Your cell phone records video. So does your tablet. And your cameras—both your point-and-shoot and your DSLR. You might be hard-pressed to come up with a reason to buy a camcorder, yet another device to capture video. Do you really need a digital camcorder?
As it turns out, you might. Take a look at these four reasons why you may want to invest in a video camera:
Video Quality
Unlike your other electronic devices, a digital camcorder is specifically designed to capture video. You might get good quality from the latest smartphones or DLSRs, but you'll get incredible quality from a video camera. A high-end camcorder has manual focus and exposure controls that allows it to record sharp video images. It also has an advanced dynamic image stabilizer that keeps footage steady even while you walk and move around—other video recording devices are only designed to help with shaky hands.
As it turns out, you might. Take a look at these four reasons why you may want to invest in a video camera:
Video Quality
Unlike your other electronic devices, a digital camcorder is specifically designed to capture video. You might get good quality from the latest smartphones or DLSRs, but you'll get incredible quality from a video camera. A high-end camcorder has manual focus and exposure controls that allows it to record sharp video images. It also has an advanced dynamic image stabilizer that keeps footage steady even while you walk and move around—other video recording devices are only designed to help with shaky hands.
Audio Quality
The built-in microphones on the latest smartphones and cameras do have decent audio recording. But, if you want a significant boost in audio quality, you will need a camcorder. Camcorders have audio monitoring controls as well as external microphone and headphone jacks. A microphone jack is essential for doing interview-style videos and a headphone jack will help you focus on the video shoot by tuning out all of the distractions. Your sound will be crisp and clear with a video camera, which is especially important for sharing videos on YouTube or through social media.
Internal and External Memory
Camcorders do, of course, record to external memory cards. Keep enough memory cards on hand and you won't have to worry about recording space. But what if you are in the middle of filming a once-in-a-lifetime event (such as your daughter's first steps, say, or a wedding ceremony) and your external memory card runs out of room? Many video cameras have internal memory for this very reason—it automatically kicks in when the memory card is full. Other video recording devices do not have this feature.
Design
Camcorders are ergonomically designed for comfortable video shooting. The controls are right at your fingertips, meaning you can easily zoom, record, and stop without looking at the device. The menus are quick to navigate and a large flip-out LCD viewer means you can easily review video. High-end digital video cameras generally have an HDMI output for connecting to your HD television.
The bottom line? You may not need a camcorder. But if you want to take your home movies to the next level—or if you want to record high-quality videos to share online—you'll want to invest in a digital video camera.
The built-in microphones on the latest smartphones and cameras do have decent audio recording. But, if you want a significant boost in audio quality, you will need a camcorder. Camcorders have audio monitoring controls as well as external microphone and headphone jacks. A microphone jack is essential for doing interview-style videos and a headphone jack will help you focus on the video shoot by tuning out all of the distractions. Your sound will be crisp and clear with a video camera, which is especially important for sharing videos on YouTube or through social media.
Internal and External Memory
Camcorders do, of course, record to external memory cards. Keep enough memory cards on hand and you won't have to worry about recording space. But what if you are in the middle of filming a once-in-a-lifetime event (such as your daughter's first steps, say, or a wedding ceremony) and your external memory card runs out of room? Many video cameras have internal memory for this very reason—it automatically kicks in when the memory card is full. Other video recording devices do not have this feature.
Design
Camcorders are ergonomically designed for comfortable video shooting. The controls are right at your fingertips, meaning you can easily zoom, record, and stop without looking at the device. The menus are quick to navigate and a large flip-out LCD viewer means you can easily review video. High-end digital video cameras generally have an HDMI output for connecting to your HD television.
The bottom line? You may not need a camcorder. But if you want to take your home movies to the next level—or if you want to record high-quality videos to share online—you'll want to invest in a digital video camera.
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