VHS Camcorder Buyer's Guide: VHS Camcorders - Still Useful After All These Years

by Karen Director
July 1998

Even if you don't yet own a camcorder, it's a safe bet that you have at least one VHS VCR in your home. VHS, the oldest of the consumer video tape formats, its sub-format VHS-C (for compact), and its relative S-VHS (Super VHS) are all members of the VHS "family." This means that they're mostly compatible with one another, which is good news for those who don't plan to build a video production studio in the living room.

Full-size VHS camcorders have fallen recently in popularity as consumers look for small, light, easy-traveling models. In some ways, that's unfortunate, because the weight of a full-size camcorder makes it less prone to vibration and the resulting shaky images. Another advantage is the low cost and long shooting time (two hours or more) of a VHS cassette. If you don't like to edit your videos, or if you edit as you shoot, then nothing beats popping a cassette right from the camcorder into the VCR.

The image quality of VHS is adequate for home shooting, about the same as 8mm, and the audio quality is comparable to a standard audio cassette deck. S-VHS produces much better visuals--almost twice the detail of standard VHS--on a two-hour tape that costs a bit more then the regular format. This allows you to make better-quality copies of your masterpiece onto regular VHS for distribution to friends and family. You can also use standard VHS tapes in an S-VHS camcorder but you won't get the full benefits of the higher image capabilities.

If the size and weight of a full-size camcorder is too much for you, consider VHS-C, exactly the same as its hefty cousin except for its size. Although shooting time is only about 30 minutes per compact tape, and the price is higher than full-size tapes, you can play the mini-cassettes in your standard VCR with a simple adapter. Many compact models now feature image stabilization devices which help compensate for the natural vibrations (inherent in the human body) which are transmitted onto tape.

For those who want the convenience of VHS but crave a higher image quality, there's S-VHS. But you'll have to move fast; all of the consumer camcorder manufacturers we talked to have stopped making this format camcorder. The only models still available are more expensive full-size S-VHS units from JVC Pro and Panasonic Broadcast & Digital Systems. And compact S-VHS camcorders are officially extinct.

Check out our buyer's guide to the current family of VHS camcorders. Whether you're shopping for your first camcorder, or you're looking for a second camcorder that's compatible with your home VCR, you'll find the VHS format to be a practical choice.

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