Recommend a good digital camcorder
- Thread starter mike short
- Start date
I'm looking at the Circuit City website:
http://tinyurl.com/5rpa8v
I see super cheap ones for about 200 dollars, seems the mid-range is around 300 to 400. I can't imagine I'd need anything more expensive than that.
http://tinyurl.com/5rpa8v
I see super cheap ones for about 200 dollars, seems the mid-range is around 300 to 400. I can't imagine I'd need anything more expensive than that.
Last edited:
Mike, the store-listed specifications can be misleading; not necessarily because they're inaccurate, but because they're irrelevant. For instance, "digital zoom" is worthless, and the size of the LCD display has no affect on image quality (at your price point, you'll need to prioritize image quality over features)
The primary determinants of image quality in camcorders are number of CCDs (chips), size of CCDs, and lens quality.
Lens quality is hard to qualify in small camcorders, so you probably don't need to worry about it (unless you can find reviewers who do).
With CCD size and quantity, bigger is better. I'm not sure you can find a 3-chip camcorder for under $400, so get the biggest 1-chip you can. Your size options will probably be 1/5" or 1/4". Definitely get the 1/4".
All three of these specifications relate to how the camcorder handles light. A poor lens will result in a muddy image and will have some distortion. The more CCDs and the bigger the CCDs, the more light the camcorder can capture at any moment. 3 CCDs give you much better color, too.
HTH. Also, www.tinyurl.com
The primary determinants of image quality in camcorders are number of CCDs (chips), size of CCDs, and lens quality.
Lens quality is hard to qualify in small camcorders, so you probably don't need to worry about it (unless you can find reviewers who do).
With CCD size and quantity, bigger is better. I'm not sure you can find a 3-chip camcorder for under $400, so get the biggest 1-chip you can. Your size options will probably be 1/5" or 1/4". Definitely get the 1/4".
All three of these specifications relate to how the camcorder handles light. A poor lens will result in a muddy image and will have some distortion. The more CCDs and the bigger the CCDs, the more light the camcorder can capture at any moment. 3 CCDs give you much better color, too.
HTH. Also, www.tinyurl.com