How to Buy a Camcorder -- All Format Camcorder Buyer's Guide (page 3)

It wasn't long after the advent of S-VHS that Sony and friends introduced their own high-quality format. Called Hi8, this new format offered all the advantages of the 8mm format with a near two-times increase in resolution. This put it on-par with S-VHS in the area of image quality, though in a much smaller package. As with S-VHS, Hi8 format camcorders use S-video jacks for improved image quality. Until the DV format showed up, Hi8 camcorders offered the best image quality-to-size ratio in all of camcorderdom.

Disadvantages are few with Hi8. Hi8 tapes aren't nearly as easy to find as VHS or 8mm, and they're also quite expensive. Also, you can't play a Hi8 tape back in your VHS VCR. That's about it.

The Hi8 category is even more crowded than 8mm, with over 20 models available from the same big five manufacturers. Canon's ES7000V weighs in as the most expensive at $999, while the Hitachi VMH650A gets the low-buck honors at just $400 list.

The newest format on the block comes from Sony, a company already busy in the digital video market with their DV format camcorders. Since one digital format apparently wasn't enough, camcorder shoppers now have Digital8 to choose from as well.

Most notable about Digital8 is that it records high-quality digital video and audio on normal 8mm or Hi8 cassettes. This makes Digital8 camcorders considerably cheaper to feed than DV models. A Digital8 camcorder will also play back 8mm and Hi8 analog recordings through its S-video jack. Sony's i.LINK jack does the honors for digital tape playback and recording, making Digital8 camcorders easy to integrate into any digital video system.

Because it records signals digitally, the Digital8 format has numerous advantages over the formats previously discussed. Image quality is improved, with better resolution, purer colors and less noise. Second, the digital i.LINK cable allows lossless editing and copying of tapes. Third, digital tapes have time code built right in--this makes for more-accurate editing.

What's wrong with Digital8? Besides no audio or video dubbing with current models, not much--unless the format itself is already doomed to extinction. There are precious few differences between Digital8 and DV camcorders and the latter format already has a great deal of momentum. Can a video format survive on the merits of cheaper tape alone? Time will tell.

Sony's five Digital8 camcorders are priced comparable to DV models, ranging from the DCR-TR700 (at $899) up to the DCR-TRV510 ($1299). The DCR-TRV510 has 2MB of internal memory for capturing digital stills. Currently, Sony is the only company offering Digital8 camcorders.

When the Mini DV format appeared on the scene, it rocked the whole camcorder industry. DV offered it all--awesome image and sound quality, audio dubbing, time code for accurate editing, digital jacks for lossless copies, compact and affordable camcorders, long record times, support from dozens of manufacturers and more.

Did DV deliver on these promises? It sure did. DV is quickly becoming the consumer video format of choice, for all the reasons listed above. DV offers the best image quality of all the formats, and its four-channel audio mode provides a great deal of flexibility for editing. DV's only real drawback is its expensive and sometimes hard-to-find tapes. Hopefully, time and consumer demand will push Mini DV cassette prices down.

DV camcorders cover the full range from low-cost (see Sharp's VL-SD20U at $999) to high-end (JVC's new GY-DV500, for example, $4995). Several models, such as Canon's new Ultura ($1199), do double-duty as digital still cameras. Whether you shoot for fun or for profit, there's probably a DV camcorder out there to meet your needs.

Though we've had to move fast, you should now have a better understanding of the consumer camcorder formats and how they differ. Before you hit the trail to go shopping, check out the Feature Finder sidebar for a quick overview of the camcorder features that really matter (and those that don't).

Finally, when you're ready to buy, get your hands on every camcorder you can. Only when you hold a camcorder and shoot with it a bit will you know if it's right for you. Good luck!

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