Buying a Video Camera

When buying a camcorder you may be tempted to neglect picture quality and concentrate on other features, such as Special Effects, whizzbang electronics, or style. This is a big mistake, especially if you are serious about video-making. Make sure the camera you buy has genuinely useful features instead of silly gimmicks like :

• Absurd digital zoom ranges
• Low lux levels
• Multi-MegaPixel CCD numbers

• Manual Focus
• Manual Exposure settings for iris and/or Shutter Speed
• Manual White Balance
• Firewire - DV In/Out
• AV In/Out to convert analog to digital and vice versa.
• USB Port (preferably USB 2.0)
• Headphone socket
• External microphone socket
• A format that dies out or is proprietary or incompatible with existing machinery.

• Optical Image Stabilisation
• A lens that enables you to add filters and extension lenses
• Manual focus with a focus ring round the lens rather than a push button or a lever
• Better lens quality , but better lens = more money.
• A manual zoom lever (yeah i know I'm dreaming)

Exercise - Do a search for DV Cameras Reviews