Guidlines for Buying a New Camcorder

One of the most commonly used devices within the modern world is the digital camcorder. Camcorders are growing in popularity and there are now models coming into the market place on a regular basis and these all have a range of new features. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who want to purchase a new camcorder but with all the options out there they aren’t sure where to start. Here are some guidelines to assist you in choosing a new camcorder.

Budget: First things first, you have to decide how much money you are willing to spend on the new camcorder. You have to figure out exactly how much money you have available to spend and how much of that money you want to spend on your new camcorder. Keep in mind that while buying the cheapest camcorder will probably give you poor results, you don’t have to go to the top of line and spend all your money to get great results. Some of the best reviewed camcorders are priced right in the middle.

Features: You should take a close look at exactly what you are going to use the camcorder for. If you don’t plan on using the camcorder that often, or if you want to use it for simple projects, than you don’t need an onslaught of features. However if you plan on using it extensively, are using it to make something professional like student films, or to document your trip around Europe than chances are you’re going to want camcorders that offer more features and a higher footage quality. Bottom line: You don’t want to spend money on features you are never going to use, or spend money on a camcorder that doesn’t satisfy all your needs. It is important to research camcorders and figure out what exactly your needs are before you purchase a camcorder.  

Battery Life: One of the most essential key features of a camcorder is a long batter life. Especially if you are using the camcorder to capture your travels, a certain show, a wedding, any event that will take a few hours because you don’t want to be in the middle of filming and have the battery die on you. It’s smart to see how long the battery life is and even if it’s supposed to be long, buy an extra battery just in case. It’s worth the money.

Size: Another important thing to consider is the size of the camcorder as it is very important that you can hold it properly so it's steady whilst taking the footage. It is best to get a camcorder that has the buttons in a suitable location so that you can press them at the same time as holding the camcorder and focusing on the images that you wish to capture.

Connect to Computers: Chances are that after capturing your desired footage you are going to want to hook up the camcorder to your computer and edit the footage. So it’s important to pick a camcorder that has the ability to do just that. There are a growing number of camcorders that offer the ability to connect to a computer through wireless connections; however, this type of camcorder will cost more money as they use the latest in technology. If your available budget will not stretch as far as this it is best to opt for a camcorder that offers Firewire, USB2 or USB3 connectivity. These types of connectivity will deliver files to the computer within a short space of time so you can edit your masterpiece as quickly as possible!

I just covered some of the main things you need to look at when purchasing a brand new camcorder. I hope that this little list will help you narrow down your choices and pick the right camcorder for you so you can record and enjoy hours of High Quality footage for years to come.