Instruction manual

If you’re planning to buy a camcorder to record your Diwali festivities, we tell you
which one to buy and how to get the best out of it
18 Which? Right Choice September 2009
HOW TO BUY
Our reviews found that more
expensive camcorders usually
have better-quality lenses and
sensors, leading to better image
quality and overall performance.
This is reflected in our ratings.
A range of camcorders from
the same manufacturer often
contains two or three that are
very similar. The camcorders may
have the same lenses and
sensors but, say, different
capacity hard disks. Or one may
have an attachment for a
separate microphone or a video
lamp whereas others don’t.
EASY TO USE?
When we test camcorders, our
panel of assessors rates each
aspect of how easy they are to
use (see ‘How we test’, p21).
However, ease of use is
largely determined by how
comfortable a camcorder feels
for you — and this is very
personal. Try out any camcorder
you’re interested in before
buying, to make sure it ‘feels
right’ in your hand.
The position of the strap,
weight and dimensions all have
a big influence.
It can be the best camcorder
in the world, and fine for most
people, but if you don’t find it
comfortable you won’t want to
use it. Make sure you’re happy
with the position of the main
buttons, too.
LEFT-HANDED
CAMCORDERS
Most camcorders, like a lot of
equipment, seem to suit right-
handed people more than
left-handed — another reason
why it’s a good idea to handle a
camcorder before you buy it.
If you’re left-handed and not
so good with your right, you may
prefer a small model with a
memory card, as these are lighter
and generally easier to handle in
the left hand.
VIDEO GA GA
CAMCORDERS
www.whichrightchoice.com www.whichrightchoice.com September 2009 Which? Right Choice 19
C
amcorders are great for recording
those special moments that will be
treasured for years. With the
growing popularity of high-definition
(HD) televisions, it was only a matter of
time before HD camcorders broke into
the mainstream too. We have tested eight
HD camcorders and 14 standard-
definition camcorders for this test.
Although more expensive than
standard-definition models, HD
camcorders are a cut above. They look
like standard-def camcorders from the
outside, but inside their sensors can record
more detail. Most can record 1,080
horizontal lines that make up a video
image, compared with a standard-def
model’s 576 lines. This means you see
more fine detail, feel a greater sense of
depth, and enjoy better sharpness. Colours
are often better, too.
To make the most of an HD
camcorder, you need a good, large HDTV.
If you don’t have an HDTV, you can still
use a standard TV, but you won’t benefit
from your HD camcorder’s better video
quality.
In years gone by, recording on tape
was most popular. Now, most models
record on either an internal hard disk or a
memory card – many offer both options.
Some camcorders use blank 8cm DVDs
for recording.
We take a look at the most popular
recording formats and explain the pros
and cons of each opposite.
MINI-DV
Pros Mini-DV has been around for years — although
it’s becoming much less popular now. Mini-DV
models are usually cheap, as are Mini-DV tapes
(around Rs200 for a 60-minute tape). Mini-DV
footage is accepted by all major editing software and
usually retains higher video quality after editing.
Cons Carrying around lots of tapes can be a hassle, as
is fast-forwarding and rewinding.
DVD
Pros DVD-based camcorders allow you to record
straight to an 8cm disc, which you can play on a
DVD player or computer. As with tapes, however,
carrying DVDs around can be a hassle.
Cons They usually have short recording times
(around 20 minutes per disc at the highest recording
quality in standard definition, and about 15 minutes
in HD), although many DVD camcorders accept
Dual Layer (DL) discs that almost double these times.
HARD DISK
Pros Using a camcorder with a built-in hard-disk
means you can do away with tapes and DVDs. Hard
disks can store more than seven hours of footage.
Cons Once you use up the space, you must delete
something, or transfer the footage to a computer.
MEMORY CARD/INTERNAL FLASHMEMORY
Pros These are usually the lightest and smallest
camcorders. A 4GB card costs around Rs500, and can
store roughly 40 minutes of footage.
Cons The smallest memory-card models usually have
pretty small optical zooms.
RECORDING FORMATS
OPTICAL ZOOM
Helps you get closer to the action. 10x is
enough for most, though more can come in
handy. Digital zoom can supplement optical,
but video quality will suffer.
VIDEO LAMP
Helps to illuminate your subject,
provided it’s within 1.5 metres.
GAIN/BACKLIGHT
COMPENSATION
Gain lets you brighten up
a picture that’s too dark.
Backlight compensation
brightens up something
positioned in front of a
bright background.
STILL PHOTOS
Most camcorders can
take still photos. The
quality is still short of
what you can expect
from a good digital
camera, but the gap is
closing.
What you should look for
IMAGE
STABILISATION
The slightest hand
movement can make
your video shaky,
especially when you’ve
zoomed far in. Image
stabilisation works to
counter this. Keep it
turned on unless
you’re using a tripod.
WIND FILTER
This cuts out wind
noise significantly.
However, it can
sometimes cut other
sound, so if there’s
no wind, switch this
function off if you can.
NIGHT MODE
This gives you a
brighter picture,
although it sometimes
also results in
jerky movements of
moving objects
Rommel Albuquerque