Instruction manual
CAMCORDERS
24 Which? Right Choice September 2009 September 2009 Which? Right Choice 25
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CAMERAS vs CAMCORDERS
After recording your video, you’ll want to
watch it on television. There are several ways
of connecting your camcorder to your TV set,
depending on the model.
To play back your camcorder footage,
start by connecting the camcorder to your TV
using one of the methods opposite.
Then select the AV channel on your TV (it
may come up automatically) and set your
camcorder to playback mode. Use the buttons
on the camcorder or on its remote control to
select the scene, playback, fast forward or
rewind.
It’s best to run your camcorder off the
mains rather than the battery when watching.
Alternatively, if you have a DVD
camcorder, you can just pop the recorded
disc into your DVD player, once it’s been
prepared for TV, or ‘finalised’, in the
camcorder.
COMPOSITE
Often labelled Video or AV. Your
camcorder will come with a
composite cable: you plug one end into your TV
and the other into your camcorder. Composite is
the lowest quality connection.
SVIDEO
Only some camcorders have this. It
serves the same purpose as the
composite socket, but image quality may be
a bit better. Some camcorders with S-video
have a two-in-one composite/S-video socket.
You might need to buy an S-video cable
separately.
COMPONENT
This connection offers a high-quality
video signal to your television.
It’s available only on some mid- to high-end
camcorders, and again, you may need to buy a
cable separately.
HDMI
This is the best quality connection
for watching footage from a high-
definition camcorder on an HDTV. Nearly all HD
camcorders have an HDMI connection, but you
usually need to buy an HDMI cable separately.
These are quite expensive, at around Rs1,500.
HOW TO
CONNECT YOUR
CAMCORDER
TO YOUR TV
ACCESSORIES
LENS CONVERTER
Shooting a wide scene inside a
small room is sometimes difficult
with camcorders, as they don’t
zoom out enough to have a very
wide angle of view. A wide-angle
lens converter attached to the
lens of some camcorders will
increase your angle of view. They
cost around Rs2,500 upwards.
Make sure your camcorder can
accept these lens converters, and
that you buy the right size. Check
the lens filter thread size in the
manual or on the lens itself (it will
be quoted in mm), and simply
buy a converter of the same size.
It doesn’t have to be the same
brand as the camcorder.
TRIPOD
A tripod is a good investment if you
want your films to look polished. They
are great for prolonged shooting and
for shooting from a distance, when
‘camera shake’is more likely to strike.
With a tripod you’ll be able to shoot a
very steady picture. They can be great
for panning, too — most have a
handle allowing you to smoothly
pan across.
When you’re using a tripod, make
sure image stabilisation is switched
off for best results. Even a cheap
Rs750 tripod gives better results than none at all, but make sure you get
one that’s tall enough for your needs.
If you think a tripod will be too cumbersome to carry around, consider
a monopod (with one leg instead of three) as they’re usually lighter and
more portable, although not quite as stable.
MICROPHONE
Sound quality from camcorders
is typically not great. If the
camcorder has a mic attachment,
you can usually improve the
sound by attaching a separately
bought microphone. These cost
around Rs 4,400 upwards. Sony
camcorders usually accept only
Sony microphones.
The box that the camcorder came in should contain all the bits you need to start
shooting — for example, a battery and charger, a memory card, as well as the
camcorder itself. However, there are a few extra accessories you can buy to
improve your videos.
SPARE BATTERIES
A spare battery is always handy if you have a long day’s
shooting with no time to recharge. The average camcorder
records around 95 minutes of footage on a single charge.
When you choose a battery, the higher the mAh rating, the
longer the life you can expect. Choose one that fits your
camcorder — there are many different types. A good tip to
save battery life when shooting is to turn the LCD screen off
and use the viewfinder instead — if the camcorder has one.
JUST FOR YOUTUBE?
A camera might be OK, but many people
in the US and UK are opting for pocket
camcorders to take YouTube videos. The
best-known of these is the Flip range,
which includes the Flip Ultra, the even
smaller Flip Mino, and the high-definition
Flip Mino HD.
The idea of the Flip is to make video
recording as simple as possible, so there
are few features beyond straightforward
record and play functions. When we tested
the Flip Ultra, we found that the quality of
the picture and sound was poor, and the
autofocus was lamentable, judged by our
normal standards. Battery life, on the
other hand, puts more advanced models
to shame.
The Flip’s main selling point, however,
is convenience. The supplied software
makes uploading videos to YouTube
remarkably straightforward, and it’s so
easy to put it in your pocket when you
leave the house. The Flip Ultra retails for
Rs7,400, while the Flip Mino costs
Rs8,700 and the Mino HD Rs9,600.
The Flip
Ultra
retails
for
Rs7,400
An increasing number of digital
cameras, such as the Casio Exilim
EX-Z400 (Right Choice, August 2009,
p37), can record high-definition video.
Although this can mean an
improved video resolution, there’s
no substitute for a proper camcorder
if you’re keen on capturing videos
at the highest possible quality.
Camcorder lenses, for example, are
optimised for video, whereas camera
lenses are not.
DETAIL
The relatively small lenses and image
sensors on digital cameras tend to limit
the detail of your videos, so you lose
subtle colour distinctions, differences
in shadow and highlight, and the
smoothness of panning shots. Some
cameras don’t let you use the optical
zoom while recording, or force you to
mute the sound as you do so. Using
digital zoom is an alternative, but that
lowers video quality.
SOUND QUALITY
The small microphones built into
digital cameras usually result in very
poor-quality sound in your videos.
Camcorders have superior built-in mics,
and often allow you to attach an
external mic for improved sound.
VERDICT
Digital cameras’ video modes are
improving, and most cameras are
easier to carry around than a
camcorder. They are great for short
clips, perhaps for YouTube, but if
what you’re filming is important, a
good camcorder wins every time.
Virtually all compact cameras and a few
digital SLR cameras can record video —
but with some limitations