After you have determined your budget and now have an allotment for purchasing a video recording camera, you need to make sure that you check the models just in your price range and completely forego the models that have sky high, budget-breaking prices. This way you will not become frustrated and still end up with a fairly fantastic product you can use for years to come.
The first thing most people do when they decide to purchase a video camera recorder or a camcorder is that they check the specs.
Specs or specifications, however, do not really tell you the whole story. What you need to do is do more extensive research either online or buy talking to your friends who have recently bought a camcorder.
The first tip to consider when buying a camcorder is to understand what format the model you are buying has. Most consumers like MiniDV formats as well as hard drive or HDD camcorders. However DVD video camera selections are not recommended.
The next tip is to check if your video camera of choice has either an optical or a digital zoom. Preferably, pick a camera that has at least ten times optical rather than digital zoom.
Another tip is for you to select a video cam that has manual focus, white balance and iris. Manual controls are highly recommended for great picture quality.
If you find a product that has a large liquid crystal display or an LCD screen, make sure it is at least 2.5 inches big. Make sure that you can see your LCD screen even when you are out in the sunlight. This is because a lot of people have a hard time seeing LCD’s in the beach.
Small camcorders will be difficult for large hands to handle. For this reason, get a camcorder that actually fits your hands. If you have small hands, then you can go ahead and buy a tiny video camera recorder that has great features. On the other hand, get a big camera if you have bigger hands.
Find out what the other features of the different cameras have in the store. Check for night vision mode, amounts of weight, the ability to capture still image, filters you can add on and special effects. You may even be able to find a video camera that has time lapse, which is a great feature to have at an affordable price.