Today's digital technology brings the digital camcorder, which makes shooting and editing a movie a simple and fun activity for many people.  When buying a digital camcorder it is important to choose one that fits with you. There is 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 digital camcorder and buying the right camcorder which fits your purpose and budget.

MiniDV Digital Camcorder

The MiniDV type of camcorder is small, sleek and stylish model that uses very small MiniDV cassettes as the storage device.

The recorded video is to a computer via the firewire port and then downloaded. Then you can edit and burn onto DVD. The video and sound quality is very good. (Picture: Canon ZR900 Mini DV Digital Camcorder ) MicroMV Camcorder: The MicroMV digital camcorder is very compact and uses tapes as well but they are much smaller than MiniDV tapes and use and advanced compression technology. The Micro MV digital camcorder records very high quality video as well as possess the capability of full digital editing.

DVD Digital Camcorder

With this type of video camcorder you can record video directly to a DVD disk. A great feature of this recording format is the ability to edit in-camera and with repeated playbacks the disk doesn’t degrade.

HDD Digital Camcorders

Hard Disk Drive digital camcorders are compact and record in MPEG-2 video that are saved to an internal hard disk drive within the video camera.

The upside of this type of camcorder is the ability of storing 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.

Flash Media Digital Camcorders

This format records images to internal Flash drive and Flash Memory cards. Flash Memory cards include: SD, Compact Flash, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo.

VHS Camcorders

The VHS type of digital camcorders record digital video to VHS videotapes. Picture quality is fairly good and this format allows playback of analog videotapes.

Digital 8 Digital Camcorders

This digital camcorder format records digital video to Hi-8 videotapes. 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.

HDV Digital Camcorders

The most expensive of all digital camcorders, High Definition digital camcorders usually utilize MiniDV tapes or Hard Disk Drive that capture and record in a full 1920x1080 resolution. This optimal resolution provides the highest quality and clarity of picture and sound and the most magnificent video picture of any digital camcorder type that looks great on a high definition television.

When choosing an High Definition digital camcorder it is important to know that a PC is required for video editing and the computer needs to have a fast processor and lots of memory (Pentium 4 2.0GHz or faster CPU, at least 256MB RAM, and at least 5GB free hard disk space) to meet the requirements of video editing software.

This guide to buying a digital camcorder details important features and will provide some information that is important to have when buying a digital camcorder.

LCD Screen 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 useful as you can see and replay what is recorded in real time. When buying a digital camcorder check out the size of the LCD and get one that is as large as you can afford, this will make the camcorder much more user-friendly. 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: 1.8 to 2.4 in 2.4 to 2.7 in 2.7 to 3 in 3 to 3.5 in

Zoom Lens Capability Digital camcorders have two types of zoom capabilities, digital and optical, and many 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. Tip: Optical Zoom is best and provides a much better picture 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.

Optical zoom ratings vary from 3PX to 20PX and the higher ratings give the best image quality. Optical zoom gives you all the benefits of the camera's and camcorder's maximum resolution, combined with the ability to focus in tight on faraway action.

Charged Coupled Device As with film cameras and analog camcorders, digital camcorders use a lens to see the images they record. These lenses transform the various elements of the image in front of the camera into information that can be processed and recorded. In a video recorder, these lenses focus the light-intensity colors onto a semiconductor image sensor. This sensor is called a charge-coupled device, or CCD. Simply put, the more of this a camera has, the better the picture quality.

Still Pictures Integrated still picture technology within a digital camcorder does exist. That still picture quality is rated in pixels and presented in megapixels. The more megapixels the more quality resolution. The inherent differences between the way a camcorder works and the way a digital still camera works make it virtually impossible for a camcorder to match the quality of a dedicated digital still camera, even if they do have the same megapixel count, therefore we do not recommend relying on your digital camcorder for still pictures, it is best to purchase a separate digital camera that has a high megapixel count, large memory card and an on-camera flash.

Image Stabilization The stabilization feature in Digital Camcorders comes in two types: Optical and Electronic.

Superior to the electronic, Optical Image Stabilization is where a part of the lens is moved in the camcorder to compensate for the shake.

With the Electronic Image Stabilization technique the camcorder’s 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 digital 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.

Make sure you can reach and use the controls of a camcorder with ease while recording, if the camcorder is so small that you cannot access the menu buttons and controls the recording experience will be hindered and it will become a hassle to use.

Batteries The battery is another important feature of digital camcorders. 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 camcorder which has a rechargeable battery. Generally different models of camcorders have different battery capacity which allow for varying amount of recording time on a fully charged battery.

Brands of Digital Camcorders - The brand of digital camcorder will of course play a role when considering a digital camcorder for purchase. There are lots of manufacturers of digital camcorders including but not limited to Canon, Panasonic, Sony Hitachi, JVC and Sharp. In the end, the most important factor to consider when buying a camcorder is your personal use, the features you desire and price.

Also, in the very competitive Internet market place it is no longer necessary to pay outrageous retial prices. Discount digital camcorders are available and save lots of money.