There are very few of us that can resist the urge to pick up a video camera and start shooting amateur movies. Camcorders have become part of many people's technology collections, taking their place next to televisions, laptops and cameras. Camcorders are perfect for capturing those special moments in life from family gatherings to just playing around with friends. There are however a number of important considerations for those choosing a new video camera.
Not least of these considerations is the recording format the camcorder will use. Hopefully this article will be able to set out some valuable information on the subject of recording formats and how potential video camera owners can make an informed decision.
This article will take a look at three different types of recording format and hopes to present the benefits of each to ease the purchasing process. These three recording formats are flash, hard drive and MiniDV/DVD.
The first of the recording formats is flash. Typically flash is used for camcorders that are only just bigger than the average mobile phone. The purpose of these smaller devices is that they are intended to be used as highly portable video cameras capable of capturing videos in High Definition. Put simply, if you want a video camera that is unobtrusive, ready at a moment's notice and capable of capturing unforgettable videos then a flash model is an advisable option.
Hard Drive or HDD camcorders work in a similar fashion to flash, storing the video data digitally and internally. The main benefit of HDD is that its capacity is considerably larger than that of flash, meaning more hours of video can be recorded before the memory is exhausted.
Hard drive also allows for easy navigation of the videos recorded and in terms of memory used, it is typically possible to record around one hour and forty five minutes worth of HD footage on a 120 GB hard drive. These are usually more expensive than there flash counterparts but can be considered a step up in terms of professionalism.
The final recording format studied here is the MiniDV and DVD category. These have been grouped together as they both represent the external form of data storage option. Because of this external storage these forms of camcorders are deemed to be some of the best for editing films after shooting has taken place.
MiniDV put simply are small video cassettes that are extremely affordable but understandably are now being phased out by most major manufacturers. DVD camcorders use mini DVD discs and that can be relatively cheap although capacity is not brilliant by modern standards.
Hopefully this article has cleared up some of the pros and cons of each of the major recording formats. By taking the time to carefully consider the options it should be possible to find a video camera that suits your own needs perfectly.
Thomas Pretty has written extensively on the subject of technology and consumer electronics, here a specific focus has been taken on camcorders and the variety of recording formats available to users.
