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HD camcorders: How to buy the best digital camcorder Digital camcorder features to look out for

Image stabilisation

Pictures may be blurry if your camcorder doesn't have a good image stabiliser

The best digital camcorder features

Buying a digital camcorder can sometimes be quite confusing due to the number of features and specifications listed next to each model. Use our handy guide to the best digital camcorder features so you can better understand the product you are considering.

All Which? reviews of the best HD camcorders and the best standard definition camcorders have helpful lists of each individual camcorder’s features and specifications next to our own expert test ratings.

Optical zoom with camcorders

This is the zoom you get from the lens of the camcorder, and it’s different to a digital zoom. An optical zoom will not reduce image quality. 

You can use the camcorders’ zoom lens when you are taking still photos as well.

Standard-definition (SD) camcorders tend to have much larger optical zoom factors than HD camcorders. While HD camcorders have zooms of x10, x12, or x16, SD camcorders let you get much closer to faraway subjects.

For example, the Sony DCR-SR57 has a huge x60 optical zoom, while the Panasonic SDR-S26 has an even larger x70 zoom.

Digital zoom

Digital zoom is an extra zoom factor that is not as important a consideration as optical zoom. Zooming digitally can reduce image quality, particularly if you use it to large degrees.

Image stabilisation in camcorders

A good image stabiliser can really improve the performance of your camcorder. These days, digital cameras, digital SLRs, and digital camcorders all often feature image stabilisers to help limit the effects of shaky hands.

A mechanical image stabiliser creates a very sensitive mechanical adjustment as the camcorder detects small hand trembles. Often these stabilisers are built into the lens of the camcorder, and in these cases they may be referred to as optical image stabilisers.

We test the performance of each camcorder’s image stabiliser to see just how effective a job they can do. 

Some will perform better than others, so check the Which? reviews of the best HD camcorders and the best standard definition camcorders where we list performance ratings for image stabilisation as well as other aspects of each camcorder’s performance.

Camcorder microphone

A good external microphone can really improve sound quality

External microphones on camcorders

Adding an external microphone can really help boost the sound from your camcorder. Not all camcorders will allow you to attach an external mic, however.

As manufacturers make camcorders smaller and smaller, they become reliant on very small internal microphones, which can lead to poor sound quality. If there is no means for attaching an external mic, then there is little you can do to improve this.

Camcorders with viewfinders

A viewfinder can be an essential element of a digital camcorder, but increasingly manufacturers are doing away with viewfinders in their efforts to make camcorders smaller and smaller.

By holding the camcorder to your eye and looking through the viewfinder, it is much easier to keep your hand steady– this is particularly important when zoomed in.

A viewfinder can also be very useful if you are filming in bright daylight conditions. Bright sunlight can sometimes cause glare on a camcorder’s LCD screen, making it difficult to compose your shots using the screen alone.