Camcorders: Features explained
Camcorders: features to look for
Camcorders have a variety of different features, from night mode to image stabilisation. While some of us just want a basic camcorder for shooting family videos, others prefer the versatility that some of the more feature-packed camcorders can offer. You can even get HD camcorders that record in high definition – see our HD camcorder reviews for current Best Buys.
We give plain-English explanations to help you decide which features you need when choosing a camcorder, and you can compare camcorders with our interactive product finder.
Recording formats for camcorders
One of the first things you have to decide when choosing camcorders is what recording format to go for – Mini-DV, DVD, memory card or hard disk? Go to our camcorder recording formats section or see Video recording formats explained to find out which is best for you.
Camcorders have a zoom function to get you closer to the action
Zoom
All camcorders have a zoom feature, which helps you get closer to the action. However, some camcorders have much more powerful zooms than others. A x10 optical zoom is sufficient for most people’s needs.
If you’re doing lots of long-distance work, eg close-ups of distant wildlife, a camcorder with a more powerful zoom can come in handy – but you'll probably need a tripod.
If you're shopping around for a camcorder, make sure you compare optical zoom figures, not the digital figures manufacturers sometimes quote.
Digital zoom reduces picture quality, sometimes to the point that you can barely make out what you're filming.
Camcorder features for recording in difficult light
Camcorders generally struggle to produce good image quality in dim light outdoors or indoors. However, some camcorders have easy-to-use features which help you to achieve a better picture. Look to see if your camcorder has these.
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Night mode
Some camcorders have a 'night mode'. This gives you a brighter picture, although it sometimes also results in jerky movements of moving objects.
Video lamp
Some camcorders also have video lamps that help to illuminate your subject, providing it's within about a metre and a half away. Good for close-up work.
Gain-up and backlight compensation
Camcorders with gain-up can brighten up a picture, and backlight compensation brightens up someone or something positioned in front of a bright scene, eg a window.
Our guide to taking great video is packed with tips for getting the best results with your camcorder.
Image stabilisation
The slightest hand or arm movement can cause a shaking effect when shooting with camcorders, especially when you've zoomed far in.
All the camcorders in the Which? camcorder reviews come with a stabilisation function, which removes minor shakiness. Some of these work better than others, and some have unwanted side effects – loss of sharpness or resolution, for example. The benefits of image stabilisation on camcorders usually far outweigh the unwanted side effects, which are normally pretty minor. Our guide to solving common video problems shows you how to remove video niggles.
Unless you’re using your camcorder with a tripod, keep image stabilisation turned on.
Sound quality on camcorders
Sound quality on camcorders isn't always great. Some, but not all, camcorders allow you to attach an external microphone which often, but not always, significantly improves sound quality.
Built-in mics on camcorders are susceptible to picking up wind noise, which can end up being annoying when you're playing back your video. Most camcorders have a wind-filter function that cuts this wind noise significantly. However, it can sometimes cut other sound, so when you're using your camcorder indoors or somewhere where there's no wind, switch this function off if you're able to. Overall, wind filters work really well and the pros far outweigh the cons. Check out the ratings in the Which? camcorder reviews to see which camcorders have the best built-in mics.
Some of the camcorders in the Which? camcorder reviews also have built-in zoom mics which work in conjunction with the optical zoom - the further you zoom, the further away the mic picks up sound. You can turn this setting off if you want to.
A few camcorders offer surround-sound recording too. This can be useful if you have a home cinema system, although sometimes you need to transfer the footage to a computer first and undergo a conversion process with supplied software.
Camcorders that take still photos
Most camcorders can take still photos
Most camcorders can take still photos. Quality is still short of what you can expect from a good dedicated digital camera, but the gap is closing. For maximum convenience, look for camcorders that can record onto memory card for easy transfer to computer.
Editing on camcorders
It's possible to do some basic editing on some camcorders, but it's much easier on a computer – and you can do a lot, lot more.
Not only can you swap and delete footage, but also improve colours, add soundtracks, combine footage from different sources and add special effects to turn your raw camcorder footage into an Oscar-worthy masterpiece.
You can then burn the film to DVD (if your computer has a DVD writer), so you can play it on a home DVD player.
Some camcorders come with editing software, which you need to install on your computer. Or, if you want more advanced software with more features, you can buy or download some. See our beginner's guide to video editing for tips on getting started.
If your computer runs Vista, you can try Microsoft Movie Maker - part of the Vista package. If your computer runs XP, it is available as a free download from Microsoft. For a more advanced option still, consider Adobe Premier Elements, one of many software packages you can buy.
The best camcorder recording format for editing is Mini-DV, as all editing software can read it, and high image quality is maintained. This isn't always the case with camcorders recording on hard-disk, DVD or memory card.
Widescreen recording
Virtually all camcorders allow you to record in widescreen format, also known as 16:9 sometimes. This is in addition to standard television 4:3 recording.