Holiday 2005 Camcorder Buyers Guide

Camcorders are a popular gift, but there are so many of them. Let us help you choose the right one.

Holiday 2005 Camcorder Buyers Guide   By David Elrich     Technology is wonderful thing. Imagine watching your child take her first step and recording the exciting event with beautifulvideo and outstanding sound. Or capturing your son swinging for the fences at a Little League game or any of life’s memories–no matter how big or small. That’s what a camcorder can do for you.Although they’re relatively easy to use, sorting through the over 100 models currently available is the challenge. We can help you wade through them with this buyer’s guide. We’ll walk you throughthe entire process—except putting our credit card on the counter. That we leave to you…     Format Follies   Who said life was simple? There are almost a dozen camcorderformats but the most popular is MiniDV with DVD-based models catching the public’s attention. And although there are analog camcorders still available we suggest you shun them. Just as digital DVDsreplaced VHS tapes for home videos, analog camcorder formats are quickly fading away. As you shop around, you’ll notice the majority of camcorders available today are digital. And just as important,prices of digital camcorders have dropped below $300, making your decision to go digital relatively painless. As a sign of the times Panasonic’s PV-GS19 and SamsungSC-D353 have $349 list prices so they’ll even cost less as you search for best deals in stores, online or mail order. We’ve even seen MiniDV camcorders for under $200 from more aggressiveretailers during crazy sales but they’re usually last year’s models.   Panasonic PV-GS19 and Samsung SC-D353  Current Camcorder Formats:   Digital Digital8 (D8) Digital Videocassette (Mini DV) DVD-RAM DVD-R/RW DVD+RW HDV MicroMV MPEG2/MPEG4     Analog VHS-C Super-VHS-C High-Band 8mm(Hi8mm)     The Next Step   In order to get you on the right path for choosing a new camcorder it’s important to understand a bit of technical talk regarding the quality of the variousformats, which are typically measured in lines of horizontal resolution. Horizontal resolution is a measurement of detail in a single scanning line of a video picture (525 scanning lines make up thebasic analog U.S. video system). The higher the resolution, the better picture you’ll see. So watching a TV show with a high horizontal resolution specification means you’ll see more detail in skintones, fabrics, strands of hair, and gradations of color–everything–that’s shown. Standard analog American TV broadcasts deliver 330 lines of horizontal resolution at best. VHS VCRs? Anywherebetween 240 and 270. It’s one of the reasons DVD players are so popular since they deliver close to 500 lines of resolution. Digital TV broadcasts offer even better quality than DVD but at this timethis system does not have a major impact on your camcorder decision except at the higher end of the camcorder market. That said, anyone really serious about watching home videos on their new HDTVsshould check out the new wave of HDV camcorders, led by the $2,000 Sony HDR-HC1.  
