Digital HD Camcorder Buying Guide 2011-2012

February 25, 2012 by SmartReview
Filed under Camcorder Articles, Featured Camcorder

2011-2012 Camcorder Buying Guide – Buying a camcorder can be confusing. With so many choices and features you need to understand what is important and what is not. This camcorder buying guide will help you sort out the facts on camcorders and what models best fit your needs. It will also explain the technical jargon that is important to know when buying a camcorder. Only camcorders with the best ratings are listed on this site.

Video Recording: FLASH, DUAL FLASH, HDD (Hard Drive), or MiniDV Tape? - Camcorders today store video in a variety of ways, and each type has its advantages and disadvantages. The most popular camcorders have shifted from MiniDV, to DVD, to HDD (Harddrive), to the now popular FLASH and DUAL Flash Memory camcorders. Each method of storage of video has its advantages and disadvantages as can be seen below:

Canon HF S20 Dual Flash HD Camcorder FLASH/DUAL FLASH MEMORY – The camcorder industry has quickly gone to Dual Flash as its most popular format of camcorders. These camcorders not only record to flash memory SDHC flash memory cards, but also have built in memory so you can record video with or without memory cards. Flash memory recording requires no moving parts (unlike tape, DVD, or HDD recording) and allows you to have a longer battery life. The most popular sizes are 32GB and 64GB. As memory prices drop, we believe that this type of camcorder will become more popular in the future. For 2012, 32gb is becoming more common, with a 96gb Dual Flash model from Sony being introduced this year.

Dual Flash Memory Top Picks:

Flash Memory Top Picks:

Related Article: Flash Memory Camcorder Roundup and Comparison

HDD (harddisk) Camcorders Hard Drive (HDD) – This format records video to a camcorder using a built in hard drive (HDD) similar to what is in a notebook computer. The advantage of a built in harddrive is that you don’t have to bother with Tapes or memory cards. The one disadvantage of HDD is that you must be sure to back up your video to an external harddrive so that should your computer crash, you have an extra copy. For 2012 we are seeing fewer models as manufacturers are moving to flash based camcorders (Canon and Panasonic have no HDD camcorders for 2012, and Sony only one model). Most manufacturers now have only Dual Flash Memory camcorders.

HDD Camcorder Top Picks:

Sony HDR-XR260V (160gb HDD) 2012
Panasonic HDC-HS900K (220gb HDD)2011

MiniDV Tape – The MiniDV tape has been a very popular format for recording video, but there are few offerings of this type today. Many professional camcorders still use tape, but we are seeing most newer models use flash memory. For consumer camcorders, convenience is leading to Dual Flash Memory camcorders to be more popular than MiniDV. With tape, you have to go through the entire tape to view it (sequentially). For High Definition HDV MiniDV Tape maxes out at 1080i, while flash memory and HDD based camcorders now have 1080p (twice the resolution).

MiniDV Top Pick: Canon HV40

Video Quality - Most camcorders do a good job in bright sunlight outside. However, camcorders that have a larger video sensor (Imager) perform better than camcorders with smaller ones (especially in low light). The video imager is the area that light hits (like the retina in your eye) after it travels through the camcorder lens. The larger the imager it is, the more fine detail can be recorded. Bigger is better. Larger imagers generally come with higher priced camcorders. So if video quality, colors, and fine details are important, a camcorder with a larger sensor will perform much better than that of one with a smaller sensor. The best imagers on consumer camcorders today are 1/3-inch or larger. Most of our Top-picks have larger imagers. We list imager size in all of our comparison and roundup pages.

Low Light Performance - As with video quality, a camcorder with a larger sensor will have better light gathering ability, and low light performance. Those camcorders with larger (faster) lenses will also help in low light situations. The above camcorders that have large Imagers will do well in low light, however only the professional camcorder will give you BOTH a larger video Imager and larger faster lenses for excellent low light ability. Poor low light performance is the number one complaint of people buying camcorders. If low light performance is important, get a camcorder with a larger Imager. Some reviewers have reported that buying a video light makes a big difference in low light situations.

