Buying A Digital Video Camera

By Wilson Rothman Sunday, Mar. 24, 2002
    • Free Advice
    Remember when video cameras were so big you had to rest them on your shoulder? These days, MiniDVs are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket--and shoot dvd-quality video in virtually any light, while resting in the palm of your hand. Plus, you can find some for less than $500. So how do you buy one?

    --Think small. Most MiniDVs are under 2 1/2 lbs., which is great for taking them on the road. But sometimes controls are too tiny or hard to find. When you see a model you like, hold it. Then try the buttons. The camera should feel comfortable, the controls laid out in a way that makes sense, even if you've never used one before.

    --Check your computer. Digital video cameras are made to connect to computers--that's where you'll be editing your masterpiece. So if your computer doesn't have a FireWire port, get one. A FireWire (or IEEE 1394 or iLink) cable, which often comes with the camera, is the fastest way to get your footage into your machine. You're also going to need a lot of hard-drive space: Each second of digital video uses about 4 megabytes, so consider an external drive that's at least 60 gigabytes. Now, let the shooting begin.

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    Beginner
    THE QUESTION

    How Much Does This Digital Camcorder Cost?
    WHY YOU ASKED IT

    Some brand-name digital camcorders can cost as little as $400. "Prosumer" models can cost more than $2,000

    What You Want to Hear
    This $600 machine is great for shooting the kids' recitals and ball games and gives you room to grow

    [THE QUESTION]

    What Kind of Tape Does This Digital Camcorder Take?
    [WHY YOU ASKED IT]

    The newest standard is MiniDV, but some recorders use 8-mm tapes or even record to DVD-RAM discs

    [WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR]

    Although compact MiniDV tapes cost as much as $10 per 60-min. tape, the format is available worldwide

    [THE QUESTION]

    What Is the Video Resolution of This Digital Camcorder?
    [WHY YOU ASKED IT]

    Resolution indicates the sharpness of a digital image: the more pixels, the clearer and crisper the resolution

    [WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR]

    Analog video is usually recorded at about 300,000 pixels; digital is higher. Don't get lower than 460,000

    [THE QUESTION]

    Does This Digital Camcorder Take Digital Still Pictures?
    [WHY YOU ASKED IT]

    Most digital camcorders can take still photos, but not all of them offer the same quality and storage capacity

    [WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR]

    Get a camera that shoots stills at a minimum of 1 megapixel. That isn't film quality, but it's O.K. for the Web

    Advanced
    THE QUESTION

    Does This Digital Camcorder Use a Firewire Cable?
    WHY YOU ASKED IT

    FireWire (a.k.a. iLink or IEEE 1394) can transfer video from a camcorder to a PC much faster than USB cable

    What You Want to Hear
    Most digital camcorders use FireWire. If your PC isn't compatible, consider buying a FireWire expansion card

    [THE QUESTION]

    What Is the Maximum Optical Zoom of This Digital Camcorder?
    [WHY YOU ASKED IT]

    Some camcorders have digital zoom up to 700x! But it's optical zoom that keeps picture quality consistently high

    [WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR]

    Most MiniDV camcorders come with an optical zoom of at least 10x, but serious shooters should aim for 20x

    [THE QUESTION]

    Does the Digital Camcorder Have Built-in Editing Tools?
    [WHY YOU ASKED IT]

    In the olden days, onboard editing tools (text scrolling, etc.) were essential to the home-movie producer

    [WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR]

    Any good camcorder will offer limited editing tools. But it's easier to edit on a computer with its bundled software

    [THE QUESTION]

    Does the Digital Camcorder Have an Image Stabilizer?
    [WHY YOU ASKED IT]

    If you do a lot of handheld shooting, you'll want a stabilizer to prevent that seasick, Blair Witch effect

    [WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR]

    Most MiniDV camcorders have digital stabilizers. A few even have optical ones, but they're a pricey pro luxury