Cheap Camcorders
A camcorder is a portable electronic device for recording video images and audio onto an internal storage device. The camcorder contains both a video camera and (traditionally) a videocassette recorder in one unit, hence its portmanteau name. This compares to previous technology where they would be separate.
The earliest camcorders, developed by companies such as JVC, Sony, and Kodak, used analog videotape, but since the mid-1990s (and even before that in professional markets), camcorders recording digital video have become the norm.
Camcorders contain 3 major components: lens, imager, and recorder. The lens gathers and focuses light on the imager. The imager (usually a CCD or CMOS sensor on modern camcorders; earlier examples often used vidicon tubes) converts incident light into an electrical (video) signal. Finally, the recorder encodes the video signal into a storable form. More commonly, the optics and imager are referred to as the camera section.
The digital frontier has now expanded to amateur video, producing a surge of interest in digital camcorders. While everybody knows that "digital" somehow sounds better, few people know exactly what makes digital camcorders different from their older, non-digital counterparts. This guide to the basics of digital camcorders addresses some of the most common questions about these exciting new products.
Digital camcorders have revolutionized the world of home and amateur video. They are smaller than previous camcorders – the smallest of the current models weigh less than a pound and can almost fit in the palm of a hand – and capable of taking higher quality video with superb sound.
Most digital camcorders still use tape cassettes. The digital tapes used by these camcorders are far smaller than the tapes used by older camcorders (a MiniDV tape measures only 2 x 2.5 inches, while a MicroMV cassette is even smaller), produce higher quality video and sound, and record it in a format that can be downloaded to a personal computer.
Most camcorders also have a slot for a flash memory card, which can be used to record digital photographs and compressed MPEG-format video (ideal for emailing and website use).
Reviews of cheap camcorders by Sony, Canon, JVC, Panasonic, Hitachi, Sharp, and Samsung are only at our independent online guide. It also provides reviews by format, including Mini DV, Hi8, 8mm, MicroMV and DVD.