Digital Camcorder Views

It is a question we are frequently asked. It’s a valid question since camcorder batteries are usually expensive to replace. First of all, how long should your battery last? 2-4 years is generally acceptable depending on how frequently you use and charge the battery. If you travel a lot and use and charge your battery frequently then you might only get a couple of years at the most out of your camcorder battery. The Sony NP-FP50 camcorder battery are usually made with Li-Ion camcorder batteries and the very nature of Li-Ion batteries is that they have about 500-600 charges and last at most about 4-5 years (shelf life). They also have a self-discharge rate of about 1% per day so you need to be sure to charge them at least every 6 months. So how can you care for your camcorder battery to get the maximum life out of it? 1. ) Always use your camcorder on a hard surface. Camcorders are portable and it’s easy to set your camcorder on your Sony NP-FP50 camcorder battery or on your bed and use it at your lesiure. That’s one of the benefits of having a portable computer. Flexibility. But if you want to extend your battery life you have to watch out for overheating your camcorder. Heat is one of the biggest obstacles to battery life longevity. Your camcorder fan cannot circulate the air properly when your camcorder is sitting on soft surface. 2. ) Do not keep your battery installed when you use your camcorder for an extended period of time. While your camcorder is undoubtedly using a smart charger to charge your battery even a constant trickle charge over months can reduce your battery life. For best results, only charge your Sony NP-FP50 camcorder battery when you need to charge it, don’t leave the camcorder battery plugged in all the time. More importantly than the trickle charger affect is the ’storage’ of a Li-Ion battery at elevated temperatures. The optimum storage temperature for a Li-Ion battery is at 0 deg. C. The optimum storage charge level is about 40%. Unfortunately we tend to store fully charged and at the temperatures found in a running camcorder you’ll find a significant reduction in battery for your camcorder performance after only 12-18 months.

Best HD Camcorder Flash Memory:</b> Vixie Canon HF200 Flash Memory HD Camcorder is one of the features found in any of the camcorders on the market, but still manages to keep its compact size. Has a wide range of manual and record HD video in high quality, full HD (1920 x 1080) directly to a removable memory card. It also has a 15x optical zoom. This model promises a bright 2. 7-inch TFT LCD. You can also take still images at 2 mega pixels. Currently there are no cameras on the market that rivals the quality of video and features of the Canon HF200 Vixie. It’s a little more expensive than usual, but will be worth every dollar spent. <b>Best mini HD camcorder:</b> the camcorder UltraHD lid created a lot of fashion since the day it was launched. HD camcorder is very small, measuring only 2. 2 x 1. 2 x 4. 2 inches and weighs 6 ounces. The 8 GB model and construction of storage can hold up to 2 hours of HD (720p) videos. The pull is small and very easy to use. On the back there is a bright 2-inch LCD screen and a big red record button to record videos. The video quality is very good, very clear with accurate colors. Its strength is the rival Creative Labs Vado, which is also very impressive mini HD camcorder. <b>Best DVD Camcorder:</b> As always there is a market segment that wants to record video directly to DVD, the DVD camcorder is always in high demand. Currently, the Sony HandyCam Camcorder DCR-DVD-650 is one of the best on the market. It uses a Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens with a 2. 7-inch LCD screen for previewing photos. It also has a powerful 60x optical zoom and digital zoom, 2000 x. It also has a microphone that allows zoom in on the dialogue or the sounds of the matter

