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Posts Tagged ‘Camcorder’

by JVCAmerica

Which Is The Best And Cheapest Pal System Camcorder?

A PAL system camcorder offers great utility to the users who like to record the special moments of their life. You can use PAL system camcorders to record videos and enjoy them later on television or your personal computer. If you want to buy this electronic device, you must know the various types of PAL system camcorders that are available in the market. This will help you to get the best and cheapest PAL system camcorder for yourself.

PAL system camcorders are available in many formats like VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Mini Digital Video (Mini DV), DVD and Digital 8. But, the most popular ones include DV CAM, DV PRO and Mini DV camcorder. You must go for Mini DV camcorder as it has several advantages over another types of PAL system camcorders in terms of features and affordability. MINI DV camcorder is the most popular format used by professional users of video and the amateurs as well. This is due to the fact that this camcorder is equipped with some special features such as elevated digital and optical Zoom, interchangeable lenses and image stabilization technology. Some models of Mini DV camcorders come with a USB port which enables to transfer files directly from the Mini DV digital camcorder to your computer or laptop. Digital camcorders offer high audio and video quality as it has higher resolution. You can use this camcorder to record, transfer, copy or store the video or images in any way you want. You can also use Mini DV camcorder to make various copies without actually worrying for loss in quality.

Another important quality of this PAL system camcorder is that it allows better video storage technology. Most of the PAL system camcorders use storage systems like hard drives, tapes, etc. Mini DV camcorder utilizes tapes, CDs, multi-media cards and even the DVDs for storage. As Mini DV camcorders are compact and small, it can be used easily and comfortably. You can carry your PAL system camcorder anywhere and use it to record videos or sound for hours as it is light in weight also.

Mini DV camcorders are easily available on various electronic shops. If you want to compare different models and brands of Pal system camcorders, search on the Internet. You can find that there is a huge variety of camcorders that vary in terms of features, size and price. You can choose the PAL system camcorder that best suits your needs and budget. To know more about PAL system camcorders, electronic wholesale appliances, international voltage converter, GSM phone and more, visit our stores.

More Camcorder Articles

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Camcorder Buying Guide When buying a camcorder, it is important to you that you with to think about camcorders. Will you watch to record videos on your HDTV, or do you plan to share your home movies with others on the Internet? How will you respond to such questions will determine which camcorder is right for you.

The first thing to know is to know about camcorders, there are essentially three types. The only thing that distinguishes them from each other camcorder is the way they store the videos you record.

The first type, and is currently the most popular is MiniDV. The camcorder video file by the data storage on a small cassette. The advantages of MiniDV camcorders are that you save your video in an uncompressed format, if you are a higher quality video (VHS quality, it goes as it is compressed). In addition, you can usually find blank MiniDV cassettes with ease in local stores when you’re away from home and need more space to store those precious memories.

The second type is the DVD camcorder. These camcorders record videos by storing data on mini-DVD. A major advantage of DVD camcorders is that one mini-DVD discs to come out and play on almost any DVD player. In addition, as MiniDV tape, DVD, data small hotel on the camcorder more widely available, so you do not worry about not enough memory when you’re away from home.

And last but not least, there is the hard drive (Hard Drive) camcorder. These cams record directly onto an internal hard drive, allowing you much more space would be a miniDV tape or DVD. In general, these types of camcorders available memory slot next to the hard drive and allows you to buy a memory card, if you were running out of disk space. Keep in mind that the data on disk camcorder are transmitted to the computer and went off the camcorder, so you need to free up memory.

Now that the three main types of camcorders that are available on the market today know search and find below to see what our experts recommend that customers buying n ‘ any type of camcorder.