Sony HDR-HC1   Almost a decade ago in late 1995, the Digital Camcorder Era arrived. Sony and Panasonic introduced the first Mini Digital Video (DV) format models and the cheapest was $3,000.Since then, prices dropped over 90 percent! This is one of the reasons we love the consumer electronics business.     The DV cassette is 1/12th the size of a T-120 VHS tape. Even moreimportantly, the camcorders record digital video and sound, not analog like S-VHS-C and High-band 8mm. Quality jumps to 500 lines of resolution or more. You can record 16-bit digital audio, the sameas a CD or two 12-bit soundtracks. Since the recorded picture is digital there is no degradation when you make duplicates for editing. Quality is outstanding.   Yet technology never standsstill. In 2001, the first DVD-RAM camcorders arrived from Hitachi and Panasonic. Rather than tapes, the Hitachi DZ-MV100A and Panasonic VDR-M10 recorded images on 8-centimeter (3-inch) discs. Videoquality is the same as the wildly popular DVD format. This was a major breakthrough and Hitachi is pushing the format with four models in 2005. The DZ-MV730A costs sells for under $500 compared to the original DZ-MV100A for $1,999! In order to view the disc at its best,you need a DVD-RAM player/recorder, a DVD player with RAM playback or a PC with a DVD-RAM drive. The Hitachi RAM Cams also record on DVD-R discs (record once, not record many like DVD-RAM). DVD-Rdiscs–called "dash R" — play back in most DVD players. Panasonic’s VDR-M53 andVDR-M73 also record on DVD-R discs as well as DVD-RAMs.   Hitachi DZ-MV730A and PanasonicVDR-M53   Late in 2003 Sony gave the burgeoning DVD camcorder category a major shot in the arm, as it introduced three disc-based models. The key difference between the Sonys and theHitachi/Panasonic models is format. As noted, Hitachi and Panasonic feature DVD-RAM/R or -RW while Sony in an unusual stance is more agnostic. Its newest models record in the –R/RW and +RWformats but not RAM. Quality for both is very similar. The key decision is your equipment. Make sure it is compatible before you choose one or the other.   Also in 2003, Panasonic unveiled theSV-AV100, a tiny camcorder that records video onto Secure Digital (SD) solid-state memory cards. Thesupplied 512MB cards are postage-stamp-sized and hold around 10 minutes of MPEG2 DVD quality video recorded at a relatively high 6 Mbps (megabits per second) transfer rate. Be aware that DigitalVideo is recorded at 12 Mbps, so the quality is not quite the same. More affordable 1GB cards now let you record 20 minutes of highest-quality video.  

Panasonic SV-AV100   The SV-AV100 has options for lesser video performance and if you use the MPEG4setting at 1 Mbps, you can record an hour of video on a 512MB card. By using a card instead of tape, Panasonic engineers created a camcorder that weighs .34 pounds and is truly pocket sized. Amazingstuff. Fisher followed with the FVD-C1 CameraCorder ($599) but it only records "DVD-like" video using the MPEG4 format. (For the techies—MPEG stands for Moving Picture Experts Groupand MPEG4 is designed to deliver DVD MPEG2 at lower data rates and smaller file sizes.) Late in 2004, JVC joined this group with a pair of Everio camcorders that record in the MPEG2 format usingMicrodrives, Compact Flash or SD cards as media. JVC broke new ground earlier this year by introducing the first camcorders that use hard disk drives as recording media (the Everio G series). Theyuse the MPEG2 format.Buyer’s note: there are less expensive camcorders that record at even lower quality. We feel they should be avoided by anyone looking for superior video results.     HDCamcorders Arrive   In 2003, JVC introduced the GR-HD1, a $2,500 HDTV camcorder geared specifically for pros andenthusiasts who want to create high-quality widescreen videos to playback on their new High Definition TVs. The format is officially called HDV and it records high-definition video on blank Mini DVcassettes. HDV backers also include Canon, Sharp and Sony. The four proposed the basic specifications for the format in July 2003 and received support from many companies. The final specificationsfor the HDV format became available in October 2003 and Sony recently jump-started the category with the HDR-HC1 for $1,999. At thistime there are only four HDV models available but expect to see many more when the Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war gets sorted out since the new discs will have enough storage to handle HDV and you’ll beable to send a copy to grandma—if your granny is one of the earliest adopters on the planet.   