . An iris ring on the lens is a nice touch, but not absolutely necessary for every professional. Most, if not all, camcorders have a dial or button to control shutter speeds. Typically, shutter speed is kept fairly constant during shoots.

A camcorder's audio features are also a critical component to a professional rig. At the very least, the camcorder should accept a stereo (2-channel) mic input. There are mainly two types: a 1/8" stereo mini input or XLR input. Pros tend to prefer the latter. You should also have the ability to manually change the audio levels. This function is usually in the menu of the camcorder, but it's preferred to have audio ports on the body of the camcorder that will allow you to directly control the audio gain. It's also preferable to be able to selectively control that channel of audio. Some camcorders will allow you to change only the gain of all channels, universally.

That's it. To sum it up, you want an HD camcorder with a focus ring, manual exposure controls and a mic input with audio gain you can adjust. We're done, right? Oh, but, you're a professional shooter, so you're picky. Let's get into the particulars of professional camcorders.

The best of professional camcorders have a great feel to them. The way the manufacturer lays out the buttons and controls can make your shooting experience a joy or a nightmare. To some degree, this is subjective to every shooter, and specific bias comes from the type of shooter you are. If you do a lot of run-and-gun shooting, you'll gladly sacrifice some tactile niceties for a lightweight camcorder. With that said, there are some common camcorder features that make shooting much more enjoyable for the pro.

As we mentioned, a focus ring is key. It's also ideal to have a manual zoom ring. Some entry-level prosumer camcorders omit a zoom ring. Try to find a camcorder that has both. If you're really up for some fun, you can find a camcorder with an iris ring on the lens as well. The Canon XL series recently updated its stock lenses to include the iris ring. This series is a good example of a professional camcorder that has great tactile control built right into the lens. The XL series even has an interchangeable lens system that allows the shooter to put different types of lens to use. You will also find these features available on the JVC GY-HD110/HD200 models.

When we talk about these types of camcorders, we're looking at body types that are a little larger than the average prosumer camcorder. A larger camcorder is ideal for tactile control, and it gives the shooter some level of authority. However, you will need to consider whether or not you need all this control or if a smaller and lighter camcorder will give some much-needed flexibility in the field.