Why Buy a Hard Drive Camcorder

Camcorders that use a hard drive are much more convenient than conventional camcorders that use a tape. There is no need to worry if the tape is in the correct spot. It is always ready to record. Transferring your content to a computer or DVD burner is as simple as plugging in a cable. Hard drive camcorders can record hours of video without ever having to change tapes. This is especially handy for times when you want to record more than one hour without a pause.

Hard drive camcorders are typically smaller than their mini DV counterparts. Since there are no tapes, there is no need for a tape transport mechanism, allowing manufacturers to slim down the chassis and save a little weight as well.

All your footage gets stored to the hard drive. As a result, it is very easy to manage clips, and even rearrange them in different orders. Typically, every time you hit the record button, the camera will create a new clip. This makes it easy to go back and delete the ones you don’t want to keep.

 

What to Look for in a DVD Camcorder

DVD camcorders, like CD players, are prone to skipping when shaken or dropped. Therefore, it is important to look for a camera with a good anti-vibration mechanism. Different brands of DVD camcorders use different formats for recording so make sure you select one that will play in your DVD player. Also different formats will offer different recording times.

Some cameras will even use a hard drive to record the information first, then record it to the disc. This allows for some basic video editing functions before you burn it to a disc.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate DVD camcorders:

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2008 DVD Camcorder Review

Sharing Your Memories Just Got Easier

You took your camera to the soccer game and captured little Jimmy’s first goal. Now you want to share that with everyone, but how? Sound familiar? If so, you need a DVD camcorder. Capture all the special moments on a disc that will play in virtually any DVD player.

Click to read   "Why Buy a Hard Drive Camcorder"

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2008 DVD Camcorder Review

  Electronics » Camcorders » DVD 1-10 of 77 | Next
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Lowest Price
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$489

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Overall Rating
Ratings
Features
Value
Expert Reviews
User Reviews
Features
LCD screen size 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.5 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.7 in. 2.5 in. 2.7 in.
Image Stabilizer Optical Digital Digital Digital Digital Digital Digital Optical Digital Digital
Optical Zoom 32 x 26 x 40 x 35 x 30 x 30 x 35 x 32 x 16 x 10 x
Battery Life 1.33 hrs. 1.33 hrs. 1.17 hrs. 1.33 hrs. 1.33 hrs. 1.17 hrs. 1.5 Hours 1.67 hrs. 1.17 hrs. 60 min
Night Mode                    
Still Resolution .3 MP 1 MP .3 MP .8 MP .3 MP .3 MP .79 MP .31 MP .31 MP 3.05 MP
Warranty 1 Year 1 Year 90 Days 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year
Low Lux 2 Lux 0 lux 3 Lux 2 Lux 0.3 Lux 0.3 Lux 2 Lux 2 Lux 0.3 Lux 1 Lux
Aperture F/1.8-3.7 F/1.6 F/1.8-4.1 F/2.0-5.0 F/2.0-4.1 F/2.0-4.1     F/1.6-2.3 F/1.8-2.8
Battery Type Lithium ion   Lithium ion Lithium ion   Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion Lithium ion
Built-in Light                    
Camcorder Depth 5.6 in 4.8 in 5.2 in 5 in 5.2 in 5.2 in 5 in. 5.96 in. 5.2 in 5.43 in.
Camcorder Height 3.6 in 3.4 in 3.5 in 2.1 in 3.5 in 3.5 in 3.5 in. 3.36 in. 3.5 in. 3.4 in
Camcorder Weight 1.1 lbs 12.7 oz 16 lb. 14.3 oz 14.9 oz 15 oz 0.88 lb. 1.1 lb. 1.1 lbs 1.29 lb.
Camcorder Width 2.6 in 2.1 in 2.25 in. 3.5 in 2.5 in 2.5 in 2.1 in. 3.76 in. 2 in. 2.48 in.
Camera Flash                    
CCD Quantity 1 1 1 1   1 1 1 1 3
CCD Size 1/6 in 1/5 in 1/6 in 1/6 in 1/6 in 1/6 in 1/6" 1/6" 1/6 in 1/6"
Color Viewfinder                    
Digital Still Camera                    
Digital Zoom 1000 x 1200 x 2,000x 100 x 1500 x 1500 x 1,000x 1,000x 240x 700x
Focal Length 2.3 mm - 73.6 mm 2.3 mm - 75.6 mm 1.9 mm - 76 mm 2.6 mm - 91 mm   2.3 mm - 69 mm 2.6 - 91 mm 2.3 - 73.6 mm 2.78 - 43.3 mm 3 - 30 mm
Memory Card Slot                    
Product Details Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail
Rank #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10
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