Fortunately for shoppers, hi-def does not necessarily mean high price. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 is half the price of the HDR-SR8 at around £500. It is one of the smallest camcorders around and you can record an hour of 720p footage into a single 4GB SD memory card at 30 frames per second. The filmed footage can then be played back on an HD television with the supplied remote control. One advantage of physical media is that they can be swapped out easily and cheaply. Mini DVD or MiniDV tapes are cheap and lightweight so you can stock up all of the footage that you’ve filmed so that it can all be shared, stored or edited at a later date. The HD video (HDV) format records compressed hi-def video onto standard MiniDV tapes. The Canon HV20 is one of the lightest of these camcorders at 440g, so it is therefore one of the most pocket-friendly and functional HDV camcorders on the market. A CMOS sensor captures 1,920 horizontal and 1,080 vertical pixels for 1080i hi-def or wide-screen standard definition video. It’s surprisingly good in low light and is extremely user-friendly, so it would be great for beginners. The HV20 also captures MiniDVD. MiniDVD is always a good option for recording video as it is the format that can most easily be accessed. When video has been shot in hi-def, it can be played back on HD televisions to take full advantage of the extra image detail HD affords, making all your hard work worth while. Although not technically a hi-def camcorder, the Panasonic NV-GS300 provides crisp, detailed video that can be enjoyed on HDTVs. This is due to the fact that it has three CCD image sensors which are able to capture richer colour and sharper images than single-CCD cameras. Camcorders are great gadgets for capturing all of those moments and events that you want to remember forever and hd camcorders will ensure that your memorable moments are shot in the best quality possible. If you’re after a camcorder, the best thing to do is to shop online to make sure that you get the best offer available.

Mobile phones or Cellular phones are no more just a device to call up someone or receive someone’s call when you are on the go. The concept of mobile phones has become broad and it is getting broader as time passes. Today a mobile phone device is much much more than just an ordinary phone. It is a camera, it is the favourite jukebox on the go, it is the video recorder and also a place to save all the nice memories and favourite stuff.

But what exactly saves all these stuff in your mobile phone? The storage capacity of the phone alone would not be sufficient for keeping all the data safe and stored. To tackle this situation and also keeping in mind the desire and expectations of mobile users, technology has provided us with memory stick. Not just in mobile phones, memory sticks are also widely used in other devices that are used to record and save video or audio files like HandyCams and DigiCams etc. There are many companies who provide memory stick. One such organization is Sony. There are a variety of memory sticks offered by Sony. You can get memory sticks of different brands. However it is always safe to trust reputed brands. Therefore more and more people go for Sony memory stick. Sony memory stick usually has 128 MB of storage capacity. It has a thin design which makes it ultra-small and ideal for use in small digital AV electronics products such as the Sony Digital HandyCam Camcorder (DCR-TRV900). It is small in size and is light in weight which is only 4 grams. The rugged 10-pin connector ensures foolproof insertion, convenient removal, and safe connection. The Erasure Prevention Switch prevents stored data from being deleted accidentally. Other details include:1. 5MB/sec. Write Speed2. 45MB/sec Read SpeedDimensions: W 21. 5 x H 50 x D 2 mm

It is always better to trust brands and not settle for something less when much is at stake. Not just monetary loss, but you may loose some golden moments of your life. So avoid them now – go for nothing but the best – Sony Memory Stick.

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Today, Sony is one of the most trusted names in electronic equipment, which includes its line of Sony digital camcorders. When shopping for digital camcorders, several choices are available. Some of these options involve the products features, characteristics and price ranges. Sony was actually started with the name Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation. Mr. Morita Akio and Ibuka Masaru founded the company in 1946, and then changed the name to Sony in 1958. “Sony” is a combination of a Latin word that is the root of the word “sound;” the English word “sunny;” and the term “Sonny-boys,” which in Japanese refers to a nerd. The first significant consumer product that the company sold was an audio tape recorder that Sony put on the market in 1950. Sony is renowned worldwide for manufacturing the first transistor radio that can fit in a pants pocket (1957), the portable tape player known as the Walkman (1979), and the famous Playstation video game system (1994). Right before the first Sony digital camcorders were released, the company made two groundbreaking camcorders. Sony introduced its Betacam in 1982. This camcorder was produced for professional recording via television. The initial units were analog, though the Digital Betacam was added to the arsenal of Sony digital camcorders, in 1994. Many of Sony’s digital video tape recorders (vtr) can play back all of Sony’s analog and digital Betacam formats. In 1983 Sony’s Betamovie, based on its Betamax format, became the first domestic camcorder. The compact video head drum of this analog camcorder was subsequently used for camcorders manufactured afterwards. Today’s users of Sony digital camcorders would find the Betamovie to be bulky. In fact, one could not hold it by using a single hand, so users oftentimes laid the camcorder on their shoulder. Nevertheless, camcorders that followed the Betamovie were even bulkier, as Betamovie units lacked playback and rewind features. Many Sony digital camcorders are offered on the market today. These fantastic products vary significantly in appearances, features, and price. The primary groups of Sony digital camcorders include: hard disk camcorders, dvd camcorders, hi8 Camcorders, high definition (hd) camcorders, minidv (digital video) camcorders. Since its inception in 1946, the Sony Corporation has become a leader and innovator in the world of digital electronic equipment. Following the tradition of the Betacam and Betamovie, today’s Sony digital camcorders connote the best of their company and the best of the industry. Editor: Afina Article source: http://ezinearticles. com/?Deciding-on-the-Best-Bluetooth-Headset&id=243062