Optical / Digital Zoom: If you plan to first close-ups of distant objects, you must use a camcorder with a zoom optical zoom and digital level tested. Note that the optical zoom and digital zoom are very different. Optical zoom is at the amount by which the camera lens actually recruited, while the digital zoom is an enlargement of the existing image. A-rated high not that much to you because you lose a significant portion of high quality during zooming. provide more emphasis on the optical zoom is a camcorder, in case of quality loss is not really a problem. For

Image Files: If you make a camcorder, images and record videos, make sure it has a function of image. With a camcorder still images, it can be almost doubled in a digital camera. But do not expect the same high quality images from a camcorder with what you have to compare with a standalone digital camera, such as camcorders are not specifically to capture images.

space: It is important that you examine the available space, if you’re planning a HDD (Hard Drive) camcorder. You do not take into account this factor to miniDV or DVD camcorders because their storage has to distance the amount of tapes or DVDs, they measured a record high, while the disk space on a hard disk camcorder, the size disc is measured. Note that some HDD Camcorder a memory slot that allows you to connect to record on a memory card if you need more space, were made possible.

Editing Software: If you want to change the way your videos, if the camcorder comes with editing software included. With the video editing software, you can include special effects for your home movies, it is more fun to add.

Playback Options: Most camcorders directly into the Cam AV inputs on your TV for playback. DVD camcorders as the mini-DVDs to play on most DVD players. Reading is also supported by the computer when the device is connected as possible.

LCD screen size: the size of the LCD can be important to you. It is generally easier to formulate what you want displayed in the stroke with a large LCD screen, and it makes watching videos on the action even more fun.

Digital Image Stabilization: Image Stabilization is certainly an item you are shopping for a camcorder, if you plan to record on a tripod most of the time. If a camera has image stabilization technology reduces the amount of movement that was fired because of shaky hands. These can make your videos more fun, and you will not get dizzy watching home videos ever!

Computer Connection: Most miniDV camcorders connect to a computer via an IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire or i. Link). DVD camcorders typically connect via USB, hard disk camcorder and the two are interconnected. Make sure your computer has the proper outlet, so you can transfer your videos without needing an adapter.

definitions:

Optical Zoom: enlarge a picture with an adjustment of the lens without reducing the quality or resolution.

zoom: enlargement of an image with the center of the expansion of existing data (in photo), resulting in a loss of resolution.

AV inputs: audio and video inputs that transmit audio and video data from an electronic device to another.

Image stabilization: technology reduces the tremor photos or images in motion blur in camcorders and cameras.

by Kadath

Simple Guide to Buying a Camcorder

Ten years ago the only video cameras that were available were the analog type that were so big and bulky that they had to be carted around on a trolley while professionals used them to shoot video for television. Camcorders have come a long way, they are smaller, slimmer, user-friendly and have tons of options that are available on many different models. Also with today’s digital technology comes the digital camcorder, which makes shooting and editing a movie a simple and fun activity for many people.

When buying a camcorder it is important to choose one that fits with you. Store counters are filled with a great variety of brands and models each with an array of features and formats. It is important to understand these features when buying a camcorder and buying the right camcorder which fits your purpose and budget.

The following guide to buying a camcorder details these features and will give you the guidance needed to buy the right camcorder the first time.

While analog camcorders still exist, digital camcorders are the camcorders of the day. Digital camcorders provide a superb recording quality by recording audio and video digitally without any loss in quality. In fact the quality far outweighs analog in yielding excellent color and clarity with 500 lines of resolution. And while digital camcorders are more expensive than analog, the price difference has shrunk enough in the past couple of years to make it very worthwhile to purchase the digital type.

Digital camcorders display recorded images by using the fantastic flat LCD screen feature. These screens can be rotated about 290 degrees along the vertical line, and horizontally about 90 degrees. These screens have made digital camcorders very popular with consumers since the recording process becomes so easy and fun when you are able to see what is being recorded on the LCD screen in real time. Also it is important to note that the DVD camcorders LCD displays a list of the recorded scenes for quick, easy searching.

When buying a camcorder you want to get an LCD screen that is as large as you can afford. The larger the screen the more you can see what you are recording in real time. One thing to keep in mind is the larger the screen the more battery power it will draw.

Another feature of LCD screens is the viewfinder, which is intended for shooting in bright sunlight and helps to save power. The panel size of LCD screens is presented in inches ranging from 1.8 to 3.5 inch screens

Camcorders have two types of zoom capabilities, digital and optical, and many camcorders come with both. The digital zoom enlarges images by magnifying the actual pixels. The finished image is thus affected and lacks clear definition. Pixilation is the term that defines this process of blurring. This option can be turned off on most models of camcorders and should be for optimal image quality.

