| There's never been a better time to buy a | | | | |
| digital video camera. Prices are lower than | | | | - Will I be mostly using it indoors or |
| ever, the camcorders are packed with | | | | outdoors? |
| features, and editing software is cheap and | | | | |
| easy to use. | | | | - Do I want to edit the footage I shoot? |
| | | | |
| Unfortunately, there's also never been a more | | | | - Do I want the camcorder to be a stills |
| confusing time to buy a digital video camera. | | | | camera too? |
| There are so many different formats competing | | | | |
| for your money, it's almost impossible to | | | | - How important is the quality of the video I |
| know which one to go for. Should you buy a | | | | shoot? |
| Mini DV camcorder, or a DVD camcorder? What | | | | |
| about solid state (flash memory), or hard | | | | - Is audio quality important |
| disk? And is now the time to bite the bullet | | | | |
| and buy a high definition video camera? | | | | - Will I use a tripod with the camcorder? |
| | | | |
| Confusion reigns, and it's not helped by | | | | The answers to these questions will influence |
| manufacturers releasing new models with | | | | which type and model of camcorder you buy. |
| improved features and lower prices every few | | | | For example, if you want to be able to edit |
| months. | | | | your video footage on a PC or Mac, you should |
| | | | choose a Mini DV camcorder. And if you are |
| Thankfully, there are steps you can take to | | | | likely to use a tripod, you should choose a |
| reduce the confusion and give yourself a | | | | camcorder which loads its media from the side |
| clear idea of which type of video camera is | | | | or top, rather than one which loads from the |
| the best for you. | | | | bottom. |
| | | | |
| Below are seven questions you should ask | | | | By answering these questions and learning |
| yourself before you studio a single feature | | | | what the jargon that manufacturers are so |
| list or read a single review. | | | | fond of means, you can make sure that when |
| | | | you come to buy your camcorder, its exactly |
| - What do I want to use the camcorder for? | | | | what you want and not a costly mistake. |