Digital camcorders FAQ
- Connect your camcorder to your TV and other equipment
- Easy guide with images to the different camcorder connection types
- Are digital cameras good enough to record video?
- The advantages and disadvantages of the new breed of camcorders
Are memory card camcorders as good as regular ones?
First there were the enormous analogue camcorders, then digital ones appeared that were a fraction of the size. Now we have more of a new breed of digital camcorder – those recording on memory card.
These are the smallest and lightest of them all, with some weighing less than 200 grams. They’re practically pocketable and easy to carry around.
Many of the ones we’ve tested have come out towards the lower end of our tables – but some do better. There are no hard and fast rules here.
Most memory card camcorders use the SD type card
The main advantage of memory card camcorders is size. The media they record on (often SD cards) are also tiny in comparison to Mini-DV tapes or blank 8cm DVDs.
However, even a high capacity memory card, eg 2GB, may not hold as much high quality footage as a Mini-DV tape. Although memory cards have come down in price, they are still quite expensive compared with other formats in terms of recording time per pound spent.
Also, you probably won’t be able to fit accessories like lens converters or external microphones, and on some, optical zoom power isn’t as high as bigger camcorders.
And digital cameras? Are they any good at taking video?
Nearly all digital cameras can record video with sound. Apart from a few exceptions, quality isn’t that good, but for a quick clip it’s usually fine.
The other limitation with digital cameras is only a few allow you to use optical zoom while recording. Digital SLR cameras don’t record video at all. Mobile phone video quality is poor on the whole, it’s best to avoid it if you’re serious about your video.
How do I connect my camcorder to my TV and other equipment?
A composite socket
Camcorders have various sockets for connecting to a computer, TV, DVD recorder or DVD player. Here are some of the most common and useful ones. Also check what sockets your computer, TV and DVD recorder have.
Composite (often labelled Video or AV)
All camcorders will have this basic socket for linking a camcorder to a TV, or to a DVD recorder if you want to burn a DVD.
Your camcorder will come with a composite cable; this has a connection on one end that you plug into your TV.
An S-Video socket
S-Video
Only some camcorders have this.
Serves the same purpose as the composite socket, but image quality may be a bit better.
Some camcorder with S-video have a two-in-one composite/S-video socket.
You might need to buy an S-video cable separately.
FireWire (often labelled DV, IEEE1394 or i.Link)
A Firewire socket
This lets you link a Mini-DV camcorder to a computer, to transfer footage quickly and with the best image quality.
If your computer doesn't have a FireWire port, you should be able to install a FireWire card yourself for about £25.
You'll also need a FireWire cable to connect the camcorder to the computer – this is roughly another £5.
USB 2.0
A USB socket
The USB 2.0 socket is used to transfer footage from a hard-disk or DVD camcorder to a computer.
It's fast become the most common method for transferring photos and video files.
It can also be used for transferring photos or short video clips from a camcorder’s memory card to your computer.
Your camcorder will usually come with a USB cable for connecting the two.
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