Digital Camcorders

Digital Camera Types and Storage

Digital camcorders are the solution for Average Joe's video editing problems. In the past quality video editing could only be done in a multi-million dollar studio because of the complicated machinery and processing power needed. When using analog video you couldn't get the best video quality because when the signal is sent and then translated small quality deterioration can be observed within the translation. With digital the quality remains the same after any amount of work because it stay digital, just like the matrix, only 1's and 0's. There are basically 4 types of cams based on the medium they use for storage.

Tape Storage

While this may seem like an outdated technology it really is still quite popular. The reason why this is so because tape storage is a much better medium for editing. Mpeg formats are designed for the carrying of data, not the editing and aren't really the best for it, while they are superb for just showing a video. MicroDV is the most popular storage tape format and almost all buyers should go with it. The camcorders can be hooked to a PC to transfer data so usage is very user friendly.

Disc-based Storage

There are some mini DVD based camcorders out there which provide some comfort because what you tape you can immediately play on your DVD player at home. One disc allows up to 1 hour depending on quality. There are also options to write CD-RW discs but you should check you player beforehand to rule out any compatibility issues. Many new models are able to write to CD-R discs too, so that may rule out incompatibility.

Hard Drive Storage

This means has become rather more popular recently. The technology has been around but capacities and fragility were a big issue. Now storage space is more than enough and sturdier construction is also available. A major drawback is that if full you can't just pop in another hard drive, you have to unload the data. If you really hate DVD discs though because you have a tendency to loose them, break them, step on them, etc., like me, than you may like this storage type.

Removable Media

Removable media has become really cheap so it is now a viable alternative to the other types of storage. The small size of media cards means that camcorders using them can be built ultra small and slim so if you're looking for a pocket cam look no further. Both the cam and the storage are really tiny so you can pack them anywhere, but be careful not to loose them though!