Selecting Your First Digital Video Camera
Here are a few simple guidelines when purchasing your first digital camera:
Do your price homework
Do your research before investing your money. With some careful shopping either online or in the camera shops, you can easily save from 10-15% on your purchase price. However, don't let price be your sole criteria. If you happen to find a customer oriented outlet, it pays to invest a little more on knowledgeable advice, tips and honest add-on product recommendations.
Check the camera reviews
Do a search in Google and Yahoo and look for digital camera review sites. Find out which are the current models. Read the reviews to familiarize yourself with the various standard features of the newer cameras. Most have a glossary which explains the purpose of a particular feature e.g. white balance, aperture, etc.
Reviews from reputable sites can generally be trusted. Use them as a guideline when selecting your camera. Having done this, you will be a more informed buyer and avoid unscrupulous salespersons from selling you an obsolete or trouble prone model.
Three CCD or single CCD camera?
If your budget allows, I would personally recommend a 3-CCD camera for its better picture quality. The difference is immediately apparent and you will enjoy many hours of beautiful pictures. It also saves you an expensive upgrade should you grow dissatisfied with your single-CCD camera.
Higher end models have what is known as balanced audio inputs. These allow you to connect your camera to an audio mixer without worrying about the sound being overloaded. For a first time video camera owner, I would consider this to be a "nice to have" feature.
Size Matters
Consider how you will be using the camera most of the time.
If you plan to use the camera on your holiday trips, then a smaller sized model would make a better choice. Smaller cameras do cost a little more than their bulkier siblings. A word of advice - stick to cameras that support the miniDV format. This format is popular and will make it easy for you to send your tapes for conversion into DVD or VCD.
If you plan on using your camera for more "professional" reasons e.g. shooting documentaries, corporate videos, weddings, etc ., then size does not really matter. Picture quality, interchangeable lenses and accessories, balanced audio inputs will all play an important part.
Final Words
The best suggestion I would give is this - don't hurry your decision. Make a careful investigation into what your requirements are, ask friends, do your internet research, invest in a few digital video magazines. All this will pay off with a great camera that you will enjoy using for many years.
