Nov 23, 2006 05:10 PM
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Recently I had purchased JVC GR-D350 miniDV camcorder at about Rs. 19k. It was just after JVC brand was launched in India recently. It is a nice piece and comparable to higher prices models of other brands available, with similar features and results. However, a lot of my time was wasted in finding out the right camcorder at the price right for me i.e. about 20k (with VAT-able proper receipt of course) and in reading reviews thereon. I had gone through at least 20 websites of manufacturers, review sites & blogs. Though I do not boast that what I have now is the best one money can buy, I feel today that my choice is the best at this juncture.
In my opinion, all models of the branded products available in the Indian market are more or less perfect, akin to the car or CTV industry. However, a little education goes a long way while going to shop a camcorder. Hope the following write up on philosophy of camcorders, prepared out of my research, will help my friends greatly. Please note that the models available with only Digital zoom ? at a price range of Rs. 4k to Rs. 8k are not referred here.
Life of battery ??
Battery life varies according to the camcorder's operation. The use of zoom, LCD viewfinder and other functions increases power consumption, so actual recording time may be reduced. Hence do not go by the manufacturer?s specification alone. Advisable to have one spare battery alongwith the purchase.
Closing in or out??.
Ever tried to enlarge a scanned image in PC ? Or enlarge a picture through enlarge option in a photocopy machine? The result is Digital zooming, where the image gets distorted as the enlargement progresses. But when you see a tiny object enlarged by moving a magnifying lens in front of your eyes, you actually do Optical zooming, where quality of enlarged image is not compromised (till kept in focus). In camcorder too, Optical zoom pertains to enlargement of image by the lens. It is the more important to have greater Optical zoom capability, say at least 10x (an ordinary still analog zoom camera has about 3x Optical Zoom) than to have any amount of Digital zoom.
Quality of Image??
Image quality of the recorded images is determined by factors such as resolution of the CCD, lens, optics and recording media. A single CCD camcorder is sufficient for any average consumer, more the better of course. The number of effective pixels in a CCD is slightly less than 5 lac and the rest of them are utilised for functions such as image stabilizer, hence do not get carried away unnecessarily. It doesn't mean the more pixels the CCD contains, the better the image quality will be.
Also, do not compare quality of photography between digicam and camcorder ? both are different having different objective altogether and hence not comparable.
Capability of Still Image ??..
Many camcorders now have the ability to take still images on the same tape as video, but the quality will be very poor in most of them. Give it a pass unless it is a upmarket brand with high resolution.
View through the lens??.
Do not worry about the lens of the model of a reputed manufacturer, they are almost equally good.
Excess Add Ons??
Night Shot? Sports mode? Programme modes for manual adjustments for tailor-made features for optimum utilization? To shoot in different lighting conditions? As an average user, you may forget all this. Basically, the camera is either operated in Auto or Manual mode and you will find that Auto mode suits your need to grrrrreeeeaattt extent. Moreover, handling a camcorder in manual mode is not an easy task. If you have not fully utilized all the features of your cell phone or MS office or other household gazettes like Micro or the TV remote, chances are that you will never require the features in Manual mode. However, if it comes loaded with all these, let it come that way so that your kids may explore the features someday and give you a frown as to why you selected such a poor thing!
Shock and Grips??.
Most of the camcordrs fits easily into the handgrip, but it is advisable to try it before deciding to own it. Try zoom and recording on-off function at least while the camcorder is in your grip, to see whether its handling is easy.
Hand grip of an new user on the camcorder often produce shaky images which are not a visual feast anymore. So make sure that the camcorder has a image stabilizer to smoothen out shaky images. There are 2 types of image stabilizer - optical image stabilizer with special lens arrangement ? which comes at a premium but too good, and electronic image stabilizer ? not so bad for most consumers.
Madness on old analog tap??.
Analog Line-in in the camcorder helps you to digitise analog tapes ? those old VCR tapes. If you have some precious analog tapes and you want to digitise them to prevent degradation of image quality, then this is a must-have feature. Condition ? your VCR must e in playable condition.
Talking of extra microphone??..
Leave it to the professionals.
Enhancing the video??
Better forget the in-built features, they are cumbersome. In any case you can edit and enhance its presentation nicely with software in your PC.
Connection with Firewire or USB??
The USB terminal helps you transfer the images you need easily. However, if the camcorder has only Firewire connectivity (IEEE 1394 port), please check if your PC has one of it too. Else consult the PC dealer, it may be possible to attach one with a sum of Rs. 600/-. In case the PC does not have a free slot to accommodate the addition, forget buying that camcorder and go for one with USB connectivity.
Show ???
TV viewing is not a problem. But better do not try to show the world the results, specially if the video was taken in poor light. Please note that light equivalent to one 40W tubelight in a room of 14ft x 12ft is sufficient to have good result, but less than that is not advisible.
After thoughts????..
a) Sony, Panasonic, Canon, Samsung & JVC are the brands available mostly in India, through proper channel, with a price tag of about Rs. 20k onward. Surf their sites and find out the products available and their price, nearby dealer address etc.
b) Once you are ready with the models numbers, go for readily available rank list of camcorders at website https://camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php . It will help you to take a refined decision. Do further research through review sites in the net to draw a conclusion.
c) Camcorder is not a magic box and hence do not expect miracles. Moreover quality of the user also greatly depends upon the results.
d) What you see in TV or theater are coverage of characters or objects done by professionals with more than one up-market equipments in sufficient light from different angles, most of which are edited and enhanced later. What an ordinary user can do while recording? Sit/stand at a place and use zoom in/out and some amount of side to side camera movement. Visualize what will be the result of a video of your kid?s performance in the school annual cultural show. Compare both and you are sure to rethink what you are up to.
