Going Hollywood: How to Choose the Best Digital Camcorder
Check out the latest technology trends in camcorders. Plus: Want to convert your aging videotapes to DVD? Here's how to get started.David English
Isn't technology wonderful? Thirty years ago, your home movies would have been recorded on Super 8 film with blurry images and barely audible sound. Ten years ago, they would have been recorded on analog videotape, and editing them would involve hours of work and thousands of dollars' worth of equipment. Now you can buy a moderately priced digital camcorder and make videos good enough to be screened at the Sundance Film Festival (I'm not kidding). Move over Hollywood; the price of filmmaking is now dramatically lower.
In this article, we'll take a brief look at why digital video is a big improvement over film and analog video. Then we'll explore five of the latest trends in digital camcorders. We've sorted through the various technical advancements and narrowed the field to the most important ones--so you'll know what to look for first. You may be new to digital camcorders or looking to upgrade an older analog model. Either way, you'll need to know what separates the winners from the also-rans.
Finally, if you're wondering what to do with your stack of old videotapes, we'll explain what you need to copy your analog video onto a digital format like DVD.
Digital Domain
You don't have to be an aspiring Scorsese or Tarantino to benefit from the recent advances in camcorder technology. Whether you're preserving your child's first piano recital or filming a business presentation, you'll find that digital video opens new possibilities. In addition to its improved quality over traditional analog video recordings, digital video provides nonprofessionals with inexpensive options in computer-based editing, visual effects, titling, and distribution.
For example, if you're running Windows XP, Microsoft's free Windows Movie Maker 2 lets you edit your video, add music and narration, insert fade and dissolve transitions, apply slow-motion effects, and insert an opening title and closing credits. With the addition of DVD-burning software like Sonic's $50 MyDVD 5.2, you can save the results to a recordable DVD disc. If your PC came with a rewritable DVD drive (or if you have added one), you will probably already have a basic video-editing and DVD-authoring program that came with the drive.
The Internet age has also made shopping for a camcorder much easier. You can read reviews of the latest models, visit the manufacturers' Web sites to compare models, and order your choice online. If you prefer more hand-holding, you can find the same models, and often receive personal advice, at many consumer electronics stores and specialty photography shops.
Blank digital videotapes (roughly $5 to $20 an hour) are relatively inexpensive, especially when compared with Super 8 and 16mm film (roughly $300 and $1200 an hour, respectively), which makes it less costly to experiment with exposure, lighting, and movement. And unlike analog videotape, which is difficult for consumers to edit, digital video is easily transferred to a home computer for simple cut-and-paste editing. Shoot all the footage you want--you can always chop out the bad parts later. No one will know that you're all thumbs with a camcorder--and that you shot the first five minutes with the lens cap on.
If you've waited to buy a digital camcorder, you've benefited from countless improvements over the past few years. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the photographic jargon. You don't have to understand the subtleties of exposure, focal length, or depth of field, for instance, in order to purchase the right camcorder--all the consumer models have automatic modes that take care of those things for you. If you do want to be creative and explore these technical subtleties, be sure to ask about the camcorder's manual settings.
While today's camcorders can perform as point-and-shoot cameras, there's enough variation in their capabilities that you'll want to match the features to the price you're willing to pay. Following are the five main trends to consider when shopping for a consumer camcorder. (Note: All the prices we include are the manufacturers' list prices.)
More for Your Money
If you're willing to spend $300 to $600, you'll be able to purchase a good-quality camcorder that records video to MiniDV tapes. JVC's $450 GR-D33US, for example, has a generous 16X optical zoom, digital image stabilizer, and 2.5-inch LCD for viewing video. An optical zoom is the true range of the lens (as opposed to digital zoom, which uses the camcorder's electronics to enlarge part of the image to zoom in, with a significant reduction of image quality). A digital image stabilizer automatically steadies the image and is especially useful when shooting with the longer zoom settings.
In this price range, you might typically find a 10X optical zoom, the ability to shoot low-resolution still images, and limited low-light capabilities. Also in this price range is Canon's $500 ZR80 digital video camcorder, which comes with an 18X optical zoom lens and a flexible 2.5-inch LCD screen.
