FIRST TIME BUYER'S GUIDE
Digital Video
Cameras __.,.^
Capture the moment—and
then edit it to your heart’s
content.
By Michelle Silver
H|
The only thing stopping you from becom
ing the next Tarantino or Spielberg is the
right video camera.
Or maybe you’ve
been trying to con
firm that your room
mate tries on your
clothes just minutes
after you leave the
dorm. Whatever the reason, here's the low
down on the digital video camera that will
make all these dreams—big and small—
come true.
The Basics
All digital video cameras have great image
quality—even the cheapest. It’s the high-end
cameras that come with fancy add-ons and
• editing tools. Cameras record in three digital
video formats: DV, MiniDV, and D8. All for
mats differ in their video resolution, record
ing times and compatibility. And digital cam
eras have different ways of recording
sound—from mono to high-end recording
technologies. If you want good sound, make
sure you know what you’re buying.
Digital video cameras capture an image
aS a digital file (obviously), meaning that you
can edit the file as much as you want with
out the quality of the images suffering. And
editing is where the fun is: There are plenty
of video editing software programs that allow
you to add in music, titles, special effects,
transitions, narration, and has other editing
Maybe you’ve been trying to
confirm that your roommate tries
on your clothes just minutes after
you leave the dorm.
tools. (Check out our
editing article on page
7 for more details.)
What It Costs
Cameras can range
from a few hundred dol
lars to $3,000. However, to get the same
quality on an analog video camera, you’d
spend that much anyway
So when you do bust your roommate
trying to squeeze into your favorite jeans,
you can set the action to slow motion and
play “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s
Addiction, while flashing the boldfaced title
“THIEF!” (makes a nice holiday gift). Then
go ahead and send your edited film back to
the camera to show everyone else. •
Digital Camera Facts
Lens Size
This may seem obvious, but the larger the
lens, the more material you’re going to
capture.
Progressive Scan
Allows you to capture fast-moving action
in still shots.
Optical and Digital Zoom
Digital cameras come with optical and
digital zoom. Optical is the real thing; it
hones in on the image proportionally.
Digital zooming is a way to fake making an
image larger by enhancing certain details.
The highest zoom capacity will keep your
images clear, even when magnified at
1,000 times the original size.
Charged Coupling Device
Measures the amount of light at any point
in the image. What you should know: the
more CCDs offered, the truer the color.
Auto Focus
Even after a margarita or two, you’ll be
able to capture the party you're filming
with clarity.
Size Matters
You can definitely find lightweight cameras
that are a breeze to carry around, just
make sure the knobs and controls aren't
too small to operate.
color LCD viewer and records in
digital stereo audio. Comes with a
sal remote control for digital CyberCam
viewing.
Sharp VL-FD1U ($1,599)
Small but packed with goodies. This
baby has a 3.5-inch color screen, touch
sensitive for
easier editing.
The LCD
rotates 270
degrees so
that the
shooter can
become the subject as well. Comes with all
the possible PC, TV and VCR connections
built in. Editing software includes PixLab
Browser and Photo Suite 8.0.
KElectronics DCR-PC5 ($1,500)
ie of the smallest digital video cam
'he DCR-PC5 takes excellent quality
Panasonic PV-DV600 ($1,300)
Winner of several editor’s choice
awards, this
Panasonic model isn’t
the smallest
around, but has all,
the features any
high-end user
would want.
Among them: out
standing video images,
excellent still-image capturing, an 18X opti
cal zoom and 300X digital zoom, and easy
to-use controls.