Best camcorder buying tips

Shopping for a camcorder to record Junior’s first steps or a new blogging video for friends and family?

Here are some features you want to look for when perusing the DV aisles this weekend. The large, built in LCD screen is great for ease in getting the right shot, but eats up battery power and many are unreadable in bright light (i.e., outdoors). Make sure there is an ancillary viewfinder for these circumstances.

When reading about zoom lenses, just look at the optical figure…the digital zoom is an enhancement that may or may not produce the quality image you are looking for.

A 10X optical is a good place to end up for most recording. If you intend to do some hand held shots rather than tripod productions, look for optical stabilization if you can afford it. This means the lens moves to reduce your shakes. With electronic stabilization, the captured image is adjusted. Nice, but the results are not as satisfying.

The audio portion of your recording is incredibly important as you film your Tiffany’s solo for the preschool play. The microphone should be in the front of the camera to capture her high C’s…with a top mounted microphone you might just capture your nervous breathing.