I didn't put much thought behind wanting to get the extended warranty on the high definition camcorder before I made the purchase. Without sites where people do digital camcorder reviews, sometimes we would all be lost. With the way companies are cranking out everything on production lines in mass quantities, you almost have to add another layer of insurance to protect your investments.
If you purchase your equipment from a local brick and mortar store, you can usually expect to get at least 30 days on a return on any item you purchase there. With more and more purchases being done over the internet today though, your choices are becoming more stream lined and limited.
I tend to have about a 75/25 ratio when it comes to having something work right the first time, right out of the box. Nothing makes me more happier than to open something and have it fail right out of the box. I was pretty happy though, when my box arrived from UPS and everything was packed really safe and the camera worked just as I had expected it to the first time.
I was like a kid in a candy store, playing with all the feature the new high definition camcorder had to offer. There are more features on this camcorder than I will ever use, but it is nice to know I have all these options if I ever wanted to get more technical with what the camcorder has to offer.
After playing around with the high definition camcorder for a while, I decided to pack it up and take it to the next event I was going to attend. I had set up a tripod and became the next director in the making.
At the end of the event, I started to pack things up. As I turned my back for 10 seconds to reach over and unplug the power from the wall outlet, someone had walked by and knocked the tripod. It was one of those moments where everything freezes and you watch the next 3 seconds unfold over 30 seconds in slow motion frame by frame. The high definition camcorder went crashing into the ground, which was concrete with a layer of carpet over it.
I picked the camera up, wondering what damage had been done. In the back of my mind I knew I had the warranty to cover any possible problems, but it was one of those things you don't really want to have to use. Just like car insurance, you have it but you don't really ever want to have to use it.
I've recorded several things since the original incident, and the high definition camcorder works just like it was new. In fact, I've accidentally dropped my camcorder on the driveway as I was unloading one day and it didn't seem to have any impact on the unit.
Monday, December 21, 2009
High Definition Camcorders
As technology moves forward we find some digital camcorders getting really cheap, while other high definition camcorders getting extremely expensive.
I never really thought there was much behind the cameras as far as the technology goes, until I started doing my homework on the internet and reading and reading and reading more about the differences of all the cameras within the budget range I had set aside.
I think I fell victim to the information overload syndrom, as I tried to soak up all the knowledge available to make the best decision I could when it came to making that final purchase.
You could spend months reading about all the high definition camcorders on the market today, and still never have enough information. My advice to anyone looking to purchase one of the many units available is to ask around in your network of friends and family. Find out if you can borrow the unit for a week or 2 to do some research and homework, and then see how you like it.
While you're not going to film the next block buster hit, most cellular phones today come equipped with video recorders that do a pretty good job. The only downside to them is you're not going to be able to store much video content in those hand held cellular phones!
I just happen to know someone who owns a pretty expensive Sony high definition handycam. When I looked at the quality of the recording and compared it to what I was able to produce on my HD Camcorder, it was still light years ahead. The difference in cost, his unit cost about $4500 and my unit was about $600.
There are other variables that come into play as well. The more expensive units tend to gravitate towards a better quality of recording when you're working in lower lighted / evening / night recording event. As the sun falls behind the mountains, my cheaper unit starts to fade into a more granular based image.
On the more expensive unit, it seems if you have 1 light source it takes the power from that light source and uses it to illuminate the area you're recording. It reminded me of when I went through basic training in the military, using the night vision devices. All you need for a light source on the military devices was something as simple as the stars in the night sky.
So this is something else you want to make sure you test, if you're going to be doing any type of recording on an indoor environment then make sure you have the stage area well lit or that your high definition camcorder can handle the lighting conditions.
I never really thought there was much behind the cameras as far as the technology goes, until I started doing my homework on the internet and reading and reading and reading more about the differences of all the cameras within the budget range I had set aside.
I think I fell victim to the information overload syndrom, as I tried to soak up all the knowledge available to make the best decision I could when it came to making that final purchase.
You could spend months reading about all the high definition camcorders on the market today, and still never have enough information. My advice to anyone looking to purchase one of the many units available is to ask around in your network of friends and family. Find out if you can borrow the unit for a week or 2 to do some research and homework, and then see how you like it.
While you're not going to film the next block buster hit, most cellular phones today come equipped with video recorders that do a pretty good job. The only downside to them is you're not going to be able to store much video content in those hand held cellular phones!
I just happen to know someone who owns a pretty expensive Sony high definition handycam. When I looked at the quality of the recording and compared it to what I was able to produce on my HD Camcorder, it was still light years ahead. The difference in cost, his unit cost about $4500 and my unit was about $600.
There are other variables that come into play as well. The more expensive units tend to gravitate towards a better quality of recording when you're working in lower lighted / evening / night recording event. As the sun falls behind the mountains, my cheaper unit starts to fade into a more granular based image.
On the more expensive unit, it seems if you have 1 light source it takes the power from that light source and uses it to illuminate the area you're recording. It reminded me of when I went through basic training in the military, using the night vision devices. All you need for a light source on the military devices was something as simple as the stars in the night sky.
