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Choosing the right camcorder can help make the difference between a blurry clip and Full HD masterpiece. To make it easier for you to figure out your HD from your hard disc we've put together this handy guide that'll soon have you nurturing your inner Spielberg.
Techipedia
Camcorders have rocketed in popularity since the Internet made it easy to share footage. From YouTube's early days of sharing low quality clips to its current abilities to stream high quality footage in eye-tingling clarity, all over the globe.
That footage is made possible by increasingly advanced camcorders, producing high quality pictures, clever picture processing, and digital storage that makes transferring footage to a PC or Mac as easy as hooking up a single cable. Camcorders are the lynchpins of the online video revolution, as well as fuelling a new generation of home movies, set to turn your lounge from TV haven to a screening room for your own productions.
Bluffer's guide
Full HD - The very best quality camcorders film in Full HD - this can be either 720 HD or the current state-of-the-art 1080. The footage will take up more storage space than lower quality camcorders, so expect to empty the memory card, free up space on the hard drive or swap digital video tapes more often, but the quality is nothing short of astounding.
Storage format - Speaking of memory space, you have two ways of storing images, onboard hard drive or memory card. The former offers a large amount of space in one unit, great for continuous filming, while the latter are much more compact, and you can easily carry as many as you like of them. Some camcorders even offer both a hard drive and a memory card slot.
Frame rates - High end camcorders can record at speedier frame rates, letting you capture motion in split-second detail. Play it back at the speed it was recorded and you'll get smoother motion. Play it at "normal" speed, and you'll get silky smooth slow motion footage, worthy of the most dramatic Hollywood flick.
Image stabilization - Camcorders are designed to be held with one hand, and still use the zoom function, but both conspire to amplify the tiniest tremble in your wrist or hand. Those trembles easily turn into full-frame wobbles; image stabilization combats that, either by suspending the sensor on shock absorbing springs, or by using clever software to compensate for sharp movements.
Optical zoom - Always look for a camcorder with an optical zoom as well as a digital zoom. This is because the optical zoom genuinely zooms in on a distant image, while a digital zoom just enlarges a small area of the image that hits the sensor, leading to a poorer image. If you are only shooting film for YouTube or your blog, this won't have too much effect, but for displaying on an HD television or monitor, the quality difference is very noticeable.
Know your stuff
HD camcorders record in a variety of formats, so you may need to install their own proprietary software. However, standardized formats such as AVC HD, are fully supported by third party editing packages too.
Assuming you have an AVC HD camcorder, hooking it up to a PC is simple. Just connect the two gadgets together with the supplementary cable that comes with the camcorder, make sure the camera is switched on, and then tell your editing software to begin importing. Some software files call this process "transferring" instead, and will copy the footage to your computer's hard drive, ready to be chopped into shape and shared with friends.
FAQ
Can camcorders take still photos?
Yes they can, however, few do so at the same quality as dedicated still cameras. It's still a handy function, and some camcorders can even grab a still shot as you film moving footage, with no need to interrupt the action.
Can I upgrade a camcorder later on?
Just like still cameras, some camcorders pack hotshoe connectors on top. They'll let you hook up lights and microphones to improve the camera's performance, but the basic abilities of the camera will stay the same.
What accessories should I buy?
A big memory card will be essential, especially if you're recording HD video footage, and for truly professional shots you'll really want a tripod.