Camcorders with Excellent Low Light Capability:

Sony HDR-CX260v (16gb) 2012
Sony HDR-PJ260v (16gb) 2012 (projector)
Sony HDR-XR260V (160gb HDD) 2012
Panasonic HDC-TM900K 3D (32gb dual flash) 2011
Canon HF G10 (32gb) 2011
Panasonic HC V700k (SDHC Flash Memory) 2012
Canon HF M500 (SDHC Flash Memory) 2012
Sony HDR-PJ710V (32gb) 2012 (projector)
Panasonic HDC-HS900K (220gb HDD) 2011

High Definition (HD) or Standard Definition? - Today, almost all camcorders are now high definition, so the choice has been made for you. High definition is the current standard, as most people now have at least one high definition TV. With high definition you can transfer your video to Blu-ray disc, Playstation 3, HD Tivo or another device. Some TVs will even play them directly from their USB port. Most HD camcorders allow you to connect your camcorder directly to an HDTV through its HDMI or component input.

Professional Video Quality - If uncompromising video quality is top on your priority list, then a professional quality video camera may be your choice. A professional video camera/camcorder will generally be much larger than its consumer siblings. This helps in several ways. One is that the video sensors will be larger for better quality, and the lenses will be bigger for better light gathering and low light performance. Today, these professional camcorders come in two flavors. Standard definition (TV quality) and High Definition. Several of the professional models have been used to make documentaries and even full length movies. These are a favorite of indie (independant) filmmakers and those that record important events such as weddings. These larger camcorders also have the option of interchangeable lenses, separate microphones, wireless microphones, and many other options not available on consumer camcorders. Many professional camcorders incorporate the 3ccd sensor technology.

Related Article: Professional Camcorder Roundup and Comparison

Pro Camcorder Top Pick: Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 Camcorder (Flash Memory)

3mos camcorder 3MOS Imaging Sensor - A 3MOS imaging sensor is a special sensor that is composed of 3 separate sensors. One for each color (red, blue and green). These type of sensors have generally been better than a single sensor. The advantage of a 3MOS sensor is that with the data from each of the three sensors, you can find out the exact hue, brightness, and saturation of each pixel, you’re no longer interpolating (which is estimating). 3MOS has better low-light shooting, lower power consumption, and truer colors than other imaging systems. Panasonic has pioneered this technology, which was an upgrade from the older 3CCD technology.

3MOS Top Picks:

Panasonic HDC-TM900K 3D (32gb) 2011
Panasonic HDC-HS900K 3D (220gb HDD) 2011
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 Camcorder (Flash Memory).

3D Lens

3D Camcorders- New for 2011-2012 is the advent of camcorders that record in 3D. The leaders in this field are Panasonic, Sony, and JVC, as they have released several models this year. Panasonic has upgraded its top of line camcorder from last year to be 3D compatible. This model is the HDC-TM900k. This camcorder can record regular HD, or with the addition of an option 3D conversion lens, can record in 3D. These camcorders record in what is called side by side 3D, which splits the picture into two frames. In order for the picture to fit in the bandwidth limit for recording HD video, the picture is split into two frames with lower resolution than the full 1080p HD. In order to playback the 3D, you need a 3D TV, glasses, and the ability to playback the side by side method of 3D (most 3D TVs, including Panasonic and Samsung). You may also be able to get a firmware upgrade to your 3D TV should it require one to playback “side by side” 3D. Most cable TV 3D broadcasts use the “side” by “side” method, exactly the same resolution as this camcorder.

3D Camcorder Top Picks:

Panasonic HDC-TM900K 3D (32gb) 2011 model.
Panasonic HC V700k (SDHC Flash Memory) 2012

Panasonic HDC-HS900K 3D (220gb HDD) 2011 model.