JVC GR-HD1 and Sony HDR-HC1   Another far cheaper digital option is Sony’s Digital8format first introduced in March 1999. Basically, it’s an 8mm camcorder with digital circuitry. These popular camcorders let you record digital video and sound on Hi8mm tapes but they play 8mm andHi8mm tapes as well. This format should be considered by anyone replacing 8mm or Hi8mm camcorders and is concerned about price. Digital8 camcorders, such as the DCR-TRV280 start at less than $299 and the top-of-the-line DCR-TRV480 for $349. It’s an affordable way to go digital but in our opinion first-time buyers should opt forDV since there’s barely a price premium.   Sony TRV-280 and TRV480   Sony made a splash in January 2002 when itintroduced a pair of incredibly small MicroMV camcorders.   MicroMV is another digital tape format but it is not compatible with Mini DV. The MicroMV cassettes are 70 percent smaller than MiniDV tapes and are the reason for the camcorders’ tiny size. The MicroMV cassette provides up to 60 minutes of digital video footage and adds a 64-kb memory chip, offering 16 times the memory storageavailable on Mini DV cassettes. The memory chip allows for a multi-search function that lets you access different sections of the tape just like a DVD by creating thumbnail images of all of therecorded scenes on the tape. The thumbnails are created at the start of every recorded scene. Be warned though: for all its pluses, MicroMV is not compatible with the Mini DV format and only Sony isbacking the format. We expect to this format fade away soon.     Moving down a big notch in quality from most digital formats are High-band 8mm, S-VHS-C ET and VHS-C camcorders. These homevideo makers are only for budget buyers who are looking for acceptable, viewable results. For casual recordings of birthdays and family gatherings, analog is acceptable and cheap– that’s why one infive buyers still choose one.   Now it’s time make a decision. Here’s where your friends and word-of-mouth recommendations come into play. Ask them which format they have and what they like–ordon’t like–about them. It’s here that hands-on tests in the dealer showroom are an absolute must. Does the camcorder feel comfortable in your hands? Is the balance right…how does it feel inshooting position? How does it feel looking through the viewfinder? This point cannot be stressed enough. All the recommendations in the world plus the finest specifications mean absolutely nothingif the camcorder doesn’t feel right and stays in the case rather than traveling with you on vacation or taping your child’s birthday party.   If you owned an 8mm or Hi8mm camcorder, Digital8 isa seamless way to go digital. And for those who want to join the digital majority, DV is the choice to make. DVD-based camcorders are starting to make inroads but make sure your system is compatiblebefore you leap. And those home video makers who want a digital picture from the smallest camcorders in the world, Panasonic’s SD-based and JVC’s Microdrive-based models are worth checking out. Andfor those consumers who want the absolute best and are willing to pay for it, HDV is a viable option.     Zoom Lenses   Once you’ve chosen a format, the first specification usuallydiscussed is the power of the zoom lens. For analog camcorders, the basic and least expensive is 16 power (16x) but you’ll also find a few models with up to 20 times magnification. To give you anidea how this rating compares to a 35mm camera, Canon states its 22x optical camcorder zoom lenses deliver the equivalent of 41mm-900mm zoom on a film camera. Many DV camcorders, since they areusually smaller than other formats, have 10x optical zooms but there are 30x optical zooms available too (the Panasonic PV-GS35, $499). 
Panasonic PV-GS35   With all these lenses you can take everything from close-ups to telephoto shots. We strongly recommend you try them out in stores when you shop. Look through the camcorderviewfinder and zoom the entire range of the lens. You’ll be amazed how close even an entry-level 10-power lens will bring you to your subject. A model with 22-power will be even better and you canfind them on many reasonably priced editions. Canon’s ZR100 DV camcorder ($349) has a 20x optical zoom that can be boosted to 400x.  