As you move up to the $600 to $1000 price range, you'll find more bells and whistles, including longer optical zooms, improved low-light capabilities (with less blurring), the ability to take 1 megapixel or higher still images, and additional manual adjustments. Canon's $600 ZR90 MiniDV digital camcorder features a 22X optical zoom and an enhanced Super Night mode that engages a built-in assist lamp. Sony's $900 DCR-PC109 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder has low-light technology that can capture video in total darkness (thanks to a built-in infrared LED) and can capture photos as large as 1152 by 864 pixels.
Pay even more, and you can graduate to the higher-quality video of a three-chip CCD (or charge-coupled device, which is the most prevalent type of image sensor). Most consumer camcorders use a single-chip CCD to capture all three primary colors, while Panasonic's $1500 Palmcorder PV-DV953 uses three CCD chips (one for each of the primary colors) for a more accurate color cast. It also has a variety of manual settings, including the ability to adjust the levels of the recorded audio. In addition to being more expensive, the three-chip CCD camcorders tend to be heavier. The Palmcorder PV-DV953 tips the scales at just under 2 pounds, compared with the ZR90, which weighs approximately 1.1 pounds.
If you're very serious about your video, hold your breath and consider stepping up to Canon's $4700 XL1S or Panasonic's $3800 AG-DVX100. The XL1S has an interchangeable lens system and offers three shooting modes, including the theater-like Frame Movie Mode that many professional filmmakers use. Panasonic says the AG-DVX100 is capable of recording video that's suitable for broadcast or conversion to 35mm film--although big-time filmmakers who use 35mm film may not agree.
If you're interested in a true high-definition camcorder, check out JVC's GR-HD1. The GR-HD1 actually records video at the high definition resolutions of 1280 by 720 pixels--and it may be overkill for home movies. JVC claims that the camcorder is capable of recording video that's suitable for playing back on a home HDTV system.
As you can see, there's quite a range of camcorders out there. You can decide how much you want to spend and shop for the best features at that price. Or you can determine which features you need and look for the most economical model that fits your needs. With either approach, you'll find your money will go much further than it would have just a year or two ago.
Media Madness
Most digital camcorders use MiniDV tape cassettes, though a growing number write their files to some other type of media. Panasonic's $1000 SV-AV100 SD memory card digital camcorder saves its video to a Secure Digital card. Because SD cards are relatively expensive (especially when compared with MiniDV cassettes), the SV-AV100 offers a range of compression and resolution options that allow you to balance quality against storage space. It has two higher-quality MPEG-2 video modes and four lower-quality MPEG-4 video modes, storing between 10 minutes and just over 10 hours of video on the bundled 512MB SD card. The newer MPEG-4 standard can compress video more compactly than the older MPEG-2 standard.
If you are looking for something that's cheap and cheerful, you can spend less than $200 for a memory card camcorder, such as Aiptek's $150 Pocket DV3100, Gateway's $200 DV-S20, or SiPix's $130 DV100. These models have the advantage of being small enough to fit into a shirt pocket, though the quality of the video is limited and you'll need to budget for a memory card if you want to record more than a few minutes of video. These camcorders generate highly compressed, low-resolution video files that are best suited for e-mail attachments and Web site downloads.
Another popular camcorder recording medium is the mini-DVD disc. Sony's $850 DCR-DVD100 DVD Handycam saves its video files to either mini DVD-R or mini DVD-RW discs. These 3-inch DVD discs are smaller than the usual 5-inch DVD discs, but should play in most computer DVD drives or home DVD players that have an indentation in the disc tray for the smaller discs. In addition, many DVD-writing software programs will let you easily copy the DVD discs the camcorder produces, which makes it easy to send your video files to friends or family members.
Finally, there are the alternative digital tape formats, such as Digital8 and MicroMV. Both are Sony standards: Digital8 allows you to play back older analog Hi-8 videotapes in your digital camcorder, while MicroMV was developed specifically for ultra-compact camcorders. The main problem with these formats is software support. All PC-based video-editing programs can import the video from MiniDV and Digital8 camcorders, and most recent versions can work with MPEG-2 or MPEG4 files. However, few programs are compatible with MicroMV: Only Pinnacle Studio 9 can import it directly from the camcorder. If you don't plan to edit the video files on your computer, this won't be a problem. If you do, check to see if your preferred editing program can handle the alternative format.
Fun With Photos
Many camcorders have a photo capability that lets you capture pictures and save them to a memory card (some use SD, and some use Memory Stick). This photo feature has improved steadily over the past few years to the point where some of the models offer resolutions as high as 3 megapixels. The problem when buying one of these camcorders is knowing whether the stated photo resolution is native or interpolated.
