.HD video cameras are certainly in no short supply in today's marketplace. Technological advances in HD video have allowed the cameras to become much smaller, produce sharper images - even in low light conditions - and compress the video in a much more aesthetically pleasing manner.
Which HD Video Camera is the Best?
Ask that question of 20 different HD video enthusiasts, and you will likely get 20 different answers. Many amateur and professional videographers have their favorite maker, and will extoll the virtues of that manufacturer over all others. Canon vs. Sony vs. Panasonic, et al, is basically a high tech version of the Hatfields vs. the McCoys.
The correct answer to the question of which HD video camera is best, is that it is the one that most perfectly suits your needs. Are you planning on shooting quick clips of the kids or grandkids sledding down a hill or is your desire to shoot the movie that will supplant "Avatar" on the all-time earnings list? If your choice is the latter, James Cameron may come to your house and dooorbell ditch you.
Mini-DV, Disc or Hard Drive
The three basic methods for storing your HD video on your camera are:
- directly to mini-DV tape;
- on a DVD disc or ;
- directly onto a hard drive.
Putting the video directly to a DVD disc has so many drawbacks, let's toss that one aside.
When you are shooting video, there is going to be a lot of stuff that you don't want to keep in the finished product. Shooting to DVD discs makes editing way more of a chore, as you must pull the video off the disc, edit, then put the final result back onto DVD. It is much simpler to use mini-DV tape or a hard drive.
Mini-DV shooting produces pure, uncompressed footage. The downside is, the video must then be transferred from the tape to a computer to do anything with the video other than just plugging the camera into a TV and watching it directly. That method is far too inconvenient when simply wanting to watch some family memories.
If you know - or are interested in learning - how to edit raw video, then mini-DV is a great choice. The video is clear, sharp and uncompressed, giving you the most options for final destinations of the video. It's a good little bit of work, but worth it to those who want total control over their video.
Hard Drive HD video cameras have become the most popular choice. A camera that records video directly to a hard drive - or removable drive - of an HD video camera is very convenient. The video is compressed, so the resulting video files are much smaller in size. Video shot with hard or removable drive cameras can be transferred to a computer and immediately posted on Facebook, YouTube or any other online video venue.
The HD video captured by the pocket cameras has evolved to a state of true beauty. Hard drive HD video cameras are the perfect option for those who want to shoot personal video, and don't want a lot of editing work to make the video ready for display on the Internet or transfer to other forms of digital storage.
So Which HD Video Camera do I Buy?
The best method for determining which camera best suits your needs is to take the above information into account and decide which type of camera you prefer. Once you have done that, research user reviews at retailer and video enthusiasts' Websites. Unbiased user reviews are a great way to determine which cameras really offer the finest features and best reliability.
Whichever HD video camera becomes your choice, the technology has become so incredible that the pictures you shoot will provide sparkling, vivid memories for years to come.
Curtis Candy - I'm an ex-professional wrestler and stand-up comic, who, after suffering impressive amounts of cranial trauma (most of it from wrestling; ...
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