CAMCORDERS HELP

WHICH FORMAT?

There are a number of different formats (types of tape) in current use:-

VHS-C -obsolete format. Is the same tape as in a normal VHS recorder but the cassette size is smaller. You can put the VHS-C cassette into an adaptor and play it in your normal VCR. This has always been its main feature, ie ease of playback without having to connect the camera to your tv or vcr with cables.

SVHS-C -obsolete format. is similar to VHS-C but has better picture quality. However if using the adaptor-method of playback the vcr has to be able to play S-VHS tapes -and not many do. Before DV and digital became affordable many enthusiasts used it.

8MM. -becoming obsolete now. There are three variations of this tape format:-

1) STANDARD-8 is the original version, appeared about 1985, similar quality to VHS, but you cannot use an adaptor to playback. It used to be a very popular format, it was originally invented by Sony as a camcorder format.

2) HI-8 is a better picture quality version of standard-8, which it largly superceded. A Hi-8 camera could still be considered as good quality standard definition low-cost format, especially if replacing an old 8mm camera, but camcorders now would be showing their age and prone to suffering from old-age.

3) DIGITAL-8 (hard to find) is a Sony invented variation giving high quality standard definition pictures, with digital-stills options on some models. Some(but not all) models Sony made will also playback Hi-8 and std-8 recordings, so one of these could be ideal if you are upgrading from those formats and have lots of previously recorded tapes you will want to playback as these cameras automatically detect the recording on the tape and play back whatever it is. One thing to note is that when recording in Digital-8 the tape runs 50% faster so a 90min tape only lasts 60min. But you can use ordinary 8mm tapes (Hi-8 are best). Quality is identical to DV and they have DV-compatable sockets (see below).

DIGITAL VIDEO (DV) -appeared over 10yrs ago and is still the most popular of the tape formats. Also available more recently in an HD version, with very high quality, with pro HD versions popular with wedding videographers, documentary and news.

The consumer version is MINI DV (just called DV), which is slightly different to the professional formats. The tape is very small so cameras can be made much smaller than all the old tapeformats, so small that some easily slide into a jacket pocket. Picture quality is very good indeed, depending how good a lens and imager (which captures the pictures) the camera has. Many models have digital-stills (DSC) capability, often using a memory card, and come with software and cables (usually usb to connect to a computer.

The HD DV version (both domestic and pro varieties) is a superb quality format, but camcorder models of all DV tape formats are limited nowadays with some manufacturers having discontinued tape in favour of solid state or hard drive formats.

One feature of DV camcorders is that in addition to 'analogue' (normal) connections for playing back via a tv or vcr, they have a 'DV' socket which sends out a digital signal. This is a universal (almost) standard for connecting DV equipment together without losing picture quality. It is often used for connecting a camcorder to a computer, then recording (or 'downloading') the movie to the PC for editing, and then with some models of camcorder (called DV-IN) you can record the edited movie back on to a DV tape in the camcorder. All with virtually no quality loss, something impossible with analogue formats.

MICRO-MV -obsolete format

This is an even smaller variation of digital video launched by Sony at the end of 2001. The tape is very tiny so the cameras are smaller than the smallest DV ones. Quality was quite good, and the cameras sophisticated, but they never became particularly popular.

Some DV and micro-MV models even had Internet and Email capability, via Bluetooth

8cm DVD

This is a small version of recordable DVD. They are a bit different to use than tape-based units, and they can be more tricky to guage 'where you are' on the disc. Recording generally starts from where you just left off, and re-recording over something you have just taken isnt so easy as tape. You can take the discs out and play them in many normal DVD-players of course, which you cant do with DV tape. (Back to the ease-of-use aspect of VHS-C). But like tape formats solid state and harddrive formats have taken over.

Solid state and Hard-drive formats

These camcorders use memory cards just like digital cameras or tiny hard-drives. There are no moving parts in the sense of tape to wear out or go wrong. Memory card versions typically using SD cards (or memory sticks in the case of Sony) can be very tiny, generally have good stills capability and are very robust. Prices have dropped considerably in the past couple of years. And digital still cameras including digital SLRs now often have good video recording performance, so the division between a stills camera and movie camera crosses over these days. Hard-drive camcorders have long inbuilt recording times, so you dont have to change SD cards after every few hours of recording. Most models the hard-drive is fixed and cannot be removed so remember that your recordings are inside the camcorder until you are able to download the footage to a computer, so if on holiday keep the camcorder safe as if it gets stolen or dropped you will lose all your precious recordings!

Most newer camcorders using cards or harddrives are HD (high definition) but you can play back footage from them in standard definition if you want to copy to a standard dvd. To keep HD recordings in HD you will have to keep recordings on a card, usb drive or computer, or burn to a Blu-ray DVD.

CCD IMAGER PIXEL COUNT

This is the number of individual 'dots' which make up the whole picture. (Just look closely at a tv screen and you will see the picture is made up of different coloured dots, or tiny rectangles.) Obviously the more dots (pixels) the smaller they are so the finer the detail. About 1million pixels is the max needed for SD video, but if taking digital stills then the more the merrier (up to a point!). Models can have 10million if they are HD and take good stills.

EDITING

The traditional approach was by copying to an analogue tape 'just the good bits', but this results in a loss in quality. Editing on to a dvd recorder is good and very simple, alneit not very advanced in features.

However the popular way of editing is to download the footage on to a computer (using a lossless digital connection like firewire or usb). Then editing can be done wholly on the PC. There are a number of different approaches/software/interface cards, most decent computer stores will advise on the best method, other info can be got from the various computer editing specialist magazines. The final edited footage could then be burnt to a dvd (SD) or bluray (HD)

We aim to give accurate impartial advice about the products we supply, but as manufacturers sometimes change specifications without warning and new products appear overnight, it is not possible to guarantee our advice is always up-to-date. Always phone us or call in to our shop to get the latest info.