The optical zoom feature actually utilizes the movement of the lens. The focal length is changed and image that passes through the lens is captured with optical zoom. Higher optical zoom ratings give better image quality.

Very often the audio that is recorded with your camcorder is just as important as the video. Mostly camcorders have the same audio quality. Some problems may occur, such as recording of tape motor noise, no sound at all, noise from hand movement and even times when the camcorder will record the wrong thing. The best thing you can do when buying a camcorder is to look for options, and make sure that the camcorder has a microphone jack to which you can attach an external microphone as opposed to relying on the camcorders internal microphone. An external microphone will be of great benefit at those times when you are recording something like a concert, wedding or graduation speech because the external microphone will allow you adjust the channels to fit with the sound levels you are recording.

There are several media formats available with digital camcorders. When buying a camcorder this feature is very important to look at and choose the right format that fits your needs and budget. This is the feature which determines how the video is recorded and what kind of storage device is used.

DVD Camcorders – Before discussing the actual DVD media camcorders, first let’s take a look at the different types of DVD formats of which there are three: DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM. DVD-R is a recordable DVD format with a write-once only capability. DVD-RW is a recordable DVD but it allows rewrites and so provides unlimited writing to same disk. DVD-RAM – DVD Random Access Memory is a DVD disc, which can be recorded with information, erased, and recorded again. DVD-RAM is considered a highly reliable format, as the discs have built-in error control and a defect management system. Therefore, DVD-RAM is perceived to be better than the other DVD technologies.

There are two versions of DVD camcorders. The first one works with rewritable DVD-RAM discs requiring a DVD player with RAM playback or a PC with a DVD-RAM drive. The second works by using the more popular DVD-RW and DVD-R discs that work with most ordinary DVD players and allow for actual recording of images to the DVD disk. A great feature of this recording format is the ability to edit in-camera and with repeated playbacks the disk does not degrade.

MiniDV Camcorders are types of camcorder that store recorded data to MiniDV cassettes. The video and sound quality is exceptionally good. The MiniDV camcorders are small, sleek and stylish because of the small size of MiniDV cassettes.

MicroMV digital camcorders use tapes that are much smaller than MiniDV tapes and also use more of compression technology. The MicroMV is compressed much more that the MiniDV and records very high quality video as well as possess the capability of full digital editing. The MicroMV is also very compact, lightweight and ultra small.

Flash Media Camcorders record images to an internal Flash drive and Flash Memory cards. Flash Memory cards include: SD, Compact Flash, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo.

HDD Camcorders, or hard disk drive camcorders are compact and record in MPEG-2 video as well as other encoded formats and recorded data is stored to an internal hard disk. The upside of this format is the ability to store huge amounts of video data by using compression. The video is saved to the internal hard disc within the camcorder and then downloaded to a computer and burnt onto to a DVD. The HDD camcorder has no moving parts and so there is less chance of mechanical breakdown.

Digital 8 Camcorders record digital video to Hi-8 videotapes. Digital 8 is a consumer digital videotape format developed by Sony, and introduced in 1999. Digital8 equipment uses the same videocassettes as analog Hi8 equipment, but differs in that the audio/video signal is encoded digitally. Picture quality is fairly good and this format allows playback of analog videotapes recorded on Hi-8 camcorders.

VHS Camcorders are types of camcorders that record video digitally to VHS videotapes. Picture quality is good and this format allows playback of analog videotapes.

HDV Camcorders, are the newest standard in high definition recording and viewing. High Definition Video camcorders usually utilize MiniDV tapes or Hard Disk Drives which yields a full high definition 1920 by 1080 resolution. This resolution provides a superb high-def video picture quality, which looks great on a high definition television. When buying a camcorder with this capability it is important to know that for editing high-def video a computer is required with a fast processor and lots of memory to meet the requirements of video editing software.

Hitachi has manufactured the world’s first full HD digital camcorder which both records and saves image data in the Full HD format on both the hard drive and on Blu-ray Discs, which are the next standard for recordable media.

When buying a camcorder a key feature to consider is built in stabilization. Unless you are shooting video with the camcorder sitting on a tripod, which most home users do not do for everyday shoots, the hand must be stable while holding the camera to avoid image distortion caused by unsteadiness or jerking of the hand. This feature helps to fix these errors caused by jerking of the camera in the hand while shooting.

