A camcorder is the short term used for video-camera recorder. As the name indicates, a camcorder is an electronic device that merges the features of a video camera and a video recorder into a single device. Some electronic gadgets manufacturers tend to use this term loosely and it is better to check all the features before buying a camcorder.
What makes a camcorder different that the other devices with cameras- like mobile phones or digital cameras that are available in the market? A camcorder is generally recognized as a portable, compact device, whose primary functions are video capturing and recording.
The earliest camcorders used to have analog recording onto something called as videotape. A videotape was a magnetic tape onto which images and sounds could be recorded. Nowadays, digital recording has replaced analog recording completely. The tapes that were the main storage media earlier were succeeded by other storage media like internal flash memories, SD cards and hard disk drives.
There are different formats in which images are recorded in camcorders. In the latest camcorders that are currently available, the formats that are most extensively used to store recorded videos on flash drives and hard disk drives are MPEG-1, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4. The codecs for these formats use inter frame concept for compression. Thus, editing happens separately for each frame, which results in much more processing of the data. This can lead to loss of some information related to the pictures.
Some digital camcorders that are mainly used by home users record in DV or HDV formats. These camcorders store data on tape and then transfer the contents to a PC through the USB or FireWire ports. This also depends on what kind of cable is provided with the camcorder. Once the files are transferred to the computer, they can be edited, converted and then moved back on the tape. These to and fro transfers happen real time and takes hours for completion. The process is not only lengthy; it is tedious and not fool-proof.
Since most PC users work with MAC OS or Windows OS, the manufacturers of camcorders concentrate their support only for users of these operating systems. Buyers with PC running any other operating systems might get limited or no support from these manufacturers. However, there are some open source applications written for other operating systems. For example, Kino specifically operates on Linux. These applications allow complete editing of most of the digital formats and also support edition of DV streaming videos.
Today, camcorders are used extensively in almost all ends of electronic media. From electronic news companies to television production houses, camcorders have found their way in every possible profession, which works with electronics media. In places that are away from a distribution center, camcorders are priceless for the capturing of the initial videos. Later, the videos are transmitted to the production houses or the studios electronically, for broadcasting them.
For personal use like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or picnics, camcorders are used very commonly. The Sony Handy Cam is like a common name in almost all households. Nowadays, camcorders are even being used for education. Especially in fields like film making or video editing, camcorders are readily used by the students. In other fields too, students use camcorders to make projects and assignments.
The two most important factors to consider before buying a camcorder are cost and usage. Since the prices of camcorders can be varied over a wide range like $400 to $2,600, it is best to decide beforehand about the maximum price a user is ready to spend. Similar to every electronics product, the more the money spent on a camcorder, the more are the features available, not forgetting the better the quality. This does not mean all low budget camcorders are cheap products and of low quality. There are some really good camcorders available for a fairly moderate price. It is best to research about few different brands and models within the budget, before buying the product.
Different makes and models of camcorders come with different features. So, user must first think why the product is being purchased. Is it for official purpose or personal use? Is it going to be used mainly indoors or for extensive outdoor use like short films on nature? These questions should be answered before user finalizes on a model of camcorder.
A camcorder can be used to capture beautiful moments of life. Hence, it should be chosen with care and thought.