Canon ZR100   It’s the rare camcorder that doesn’t have a digital zoom. By using digital circuitry, the basic zoom power (usually 16x or 22x) is boosted to 200, even 1,000 times. There is a bigtrade off in quality compared to the standard optical lens configuration, almost the same as "pushing" the ISO rating in digital photography. Basically a small section in the middle of theframe is digitally enlarged whereas an optical zoom enlarges the entire subject in the frame. Manufacturers note there is a drop in quality when you use these "extreme" zooms. However, thisboost can help you capture a faraway, once-in-a-lifetime shot. But just like digital cameras we recommend you do not use this feature.     Let’s talk about another camera specificationyou’ll encounter– the aperture rating. Camcorders have adjustable iris diaphragms that automatically control the amount of light that reaches the solid-state-imaging device that converts the imageinto electrical impulses. You will see an aperture rating of f2.0, f1.4 or f1.2. Unfortunately, you cannot choose between one aperture rating and another for an specific model. You get what themanufacturer gives you. Realize the lower the aperture rating, the less light the camcorder needs to record. That’s why you’ll see some manufacturers tout their "bright" low aperturelenses.   All camcorders use solid-state imaging devices called a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) chip. They are the electronic heart of yourcamcorder. The chips are measured in pixels (picture elements) just like a digital camera and the more your camcorder has, the better the image will be. Most new DV camcorders have 680K pixel CCDswhile more expensive models have megapixel (one million-plus) or more imaging devices.   With the explosion of interest in digital photography, many manufacturers now stress their new camcorderstake digital still images as well as record home videos. If you’re seriously considering using your camcorder for taking pictures, definitely look at the new models with imaging devices rated onemegapixel or better. It’s really simple: the better the imaging device, the higher the quality of your image. A 270K CCD can only take a standard JPEG 640 x 480-pixel image, which is good foremailing images or very small prints. Move up to 680K and you’ll be able to take 1280 x 960 pixel images. The Canon Optura 400 and 500 have 2.2MP CCDs and take 1632 x 1224 pixel photos. A 3-megapixel camcorder such as the Sony DCR-PC350 takes 2016 x 1512-pixel images while the Panasonic PV-GS400 delivers 2288 x 1728 pixel files. Canon’s newOptura 600 has a 4.3MP sensor. The Samsung SC-D6550DuoCam captures 5-megapixel images as does the JVC GZ-MC500…you get the idea. It really dependson your needs.     Lens Quality   In a sign of the times, camcorder manufacturers are now emphasizing lens quality, something still camera companies have done for years. Sony has arelationship with Carl Zeiss and Panasonic has one with Leica, two of the top lens makers in the world. Samsung’s new DV camcorders feature Schneider Kreuznach lenses. Sony DV camcorders use CarlZeiss Vario-Sonnar and Vario-Sonnar T* (T Star) lenses. They have a multi-layer coating system for less glare and lens flare compared to other systems, according to Sony. Top Panasoniccamcorders—like the PV-GS400—feature Leica Dicomar lenses to capture crisp detail and accuratecolors, according to the company. Canon, a leader in still photography, uses the same quality lenses in its camcorders.  
Panasonic PV-GS400   If you plan to use your camcorder as a still camera, your next decision is how to transfer the pictures to your computer. Less expensive camcorders record the stills on tapeand use an RS-232 serial connection to move the images to your PC. Yuck! Better yet are camcorders with the much faster USB (universal serial bus) connection. Most camcorders have this feature andit’s definitely an important item for your shopping list. Newer camcorders feature the latest USB standard called USB 2.0 that is five times faster than the more common USB1.1.     Anothereasy way to transfer images from the camcorder to the computer is with solid-state memory cards sold under names like Secure Digital (SD) and Memory Stick. These postage-stamp sized pieces of siliconstore your pictures or short video clips. When you’re finished shooting, simply take the card out of the camcorder, place it in a card reader attached to your computer and you’re ready to transferthe images, edit or print them. An 8MB (megabyte) card holds approximately 30 1280 x 960 pixel images. Many digital camcorders are supplied with 8MB or 16MB cards so be prepared to buy a larger oneif you want your camcorder to do double duty.   Another trend is camcorders with multiple imaging devices for improved picture quality. Minolta, when it was still in the camcorder business, wasthe first with a two-CCD unit and Sony eventually topped them with a three-chip model, the CCD-VX3, a long discontinued $3,700 camcorder that rivaled some TV cameras. The Canon XL2 and GL2, JVC GR-X5, Panasonic PV-GS65, -GS150, -GS250 and -GS400as well as the Sony DCR-VX2100 also use three CCDs. Sony even has a three-CMOS sensor model (DCR-PC1000). And the current camcorder blockbuster—Sony’s HDV HDR-FX1 ($3,699) features a trio of chips. If you’re looking for the absolute best picturequality, these are the models to check out.  
