Camcorders

Instead of taking still photos, you can record vibrant videos. You can watch these at home on your computer or television together with friends or family. Unlike earlier video cameras, camcorders from Sony, Panasonic, and other manufacturers are pleasantly lightweight and compact. They fit well in your hand and make filming a breeze, even for beginners. We will show you how to find the right camera.

Moving and moving images – with camcorders

A camcorder is a video camera that records both image and sound and stores them depending on the underlying technology. While a digital camera is primarily used for taking photos, you can use a camcorder to shoot films and videos. Whether it's a promotional film or a holiday video – there are suitable models for every need. A modern camcorder often weighs only a few hundred grams and is hardly larger than an adult's hand. On the side, there is a display that you can flip open, rotate, and tilt. For recording, a processor and a special sensor are responsible. The lens can have several megapixels and extensive zoom capabilities, depending on the model.

Image and sound in high definition

You can buy mini camcorders for under 100 pounds. However, if you want to enjoy image and sound in high definition, you should invest a little more. Technically well-equipped video cameras can impress with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Some models even achieve better quality. This is useful when storage is accompanied by a higher compression of the data. The microphones of modern camcorders have significantly improved. Noise reduction and voice amplification are useful features that make the result perfect.

HDV, HDD, and SDXC: Storage formats of modern camcorders

Camcorders can record or store videos on different media. Typically, the devices work with the HDV format, which allows for high-resolution videos. These can also fit on typical DV tapes due to MPEG-2 compression. For higher resolution video cameras that achieve full HD quality, other storage media may be more suitable. Camcorders with memory cards are particularly popular. After recording, you can easily read SDHC or SDXC cards via your computer. Additionally, there are also cameras equipped with a hard drive (HDD).

With the right video camera, filming is possible not only on land

Camcorders are mainly used in households for celebrations and travel. If you are an enthusiastic diver or water sports enthusiast, you don't have to miss out on video recordings. You can also buy HD camcorders that are equipped with a special underwater housing. Thanks to these devices, you can record impressive videos of colourful fish and artistic coral reefs.

How to find the right camcorder

• Resolution is not everything, as zoom and focal length are also important criteria
• The display should measure at least three inches diagonally and be high resolution
• A low weight increases comfort and flexibility when handling the camcorder
• Noise reduction is a useful feature of the microphone
• When purchasing a camcorder, storage media are often not included