Your Camcorder: 3 Tips for Getting The Best Recordings

Most camcorder owners are not videography whizzes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shoot a great video moment. Following a few simple tips will insure that your video is the best you can shoot with the equipment you own.

Tip #1- Buy a Tripod and Make Use of It

Stabilizing your video recording is a key factor in a successful video shoot. Nothing can stabilize your camcorder like a tripod. Many people think they will have no need for the extra expense, but having one and using it will make your video less choppy and compensate for the motion of the person shooting the video. The best tripod to invest in is one that is specifically made for video shoots. A tripod that is used for a still camera will not give you the flexibility that is needed for a camcorder.

Tip #2- Get To Know Your Camcorder Intimately

The best videographer will know each and every function of their machine. When you have intimate knowledge of your camcorder you can be sure that every shoot you are involved with will produce the best video recordings. Knowing what each function and feature is for can optimize your performance and produce recordings that will seem as if a pro was at the lens. Familiarize yourself with factors that will affect the image such as backlighting, exposure and the white balance. It isn’t enough to know where the controls are located; you need to know how to use them to their best advantage.

Tip #3- Your Videos Should Tell a Story

Knowing when to hit the record and pause button can make the difference between a bunch of scattered images and one that tells a story. If you want others to enjoy your recordings, you must make them as interesting as possible. Nothing is more mundane than a half hour of your child doing the same thing over and over. Instead you can incorporate a variety of situations that highlight your child’s unique abilities and personality so that others will be more than happy to watch your recordings along with you. Narration is always nice, but it isn’t a necessity in order to create an interesting montage of images and action.

Just pointing and shooting a video can be done by anyone, but learning to create artistic images and recordings that will engage the interest of the audience is an art. Practice editing and get to know your camcorder so that it can be used to its fullest potential.

Canon is a world-leading innovator and provider of imaging and information technology solutions for the home and office environments. Canon products are synonymous with optical excellence, advanced image processing, and superb performance. Canon has introduced a latest high definition camcorder — HF S100 that delivers brilliant video and photos through an 8. 59 Megapixel CMOS image sensor and the latest version of our advanced image processor, DIGIC DV III. It combines lightweight, compact size and the ease and convenience of Flash Memory. This camcorder has a nice functional design, with intelligently laid out controls and a streamlined user interface. The larger size makes it a bit more comfortable to hold and operate as well. This gadget uses the same technology that is used in advanced laptop computers, MP3 players, PDAs and cell phones which allows users to record up to 6 hours of crisp, high definition video to a removable SDHC card. Also the users can have extended available recording space and more flexibility in file transfer and playback. The most highlighting feature is the incorporation of a built-in 1. 7x Digital Tele-converter provides an extended telephoto range, while still retaining the renowned Canon image quality. With many more advanced features like Genuine Canon 10x HD video lens, sophisticated Genuine Canon Face Detection capability, Super Range Optical Image Stabilization and a host of new control and creative options, this Flash Memory Canon HF S100 Camcorder is creating a good impact among the wide range of consumers around the globe through its stunning features, thereby promoting its standard in the global markets.

