HD camcorders: How to buy the best digital camcorder Choosing a digital camcorder recording format

Interactive memory use calculator

Not sure how much memory you'll need on your new camcorder? 

Use this interactive memory use calculator to figure out how much space your standard definition or high-definition footage will take up. 

Different camcorders often have different choices of recording format. Choosing a recording format is an important consideration as it can greatly affect the size and the price of a digital camcorder.

Hard disk drive camcorders

Camcorders which record to an internal hard disk drive (HDD) are increasingly popular. You do not need to carry spare discs, tapes, or memory cards, and all videos can be recorded directly to the hard drive.

A standard-definition (SD) camcorder with an 80GB hard drive can record around 18 hours of footage. A HD camcorder with the same size hard drive can record around 10 hours of footage.

Camcorders which have large hard drives of 80GB or 120GB tend to be much more expensive than other models which have 30GB or 40GB hard drives. 

Many of these camcorders also allow you to record to a memory card.

Flash memory camcorders

Flash memory works on a similar principle to a hard drive. The memory storage is built into the camcorder itself, making it easy to record without having to insert a disc or memory card.

The advantage of flash memory is that it has no moving parts - unlike a hard drive. The small moving parts within a hard drive mean there's an increased risk of the camcorder not working if dropped or knocked roughly.

However, the disadvantage of flash memory is that it typically offers smaller storage capacity to what you'll get with a hard drive.

Most memory card camcorders use the SD type card

Memory card camcorders

Camcorders which record directly to memory card are very flexible, as you get to decide the size of the memory card you buy, or how many spare cards you may want.

Most camcorders record to SD or SDHC memory cards. As these cards are so small, they help to keep the size of the camcorder itself quite small. An 8GB SD memory card typically costs £10-£15.

Keep in mind that HD footage in particular can take up a lot of memory space, so it may be necessary to buy large capacity memory cards, which can be more expensive.

Mini-DV

Mini-DV camcorders record to Mini-DV tapes. These tend to represent good value for money: a 60-minute tape will typically cost around £3.

However, this technology is being superseded in popularity by digital recording formats such as hard drives and memory cards. If you're likely to do a lot of video editing on a computer, Mini-DV tends to be a versatile format that's certainly worth considering.

It’s also worth remembering that you will need to keep blank Mini-DV tapes with you. 

Our tests have revealed that some Mini-DV camcorders create an audible disturbance when recording, which can be heard upon playing back your videos.

Mini-DV camcorder tapes are easy to store and use

DVD

DVD camcorders record directly to DVDs. These are smaller than normal DVDs, though they will still play on most standard DVD players.

Having to incorporate a DVD drive can make these camcorders bulkier than models which record to other formats. 

Discs themselves come in five main recording formats: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM, each with slightly different features.

As with Mini-DV camcorders, our tests occasionally reveal models which create an audible whirring noise as the recording is made, which can be heard upon playing back your videos.