Buyers' Guide to Digital Camcorders

Key Features

Screen: Having a large LCD screen on a camcorder lets you more easily see what you're recording and facilitates playback previews. When shopping, try the screen in daylight if possible; some wash out in bright sunlight, one environment in which you'll often be using the camcorder. A viewfinder, meanwhile, is easier to see in daylight and uses less power, extending the camcorder's battery life.

Lens: Most modern camcorders have at least a 10X optical zoom, which should be adequate for general purposes. Vendors typically advertise the maximum digital zoom, but to achieve that length of zoom the camcorder enlarges part of the image to fill the screen, leading to grainy, pixelated, and generally unpleasant-looking images. At higher digital zoom settings, the quality is so poor you can't see what you are taping. Fortunately, most camcorders allow you to turn the digital zoom off or restrict how far it can zoom in. The spec for maximum optical zoom is the more interesting figure: It denotes the maximum zoom that the lens itself can achieve without enhancement.

Batteries: Most camcorders won't last more than an hour with the included batteries. So factor in the cost of a higher-capacity battery that can keep the camcorder going, if you think you'll need it. A higher-capacity battery that can double the battery life typically costs $50 to $100.

Microphones: We've found that camcorders with microphones mounted in the front tend to produce better sound than those with microphones on the top; in particular, top-mounted microphones frequently pick up the voice of the person using the camera, drowning out everything else. Many of the more-expensive camcorders offer zoom microphones that can emphasize the subject's voice and minimize other sounds, and some also come with a socket to plug in an external microphone. Either type of microphone can be very useful when you're recording presentations or speeches and want to record the speaker but not the audience.

CCD size: As a general rule, the more pixels the camcorder CCD (the chip that captures the video) has, the better the image quality of the resulting video will be. Most camcorders also offer some form of image stabilization, in which the camera will try to compensate for vibrations that could result in blurred video.

Ability to take still images: Many digital camcorders can act as digital cameras, saving still images to a memory card. Some can save images at the same resolution as a 2-megapixel camera. However, none of the camcorders we've tested have worked as well as dedicated still cameras do; they don't provide the same level of control or the same image quality. Many vendors offer similar models with and without this feature; if you aren't likely to use it, you can save $100 or more by choosing the model that lacks it.

Controls: One important buying consideration is how well the camcorder balances size and usability. We have found that the controls on some smaller camcorders (such as the Sony DCR-IP5 and the Canon Elura 40MC) can be difficult to use because the controls don't naturally sit where your fingers fall; you sometimes have to shift the camera to reach them, or use both hands. In particular, on many smaller camcorders the zoom control (a control that most people use a lot) can be awkwardly placed.

Low-light recording: Many camcorders can record in very low light, either with the help of an included infrared light (which you can't see, but the camcorder can) or through a special long shutter mode that makes the most of the existing light; some more expensive models offer both. These can be useful in poorly illuminated settings, such as when you're capturing a camping trip or the creatures entering your yard after nightfall. Low-light footage may be grainy, however, and camcorders that use an infrared light capture only black-and-white video.

Format: Most camcorders use the MiniDV videotape format, but Sony also offers Digital 8 and MicroMV formats. A Digital 8 camcorder records digital video onto Hi-8 videotapes and can also play back analog videotapes recorded on Hi-8 camcorders. MicroMV camcorders (such as the Sony DCR-IP5) use a new type of tape that is smaller than MiniDV tapes. A MicroMV camcorder, however, compresses the digital video much more than a MiniDV camcorder, so most digital video editing programs are unable to edit the video. Sony does bundle a basic video editing program with its MicroMV camcorders, though; with most other camcorders you have to buy one separately. Many digital camcorders can record from a composite or S-Video source, as well, so you can transfer video from an older analog camcorder onto digital tape.