Native resolution means that the resolution of the camcorder's sensor is the same resolution as the photos it produces. An interpolated resolution is a software-enhanced resolution that isn't as sharp: The camcorder boosts the resolution of the picture by guessing at what the pixels in between the captured ones would look like. For example, a manufacturer might claim a 3.3-megapixel resolution, even though the sensor is capable of capturing only a 2.0-megapixel image. The Aiptek Pocket DV3100, for instance, can save photos as large as 2048 by 1536 (3.145 megapixels), even though the sensor is capable of capturing only a maximum 1600 by 1200 (1.92 megapixels).
The best way to determine if the advertised resolution is genuine is to find out the native resolution of the sensor, which isn't often advertised. Be prepared to do a little digging on the manufacturer's site or in the supplied documentation to verify the camcorder's true photo resolution.
If your camcorder includes a photo capability, is there any reason to carry a digital camera with you as well? That depends on how important the quality of the photos is to you. Few camcorders include a flash or offer many manual settings for photos. On the other hand, few digital cameras offer a 12X or 22X optical zoom range, so you may be able to capture distant shots you would have missed if you were carrying a digital camera.
While no digital camcorder can capture photos of the same high quality as a moderately priced digital camera, there are several things to look for if the photo capabilities are important. Does the camcorder have a built-in flash? Can it use the full range of the optical zoom (some use only part of the zoom range) for photos? And how much lag time is there between shooting photos?
If you're more interested in photos than video, you may be better off with a digital camera that can shoot video. Higher-priced digital cameras often have strong video-capture features. For example, Canon's recently announced $999 PowerShot Pro1 can record 640-by-480-pixel video clips up to 30 seconds long, or 320-by-240-resolution video clips up to three minutes long.
Size Matters
A major trend in camcorders is toward more compact models that offer many of the features that were previously available only with larger models. Size can be important--you can't capture that once-in-a-lifetime video shot if you leave your bulky camcorder behind at the hotel. The ideal camcorder would fit comfortably in your pocket, yet provide all the features that are available on the larger models.
Unfortunately, that ideal camcorder doesn't exist, so we're stuck with trade-offs. If you want a large, easy-to-see LCD screen; wide-ranging optical zoom; built-in accessory shoe (which lets you attach accessories directly to the camcorder); and high-quality video recordings, you'll have to go with a model that weighs a pound or more.
The good news is that manufacturers are able to squeeze more and more into their ultra-compact models. The 22X optical zoom on Canon's ZR90 is a feature that was previously available only on professional camcorders weighing several pounds. While the camcorders that write their files to SD cards and MicroMV tapes are truly pocket-size portables, consider that they may actually be too small for large hands. The tiny controls can be awkward to operate, and the featherweight case may be difficult to hold steady.
With Panasonic's 3.5-by-1.3-by-2.6-inch SV-AV100, the controls are clustered on the back of the case. It can be hard to hold without blocking the lens or top-mounted microphone with your fingers. Fisher's 6.1-ounce $899 FVD-C1 Pocket CameraCorder has an angled lens to accommodate its diminutive design. Yet that same tilted lens makes the camcorder difficult to level on a tripod. Again, it's a matter of trade-offs, as you're much more likely to carry these models with you, even if the video quality isn't as good.
The best strategy is to try to maximize the quality of the video recording, range of the optical zoom, and dimensions of the LCD screen for whatever size camcorder you're willing to carry with you. If quality is more important to you, consider that a few extra ounces may not make that much difference in the long run. If portability is more important, think about how and when you'll actually use the camera.
Also consider that the dimensions and shape of a camcorder are just as important as its weight. A compact model that sits in the palm of your hand will fit more easily into a pocket or briefcase than a clunky model with a protruding viewfinder or LCD screen. Look for a model that's solidly constructed so you can feel confident it won't break when bumped or dropped.
Feature Wars
It's easy to get caught up in the competition between manufacturers and think you have to have the best of everything. If a low-priced camcorder from one manufacturer has a special night mode, a more expensive camcorder from another manufacturer will have a special enhanced night mode. One model may offer a macro mode that lets you focus as close as 5 inches, while a higher-priced model will offer an advanced macro mode that lets you focus as close as 1.5 inches.
