How to select the Digital Camcorder

Select the camcorder on the basis of features such as:

1. Optical/digital zoom.
2. MiniDVD recording.
3. Night scope.
4. Megapixel.
5. PC connection.
6. Viewfinder and LCD screen.
7. Lens filter.
8. Image stabilizer.
9. Battery and microphone.

Now discuss them in brief

Zoom is the number of times the image is magnified without affecting the picture quality. Higher the zoom, shakier is the picture. So choose an optimum level of zoom feature.

Night shoot makes you to shoot pictures in night conditions. Find out if your camcorder is able to shoot color pictures.

Memory stores the still pictures as well as the videos. Standard memory of the camcorder is 8GB. They are also available in the memory of 16GB and 32GB. Find out the memory of your camcorder.

Viewfinder and LCD panel help you to see what you are shooting. Check whether your viewfinder display pictures in color as well as black and white. The LCD comes in size of 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch. To check your LCD screen, just place it in daylight and see if the images on the screen are clear and sharp.

Image stabilization stabilizes and removes the slight shaking in the video stabilization. Optical is considered superior to the digital form.

Lens filter during shooting. This is of two types- digital and optical image
this is necessary to prevent the lens from injury and dust. You can opt for additional filter and use them to shoot clear pictures in bright light.

PC connection is the feature that helps your camcorder to connect to the PC. Don't ignore this feature if you wish to share the pictures and videos with your friends over the net. Make sure the camcorder has USB jack or FireWire if you wish to load your videos on your computer and edit them.

Battery runs your camcorder. Standard battery is able to pull your camcorder comfortably for one hour. Find out whether a battery charger is available with your camcorder.

Besides these features megapixels and autofocus also form important features to be considered. The autofocus enable you to take pictures of fast moving objects while megapixel makes the pictures more sharp and clear. Higher the megapixels, brighter and sharper the image is.

Best is, experiment with one. See that you are comfortable handling it. See that you understand the features well. See that the camcorder is not bulky and heavy. See that your camcorder works well with still pictures. Also check the flash light option. Ask your friends about the camcorders they are using. Which feature they find most interesting and which feature they miss in their camcorder.