Canon XL2 and GL2 Camcorders       Low Light Shooting   Imaging devices also have minimum light requirements and they are rated in lux. This number–usually 1 through 7–refers tothe amount of light necessary to adequately take a shot. Lux level is based on foot-candles, a standard lighting measurement. A foot-candle is the amount of light produced one foot from a burningcandle. Since most camcorders are rated at these low numbers, there really isn’t much difference here although years ago this was a hotly contested figure. Some companies claim you can shoot in lightas low as one candle but the image will not be the best since it will have lots of noise and grain. That’s why you’ll see in Owners Manuals (not highly featured) that you should shoot in light levelsof 100 lux (daylight) or more for acceptable results. And if you use a high-speed shutter, more light will be required (such as bright sunlight) but more on that later.     To eliminate thequality problems in low-light shooting, camcorders are now sold with their own color-enhancing lights even though they have extremely low lux ratings. Many offer an "auto" setting where thelight comes on automatically if the light is too dark. Better camcorders without lights have a "shoe," a slot that lets you connect an optional microphone or light. These "smartshoes" tie into the camcorder’s controls so they work together seamlessly. It’s an excellent feature. New are camcorders using LED lights rather than incandescent bulbs. The LEDs provide enoughillumination but do not drain batteries as quickly. It’s a good feature to look for.   As manufacturers stress the photo-taking ability of their camcorders, they’re adding flashes to theirhigher-priced models. If the lighting is too dark, the flash will illuminate the subject and you’ll get a higher quality still.   All Sony camcorders have a feature called NightShot. Thisinfrared technology lets you record in total darkness. Granted the image quality isn’t the best but it’s a nice trick, nonetheless. Panasonic’s MagicVu is similar to the basic monochrome NightShotand many other manufacturers have copied this feature. Sony upgraded NightShot and calls it Super NightShot Plus. Instead of a monochrome image, you’ll record in color but it’s best used on asleeping baby or slow-moving nocturnal animals. Select Canon, JVC, Panasonic and Samsung camcorders have these features. Panasonic calls it MagicPix while JVC’s version is NightAlive and Canon hasits Color Night mode. The names are different but the results are the same.       Auto Features   Almost every camcorder is auto-everything–auto focus, auto iris and auto whitebalance. Let’s take a moment to explain each. Auto focus, as you would imagine, is simply that. When a camcorder is in this mode, it will automatically focus on the subject in the middle of theviewfinder.   Going beyond the basics, Sony added an enhanced spot-focusing feature in its camcorders. By tapping on an area on the LCD screen, the lens will focus on that location. While thecamcorder is in spot focus mode, almost any subject can be brought into focus with a touch of the screen. One final note: auto focus can be overridden on many camcorders to allow for manualadjustments.   Auto iris is another feature found on almost every camcorder and in some models it can be overridden for more creative shots. Auto iris is actually automatic exposure control.Unlike a camera, you don’t have to worry about f-stops and shutter speeds in order to get the right exposure. Simply press auto and the camcorder does all the work, letting you concentrate on takinggood videos. However, there are unusual lighting situations that call for a backlight compensation setting. This is a very handy feature because if your subject is in the middle of very brightlight—such as standing in front of a window–it will be properly exposed, rather than the iris computing an overall average with the stronger back light which results in a blacked out subject.Try to get a camcorder with this feature–either automatic BLC or manual.   Auto white balance corrects for proper color quality while the iris is taking care of the exposure. The light you’reshooting in affects the color quality of the scene. Indoor light casts one type of color and outdoor another. Colors are measured by degrees Kelvin. White balance adjustment is necessary tocompensate for this temperature variation. Most people keep their camcorders set to auto all of the time to eliminate problems but colors will be a touch more accurate if you set them manually.People who are comfortable with their camcorders and have a careful routine before they shoot use this feature most often. There’s nothing worse than having a green or bluish cast on anonce-in-a-lifetime shot. Be careful or simply leave the setting on auto. Fortunately, viewfinder technology eliminates this problem.   