Once you start weighing the value of the advanced features, you'll soon be torn between manufacturers. For instance, Canon's Digic imaging processor does an unusually good job of ensuring that the video and photo modes have accurate color, but Canon doesn't offer a camcorder that records to a mini DVD disc. You can't get these two features in the same camcorder or from the same manufacturer.
On top of that, if you add a few accessories, you'll find it difficult to switch manufacturers, because the accessories may not be compatible with camcorders from other manufacturers. For example, Canon and others sell lens adapters that make the camcorder show a wider-angle view or increase the length of the zoom. The problem: They work only with one line or even just one model of camcorder, so once you've made the investment in the lenses, you'll be less likely to switch to another manufacturer when it comes time to replace your aging camcorder. Other proprietary accessories include batteries, custom cases, travel chargers, microphones, and add-on lights.
The best approach is to consider which features you'll use. Like many mid-range to high-end camcorders, Sony's $700 DCR-TRV22 MiniDV HandyCam has a NightShot mode that lets you capture video in total darkness, but how often would you use it? Sometimes more is less, if it steers you away from the features you really need.
Upgrade Your Past
Are your home movies recorded on an analog videotape format, such as VHS, Hi8, or Video8? Did you know that videotapes degrade over the years? The images become fuzzy, the tape can snap more easily, and eventually the video becomes unplayable. Those precious images of your son's graduation or your sister's wedding are slowly fading away.
No recordable medium is permanent, though some last longer than others. Recordable DVD discs have a longer anticipated lifespan than videotape: Verbatim, Maxell, Imation, Fujifilm, and Pioneer claim that their recordable DVD discs will last 100 years, though any estimates are just that--estimates. Recordable DVD discs haven't been around long enough to prove these claims one way or another.
So how do you copy your deteriorating analog tapes to DVD? If you have a rewritable DVD drive, you can use a graphics card that's equipped with a video input, or you could add an external device to bring the video into your computer. Alternatively, you could use a standalone DVD recorder to copy your video to disc. Finally, you could send your videotapes to a service and--for a fee--have them transferred to DVD. We'll look at each of these options and explore the pros and cons.
Some graphics cards have the built-in ability to record an analog video signal. For example, ATI's $249 All-in-Wonder 9600 Pro provides both composite-video and S-Video inputs that you can connect to the output of your camcorder. Similarly, you could purchase an external video-capture device, such as Hewlett-Packard's $250 HP DVD Movie Writer Dc3000 (which includes a DVD+RW drive) or ADS Technologies' $200 Instant DVD 2.0, which can convert the video into a digital format on your PC. Those cards and external video-input devices usually include software that converts the analog video to a digital format and writes the results to a DVD disc.
The advantage of this approach is the relatively low entry cost. If you already have an All-in-Wonder card and a DVD-writable drive, your only cost would be the price of the blank discs. The disadvantage is the time involved in setting up the equipment, re-recording your video, and transferring it to disc.
If you already have a standalone DVD recorder, you can use it to accomplish the same task with a lot less effort. You just connect the output of the video recorder to the input of the DVD recorder, hit play on the video recorder, and record on the DVD recorder. DVD recorders range in price from $300 to $1200. Gateway's $300 AR-230 DVD Recorder records to DVD+R/RW discs. Pioneer's $1200 DVR-810H records to DVD+R/RW discs, and it has a built-in 80GB hard drive, as well as a TiVo Series 2 Digital Video Recorder.
You can also check out Sony's $700 RDR-GX7. The RDR-GX7 is a recent PC World Editor's Pick, and this dual-format unit has a friendly on-screen interface. However, it does not play MP3s or video CDs. Check out the Test Report. And see PC World's ratings of the latest set-top DVD recorders.
Alternatively, you can send your tapes to a company that will copy your video to disc for you. This can be the least-expensive option if you don't own a rewritable DVD drive or DVD recorder and have only a few tapes to convert to DVD. DinoVideo charges $17.40 for a one-hour tape; Southwest Digital Media charges $12.25. While you're shopping around, make sure that you know the total cost before you send out anything: Some companies may charge you more for "extras" such as the DVD disc, adding titles, and so on. Search for "VHS to DVD" using your favorite search engine, and you'll find plenty of companies that offer this service.
The downside of this option is the danger that your tapes could be lost when shipped--although this is rare. If you're concerned about losing them, consider looking for a company within driving distance of your home, where you can hand-deliver the tapes.