DV Cams

Digital video has arrived, and its increasing popularity is apparent wherever you look. In this article, we'll take a look at a sampling of popular DV camcorders from several manufacturers. For further details and a feature-by-feature comparison of the various DV camcorders, take a look at the accompanying DV camcorder buyer's guide grid.

Walk into any electronics outlet or camera store and you're apt to find as many digital camcorders as you do analog camcorders. Perhaps the biggest driving force behind this trend is the affordability of digital camcorders, you can choose from a number of DV models today that cost less than $1000. Most major retailers are starting to stock affordable editing hardware and software too. It is now possible for anyone to edit digital video on a home computer without going broke in the process. Editing hardware and software just keep getting better and cheaper, just like DV camcorders themselves (see Videomaker's July 1999 issue for a complete buyer's guide).

In addition to lower prices and more features, today's digital camcorders deliver high quality images -- images on par with broadcast television. The FireWire cable allows users to make lossless copies, eliminating the degradation that is inherent to analog video. In addition, digital videotape provides an excellent archival medium. Once images are in a digital format, they resist the aging process much better than analog tapes. For more technical information on how DV works, see DV Q&A in Videomaker's October 1999 issue.

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Mini DV models are known for their small size, but don't let their stature fool you. Good things really do come in small packages. A survey of the accompanying grid will reveal just how well equipped these little giants are. High resolution CCDs, large color LCDs, image stabilization, mike inputs, time code and FireWire connectors are common to many of these models, offering the user a powerful pocket-sized production tool.

Many DV camcorders use lithium ion batteries, which don't suffer from the so-called memory problems that nickel cadmium batteries are notorious for. These lithium ion batteries have excellent performance characteristics, and can provide much longer playback times, ounce for ounce, than any other kind of camcorder battery available today.

Some DV camcorders can also take high quality digital still images. From the beginning, most digital camcorders would simulate a digital still camera by recording an image for several seconds, but true digital still cameras use file formats and compression methods that are optimized for still photography. As a result, they produce much sharper images. To keep up with some of their digital still camera cousins, some of the new DV camcorders use the same technology to capture high quality digital stills.

What About Digital8?

The new Digital8 format, introduced by Sony, is simply a variant of the DV format that uses Hi8 or 8mm videotape instead of Mini DV videotape. While these camcorders record only a digital signal, they will play your old analog 8mm or Hi8 videotapes. If you already have a lot of 8mm video, Digital8 may be a good format to consider.

Because they use standard 8mm and Hi8 tapes, Digital8 camcorders are generally a bit larger than Mini DV models. Other than its size, the Digital8 format offers the same advantages as Mini DV: high quality digital images, and lossless copies via FireWire. An added advantage is the comparatively low cost of blank tape. A Hi8 tape can cost nearly half as much as its Mini DV counterpart, saving you money in the years to come.

» Continued on page (2/2)

Charles Bloodworth | January 2000

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