The stabilization feature comes in two types, Optical and Electronic. Superior to the electronic technique, the Optical Image Stabilization technique is where a part of the lens is moved in the camcorder to compensate for the shake.

With the Electronic Image Stabilization technique the camcorders internal computer shifts the image electronically in the opposite direction of the shake. This is achieved by slightly zooming in on the image. Poor electronic techniques can cause loss of sharpness or resolution.

Controls and Camcorder Size. When buying a camcorder you do not want to compromise usability for size. While a small camcorder maybe cute and convenient to carry, it is important to make sure that it is also user-friendly. You want to be able to reach and use the controls of a camcorder with ease while recording, if the camcorder is so small that you cannot easily access the control buttons the recording experience will be hindered and it will also become a hassle.

The battery a digital camcorder uses is also a vital feature to consider when buying a camcorder. Does the camcorder come with a rechargeable battery? How long recording time is available on a fully charged battery? The best option is to purchase a

by Bernardo Fuller

Which Camcorder is Best for Surveillance?

To View all figures/charts/illustrations referenced in this article, click here.

 Abstract

 Looking for a digital camcorder for use in performing surveillance? Well, technology improvements in CCD and CMOS image sensors as well as the introduction of new high definition display and recording formats have certainly resulted in the introduction of lots of different digital camcorder models. Because of the wide variation in features and price points, it’s more difficult than ever to select the optimal digital camcorder. Certainly, some models will be better than others in consideration of the specific application for which the camcorder is intended and the features that are required. Because there are so many factors involved in making a selection and since new models are frequently introduced, it’s best to provide guidelines useful when evaluating models intended for a specific application. Then, as new models become available, they can be compared to existing models based on the same guidelines.

The goal of this paper is to provide guidelines that should be considered when evaluating camcorders for use in surveillance applications. These applications are those that would be used by military, law enforcement and special investigative personnel for gathering evidence or performing electronic news gathering and usually include viewing at a distance. While these are useful guidelines for understanding important camcorder specs, prior to making your own camcorder purchase decision, we suggest that you perform your own research of available models and, based on these guidelines, select those models that are expected to deliver the best performance and perform your own tests under real-life situations. You may learn that other factors may be important to your specific application and that your final decision is a compromise of those other factors.

For surveillance, optical image quality is of highest importance. Camcorder resolution and sensitivity are the primary factors to consider, with a variety of related factors such as image and pixel fields-of-view, the pixel size, as well as the frame rate, image stabilization, alternative lens options and lens interchangeability, integration mode, digital zoom and display resolution, user interface, video formats, recording media, manual gain, infrared mode, video compression, external audio inputs, viewfinder, robustness, and video compression.

 Camcorder Resolution

Video resolution is affected by a variety of different camcorder specifications. It is well known that high definition camcorders deliver higher resolution than standard definition formats. However, it is important to realize that if the camcorder is used to record image sequences that are later to be viewed (rather than using the camcorder just to view the video output in real time), both the optical resolution and the recording format must be considered in determining the ultimate video resolution. Considered separately, the optical resolution depends not only on the detector array size but also the image and pixel field-of-view. HD recording format also affects resolution. Finally, there are other resolution factors that may warrant consideration in order to determine the ultimate camcorder resolution.

 Detector Array Size:

It seems that every camcorder uses a slightly different imaging detector. While the HD recording format can be 1280×720, 1440×1080 or 1920×1080, the imaging detectors may vary quite a bit. As shown in the table, for a selection of mid-range camcorders, detector array sizes can vary from single chip cameras having arrays as large as 1920×1080 (Canon HF-10 and Sony HDRSR11) to three-chip blocks having detectors as large as 1440×1080. The physical size of the imaging detector also varies from camcorder to camcorder.