Almost all new camcorders have large LCD monitors so youcan play back a few seconds of your tape and see whether the color is adjusted properly. The monitors are rated in pixels, just like the CCD. Newer color viewfinders entering the market offer morepixels and higher quality. LCD screens are versatile and in many cases can be turned to let your subjects see them being taped. They also make it easy to tape while holding the camcorder at differentheights and angles. Models with 2.5-inch screens are the most popular. Again, try them out at your local retailer to see if you need to spend the extra money for a larger monitor. A new trend isenhanced LCD screens that work well even in harsh sunlight. Sharp uses CG Silicon technology, Sony features a "hybrid" system it states eliminates wipeout, and others are following suit.It’s an excellent upgrade to seek. And in keeping with the HDTV revolution, more camcorders have widescreen LCD screens so you can properly frame your epics.   Along with the LCD screen,practically every camcorder has a smaller viewfinder that’s either black-and-white or color. Typically, you’ll use this when lighting conditions make it difficult to use the LCD screen. Note: theviewfinder should be easily adjustable. Here again, we cannot stress hard enough that you should try out the camcorder in the dealer’s showroom. Take it out from behind the counter, look through theviewfinder and hold the camcorder in different shooting positions to see if it feels comfortable. An easily adjustable viewfinder is a key element here.   The viewfinder or LCD monitor will alsobe your guide to the current status of the camcorder and will tell you if your battery or tape is running low, whether you are in standby or recording, will show the date and time plus the high-speedshutter option. Most displays are fairly standard and do not vary too much from model to model. Your concern should be the ability to see clearly and to determine if they are logically designed.  High-speed shutters are found on most camcorders with speeds that have hit the stratosphere. The current champions are models with shutter settings of 1/15,000th of a second! When played back,slow motion shots of even the quickest golf or tennis stroke can be analyzed via freeze frames. More common speeds found are anywhere from 1/250th up to 1/4000th of a second. The way these shuttersettings are adjusted is simplicity itself. Every time you want to increase the speed, you press a button on the side of the camcorder. The viewfinder will tell you which setting you’ve chosen andwhether there is enough light to use that speed. Nothing could be easier.   Another trend for easy shooting is the proliferation of camcorders with Programmed Auto Exposure settings. Sometimesreferred to as Program AE, this is usually a button on the side of the camcorder. Once you’ve adjusted the key, all of the camcorder settings are made (focus, shutter, iris and white balance).Depending on the model you can have three or more Program AE settings for scenes such as Sports, Portrait, Landscape and other common shooting situations.   Along with Program AE another verycommon feature is image stabilization, often called EIS for Electronic Image Stabilization or OIS for Optical Image Stabilization. Anyone who has sat through a video taped by unsteady hands knows allabout the motion or "seasickness" it causes. Unless you use a tripod or rest the camcorder on a solid object, there will be some shake in the image, especially when you use a high-poweredtelephoto setting. EIS eliminates most of the jitter. Almost all digital camcorders have image stabilization and only the cheapest analog camcorders don’t. With digital EIS a section of the frame isheld steady. Some complain this can compromise picture quality. Optical Image Stabilizers (offered mainly by Panasonic, Sony and Canon) use a variable prism in the lens itself rather than digitalcircuitry. They claim there is no quality degradation. For most buyers, this is a non-issue because you have to spend a bundle to get Optical Image Stabilization. For the vast majority EIS does agreat job. Try it out and you’ll be amazed at the improvement.   Related Links:
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