So this is something else you want to make sure you test, if you're going to be doing any type of recording on an indoor environment then make sure you have the stage area well lit or that your high definition camcorder can handle the lighting conditions.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Digital Camcorder Reviews
Welcome to the Digital Camcorder Reviews for today!
Camcorders have come a long way over the years, since I was first introduced to what was available in the market back in the early days. Technology has been great for making the units extremely compact, which is another bonus to consumers. The very first camcorder I was able to get my hands on and use made you really plan ahead what you wanted to record, as the units were extremely heavy and storage media was not very cheap for the average person.
Fast forward to today's technology, we have extremely versatile units with an array of choices for the storage media you would want to use. Enhancements to the software that drive the digital camcorders have made them so simple that anybody can virtually point and click and record excellent content. However, not all cameras are created equal and that is one of the things that make it really tough on choosing which unit to purchase.
I searched and read as many articles as I could find time to read, and when you start looking at all the features a digital camcorder has to offer.. well, it really propels a person into a deer in the headlights type of syndrom!
The new digital camcorders are riding the wave of the new High Definition plasma / LCD / television units, offering HD digital recording. It's one of those shiny trinkets that lure people into a false sense of security! Well, for the average consumer that is. What I mean by this is unless you have a computer that is fast enough to do the video editing / movie creation, you've just walked into your next challenge.
I discovered, after purchasing my new HD digital camcorder, a new challenge in creating a dvd that would play the content. 4 hours of recorded content, 24 hours of rendering to create / burn the master dvd to see the results.
Well, my system was about 6-7 years old but I was expecting to just plug the camera in and work with the video real time. The video became a slide show in the editors, didn't matter which one I used. I did some additional research and discovered the PC had to decompress the HD content to work with it.
One solution is to use one of the "lesser" recording formats, for Standard Definition (SD). The digital camcorder I purchased offers 3 SD settings, and 2 HD settings.
The only other challenge I have discovered so far is when it comes to recording anything in the early evening / night time. Unless the area you are filming is well lit, the quality of the video becomes grainy.
I decided to upgrade my PC hardware, and today I can edit the highest HD content in realm time. Instead of taking 24 hours to render about 4 hours of content, it now takes 40-45min on average. It was a huge upgrade, but long over due.
Make sure you research all the features of the camera to make sure they fit your budget and needs. The base models are just enough to play around with, accessories are just more shiny trinkets dangled in front of you! The next purchase for the digital camcorder I have will be digital camcorder batteries that yield more time between recharges.
Share your experience and stories so others can learn from our history, and perhaps save them from going down the same roads.
Camcorders have come a long way over the years, since I was first introduced to what was available in the market back in the early days. Technology has been great for making the units extremely compact, which is another bonus to consumers. The very first camcorder I was able to get my hands on and use made you really plan ahead what you wanted to record, as the units were extremely heavy and storage media was not very cheap for the average person.
Fast forward to today's technology, we have extremely versatile units with an array of choices for the storage media you would want to use. Enhancements to the software that drive the digital camcorders have made them so simple that anybody can virtually point and click and record excellent content. However, not all cameras are created equal and that is one of the things that make it really tough on choosing which unit to purchase.
I searched and read as many articles as I could find time to read, and when you start looking at all the features a digital camcorder has to offer.. well, it really propels a person into a deer in the headlights type of syndrom!
The new digital camcorders are riding the wave of the new High Definition plasma / LCD / television units, offering HD digital recording. It's one of those shiny trinkets that lure people into a false sense of security! Well, for the average consumer that is. What I mean by this is unless you have a computer that is fast enough to do the video editing / movie creation, you've just walked into your next challenge.
I discovered, after purchasing my new HD digital camcorder, a new challenge in creating a dvd that would play the content. 4 hours of recorded content, 24 hours of rendering to create / burn the master dvd to see the results.
Well, my system was about 6-7 years old but I was expecting to just plug the camera in and work with the video real time. The video became a slide show in the editors, didn't matter which one I used. I did some additional research and discovered the PC had to decompress the HD content to work with it.
One solution is to use one of the "lesser" recording formats, for Standard Definition (SD). The digital camcorder I purchased offers 3 SD settings, and 2 HD settings.
The only other challenge I have discovered so far is when it comes to recording anything in the early evening / night time. Unless the area you are filming is well lit, the quality of the video becomes grainy.
I decided to upgrade my PC hardware, and today I can edit the highest HD content in realm time. Instead of taking 24 hours to render about 4 hours of content, it now takes 40-45min on average. It was a huge upgrade, but long over due.
Make sure you research all the features of the camera to make sure they fit your budget and needs. The base models are just enough to play around with, accessories are just more shiny trinkets dangled in front of you! The next purchase for the digital camcorder I have will be digital camcorder batteries that yield more time between recharges.
Share your experience and stories so others can learn from our history, and perhaps save them from going down the same roads.
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