 Image and Pixel Field-of-View:

As shown in the accompanying chart (reference at above link) the combination of the physical size of the camcorder’s imaging detector (for example 1/3”) and the focal length of its objective lens (for example 50mm) result in an image field-of-view (FOV) that is defined as the angle of view from which image information is received. There are separate angles corresponding to the horizontal and vertical directions depending on the aspect ratio of the image. For wide screen video formats, the vertical FOV is 9/16 of the horizontal FOV. All camcorders have zoom lenses where the focal length varies from a wide angle position (with the largest angular FOV) to a telephoto position (with the smallest angular FOV). A smaller field-of-view results in a higher image magnification as would be required to view small objects at a distance.

Smaller imaging detectors create narrower angles of view when used on the same focal length lens. For example, a 50 mm lens delivers a horizontal FOV of 5.5° and 3.7° when used with a 1/2” and 1/3” format detector, respectively. Based on the variation of detector sizes and lens focal lengths, the angular field of view for different camcorders varies accordingly. The image FOV can be determined for any camcorder based on a simple formula.

The pixel FOV (also known as the instantaneous field of view, or IFOV) is a measure of the resolution of an imaging system. Though related, image FOV and pixel FOV are distinct and a camcorder having the narrow image FOV does not necessarily have a corresponding narrow pixel FOV. As shown in the table (reference at above link), while the Canon camcorders have the smallest image and pixel FOV values, the Sony HDR-SR11 has a small pixel FOV despite an image FOV that is nearly twice as wide as those for Canon.

A handy FOV calculator can be used to determine the FOV values for certain candidate camcorders. Pixel FOV is also calculated as are detection, identification and recognition range values for certain specified object sizes at a specified distance.

Recording Format:

The difference between the different HD recording formats is beyond the scope of this white paper. However, the impact of recording format on resolution is critical to imaging performance for surveillance applications and is described here.

As shown in the figure (referenced at the first link in article), standard definition camcorders (with a 4:3 aspect ratio) recorded video with 480 horizontal rows per frame giving a resolution of 640 x 480. (This is for NTSC formats. PAL formats recorded with 576 rows per frame giving a resolution of 640×576). Wide screen versions of these standard definition camcorders with a 16:9 aspect ratio were also available and recorded with slightly larger resolution of 720 x 480 (720×576 for PAL versions). Because of the limitations of the recording format, it would not have been useful to have a high resolution CCD/CMOS detector larger than 720×480 pixels in a standard definition NTSC camcorder except under certain circumstances (like zooming in to view central pixels). However, with the introduction of higher resolution recording formats, higher resolution detectors make sense.

Camcorder Sensitivity

High definition refers to video having higher resolution than standard definition and most commonly refers to resolutions based on either 720 rows/frame or 1080 rows/frame. Recording formats can either be 1920×1080, 1440×1080 and 1280×720. Consequently, are available with either 720 or 1080 rows per frame recording formats having a resolution of 1280×720 and 1920×1080 respectively. It is important to understand the recording format for any camcorder under consideration. If the full sensor resolution is necessary to perform the surveillance function, then make sure that the camcorder records in sufficient resolution.

Had this whitepaper been about digital still cameras, the above discussion of recording format would’ve been sufficient to describe the effects on image quality. However, since video incorporates motion, the fact that some camcorders record “interlaced” video while others record “progressive” video has some relevance, particularly when motion is important to the type of surveillance being performed. If not, then the relevance of interlace vs. progressive scan is less important.

Other Resolution Factors:

It’s worth mentioning that in those camcorders that utilize three sensors, pixel shift technology has been employed in the horizontal axis to make incremental improvements to the sensor resolution by using interpolation. This complicates the calculation of optical resolution somewhat, but may not be a primary factor.

Camcorder low-light sensitivity is usually of primary importance for surveillance applications, particularly when imaging at dusk or dawn, but also when attaching a night vision module that intensifies ambient light. The guidelines for camcorder evaluation are listed below. We recommend a review of the following factors: the Recommended Minimum Illumination Specification, Objective Lens F-number, Detector Pixel Size, Night Vision Module availability.

As such, but criteria enabling the comparison of these including: objective lens F-number, pixel size, electronic noise reduction, It is apparent that low-light performance as detailed on the list of the camcorders specifications because different cameras can produce varying results, even though the specifications may be similar.

Consequently, once you’ve identified a few different camcorders that have the features of interest and the performance that you require, it is important to test the camcorder’s low-light capabilities.

Recommended Minimum Illumination Specification:

Quite