Optical Zoom – Optical Zoom refers to how close an object can be “zoomed in”. So a camcorder with a 10x zoom can bring a distant object about 2 times closer than a camcorder with a 5x zoom. Larger zoom lenses can give you more options. If you see a reference to digital zoom, this is an electronic representation of optical zoom, and really just crops the picture and you lose resolution. With optical zoom, you do not lose resolution. Digital zoom should not be a consideration in our opinion to purchasing a camcorder, while optical zoom should be considered. Most of our top-rated camcorders come with a 10x zoom which is good for most applications.

Camcorder Microphone Microphone – All camcorders record in stereo sound. All have built in microphones. For better quality you can buy higher quality microphones, and even get a wireless microphone for some models. Several camcorders have a built in surround sound recording system (Dolby 5.1).

There are two ways to add an extra microphone to a camcorder. One is to plug it into a microphone jack (if available), or what is called an accessory shoe which allows accessories to attach to your camcorder.

Related Article: Getting the best sound from your camcorder

LCD Size and resolution – The LCD is the screen that you use to compose your video, and view menus for the camcorder. Many are touchscreens which makes going through the menus easier. (You just touch a choice on the menu). LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display, the current technology used for such displays. A larger LCD screen is much easier to see. In addition to size its also important to look at the resolution of the screen (i.e. how many pixels does it have). The more pixels used for a screen the better. So for both LCD size and number of pixels on the screen, higher is better.

Manual Features/Zoom – Automatic focusing is standard on all camcorders. However there are times when you may wish to manually focus your camcorder. Examples are low light, macro (closeup), shooting through glass, and indoor shots where automatic focusing is not as effective. All professional camcorders can focus manually. Most of our top rated camcorders include the manual focus option.

Projector Camcorders – Sony has introduced the “PJ” line of camcorders that have built-in projectors that project your video onto a wall or screen, up to 100 inches diagonal (Like a 100-inch TV). We previewed this feature at the CES 2012 Electronics Show. Sony has doubled the output of the projector from last year’s models, and we were impressed by the picture that was projected.

Related Page: Camcorders with built in Projectors

1080p 720p 60i 60p video – Camcorders can record video at various resolutions. Many can record at several different rates. 1080p is the current highest (blu-ray quality). 720p has about half the resolution of 1080p. Also keep in mind the frame rate of the video. Normal video is shot at 30fps (frames per second). 1080@60i is 60 interlaced frames, which is roughly equivalent to 1080p@30fps. Movie film is shot at 24fps (24p). Some camcorders can shoot at 60fps (60p) which will make the movie silky smooth and can be used for slow motion as well. 60p means 60 progressive frames per second.

Snapshot Feature - Many of the newer camcorders offer the ability of the camcorder to take pictures (still photos) with your video camera. Many list the size of the pictures they can take in megapixels. Image quality varies from camcorder to camcorder, but you should not expect the same quality as a dedicated digital camera. Use this feature more as a convenience when you don’t have your digital camera with you. Most of the Top-Rated camcorders we feature take pictures at 8 megapixels or higher.

Image Stabilization (IS) – Image Stabilization is a technology that reduces the blurry video that you could get in low light, using a zoom lens, or riding in a car. (Sony camcorders call their image stabilization SteadyShot). This technology compensates for any movement of the camcorder you are holding to give you sharp video, even in low light. This is a very valuable and useful feature. Almost all camcorders now have this feature. This also helps when using your zoom out to its full magnification. As you zoom in, any shaking of the camcorder is magnified. Optical (as opposed to digital) stabilization is considered to be best.

Image Stabilization Off

Image Stabilization On

For 2012 Sony has introduced a new type of image stabilization that isolates the entire lens assembly and claims to be 13x better. It is called balanced optical image stabilization.

Sony HDR-PJ710V (32gb) Balanced Optical Stabilization

Built-in Video Light/Flash - Many camcorders have a built in flash (for the snapshot feature – still pictures) and/or a video light for lower light situations. External flash units and video lights are available as accessories for many camcorders.

Related Article: Flash Memory Camcorder Roundup and Comparison

Related Article: Professional Camcorder Roundup and Comparison

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