Buying A Camcorder: An Introduction To Their Utility in The Age of Multi-Functional Digital Cameras.

With compact cameras and now SLRs able to record high-quality video in full 1080p HD, as well as taking stunning photographs, through excellent lenses in sturdy, compact cases, you may find yourself asking why anyone would want to bulk up their travel bags and make their wallets so much lighter by buying a camcorder. This guide hopes to highlight some of the benefits a camcorder can offer.

Trinity of Camcorder Features: Recording Time and Medium; A/V Quality; Size and Weight.

1) A/V Quality: Get the low-down on High Definition recording below. Make sure the lens included in the camera is of upstanding quality, as this can drastically effect the For audio-quality, you may be interested in checking out sample recordings on sites like YouTube.com, Vimeo or even the manufacturer's website for an idea of how the sound will be; trying and listen to the camera being used in a range of environments to fully judge how it handles ambient noise and captures strong bass sounds. Keep an eye out for camcorders that include impressive 5.1 surround-sound audio capabilities. Coupled with 1080p recording, you'll be feeling like a Spielberg in the making soon enough.

2) Recording Time and Medium: more important than the number of GBs the camcorder has packed onto its hard drive or how many GBs are squeezed onto the SD cards it takes, the actual number of minutes its recording time can do is far more important and gives you an accurate measurement of just how many hours of recording time you'll be able to get and is determined not only by the battery length, but by the quality and efficiency of its recording capability. To find a suitable recording time focus on what you wnt your camera for: are you looking for something to shoot events around town as you see them then upload them to YouTube.com afterwards? Perhaps a Flip Video Mino's (compare prices) 60 minutes will suit you then. But if you want to capture the beauty of that three day hike you're going on and won't be able to carry extra cards, tapes or unload to a computer? Then you might like to go with ten-plus hours. And ask the following questions: Is the battery easy to swap-out? How much are spare batteries? Does the battery have to be in the camera to charge it? If not, does it come with a charging cradle or how much is it to buy one? How quickly do the batteries drain if left unused for several weeks?

There are a variety of options for your recording medium, from hard drives to DVDs:

2.1) Hard drives (HDD)...will keep everything integrated (no managing and swapping out cards) and allow for massive recording times; a HDD camcorder, ensure you can successfully transfer your video files to your computer for editing and playback; this'll most likely be done via a FireWire connection or, as a fallback, a fast-but-slower USB connection;

2.2) SD Cards...will let you roll with the hours, quite literally. Already offering large storage capability up to 32GB -- though 16GB cards are more reasonably priced -- SD cards allow for almost endless recording times (batteries permitting), as you can simply swap out full cards for empty ones;

2.3) Mini DV...if you fancy going a little old school, tape recording lives on. Mini DV tapes are compact and deliver excellent quality as well as the longevity properly maintained physical media holds; they're a nostalgic throwback with a modern twist;

2.4) DVDs...help keeps things quick and simple. Record to DVD in your camcorder then play it on your TV from your DVD Player.

3) Size and Weight: with most camcorders still coming in the traditional "brick" shape, there is a small but growing minority of "matchbox" and "pistol" cameras (see images right). Matchbox cameras, like the Flip Video Mino (compare prices) slip easily in and out of your pocket. Pistol cameras are small, lightweight, configured to allow for easy one-handed operation and are great for shooting videos quickly and comfortably.

Disentangling The Letter Spaghetti: HD, HDMI, USB...

HD: As noted by DPMag.com, although HD is great, some HD is more equal than others. If you're spending the cash for a HD camcorder, make sure you're getting 1080p HD -- sometimes refered to as "True" or "Full" HD. But keep an eye out, there's also another type of HD: 720p, sometimes cleverly called "HD Ready" by marketers. Make sure you get what you're after. This TV-focused guide to HD on CNet offers a more in-depth guide discussing the differences between 720p, 1080i and 1080p confusion; Wikipedia, too, have a useful table of information.

HDMI: with HDMI output, you can push out your HD videos from your camcorder straight to your HD-capable TV.

Li-ion: batteries offer strong performance and are able to be topped-up from any point in their charge without degradation to their lifetime or performance. Learn more on Wikipedia.

USB: a common and popular interface for connecting devices and peripherals to a computer, i.e. transferring pictures from a camera to a computer or videos from a camcorder to a computer.

Post-Production

To cut, trim, enhance, package or just have a little fun with your videos by putting in some transitions you may like to do a little editing on your computer. From free, open source editing programs to professional-level editing suites the below links should help you get started...

Windows: For basic editing on a Windows machine, you can use Windows Movie Maker (free) or VirtualDub (free, open-source). For more advanced editing Adobe's Premiere Elements (£70+) or for professional-level capabilities Adobe's Premiere Pro (£700+).

OS X: coming with new Mac's, the iLife suite includes iMovie for fun-but-limited editing and transition work. For professional-level editing power, Apple's Final Cut Studio 2 (£800+) offers a suite of editing applications.

Linux: Check out Linux.com's "Become a digital video editing guru using Linux tools".

Elsewhere on the Web: John Lewis feature a comprehensive Camcorders Buying Guide; Comet have a less informative but more flashy 'Our guide to Camcorders'; Cnet feature an expectedly excellent 'Camcorders Buying Guide' and Macworld features a HD-specific 'HD camcorders: Buyer's guide'.

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