Let’s deal with the majority of frequent & difficult query to answer asked on the web site, ”Which & what is the best camcorder” extracts lots of reactions! The response of all queries would be dissimilar. Letting you think why you asked over this, this article will give you some assistance to inquiring a suitable query, expectantly. Camera bands should conciliate an amount of criteria to manufacture video cameras, which are easy on the pocket. Such as, cheap cameras would be prepared of cheaper objects, containing a typical-class lens & small number of features. In comparison, classy cameras would be prepared of solid manufacturing quality, they will utilize best -class materials, would contain many manual settings, & many additional choices. Cameras among those two limits would have several things, however not others. When you raise the query, ”Which actually is the best camcorder”, in an ideal world you feel like to be inquiring an individual or the public which have purchased numerous camcorders of different companies, remain up to date with latest technological improvements, & are practically accessible. If you ever locate such type of people, I must consider you would be very fortunate. Most all of the time you would be asking somebody that who is reliable to a particular product, another person who has barely ever bought one camcorder, & another whose best pal is a salesman of camera. All will have their personal opinions which are greatly subjective & are not based on truth. The issue is that a lot of the facts presented on camcorders are greatly “off-centered” through publicity which is not effortlessly comparable. Searching for the ”best” camcorder supposes that you are able to utilize a set of common criteria to discover a victor in every class, & you’re not expected to locate any one. A good query to inquire would be, ”Which is the best camcorder for 500 dollars” (or suchlike cost category). At least then the person you’re inquiring would be able to put your query in a framework &would formulate convinced suppositions regarding what you’ll utilize it for. If you would’ve inquired me what the best camcorder is, I would have told you it’s the XL-1, the reply will be not of any use if you are able to pay out only 1000 dollars & the XL-1 costs 4000. A much better query to inquire would be ”what is the best camcorder if I desire to ____, & I can just pay out ” where your 1st criterion is your anticipated reason & your 2nd criteria is how much you are capable to pay out. You should have to make several studies concerning what a video camera can propose before getting into ”buying” sector. What you require in a camera if you can give additional facts, is would be far better for you, & the individual you’re inquiring. such as, if you are familiar with you would be carrying this camera into rough places,  then you would like a durable camera before somewhat that might break if you fall it down (or, that it doesn’t charge plenty of cash in case you do!).   Now if you’re familiar with the fact that you would be using the camera in dark places, you might require (or want) a camera with fine low-light features. If you want it for safety task, would you require ”night shot” facility? Would you require your camera to get stills plus videos? If you’ll continue inquiring & replying these queries, you would reduce the potential until you’re left in the company of ”best” camcorder – for your requirements. Keep in mind that although a camera’s information on manuscript possibly important, you must try it out for as much time in the shop before you purchase. In the end, if you’re set to pay a specific quantity of cash for this camera, you should be glad about the camera in performance!

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 often, low-light performance specifications are provided on a camcorder’s specification sheet. These are usually described as either “low light sensitivity” or “minimum illumination” and the result is given in lux. The lower the lux rating, the better the camcorder performs in low light. However, because the details describing how these low-light measurements are made is not often provided, it is extremely difficult to compare these figures when comparing different camcorder models from different manufacturers. (What’s the assumed reflectivity of the objects being viewed? What’s the signal-to-noise ratio? Image brightness? etc. ). As such, use of these specifications is complicated and not often satisfying. It is obviously best to test the camcorders yourself. Some websites (such as www. camcorderinfo. com) perform their own very rigorous tests. Detector Pixel Size: Not only is the detector array size important, but the physical size of the detector is also important for a number of reasons. Most often, small detector physical sizes (such as 1/6” format) are found in less expensive camcorders while larger detectors (e. g. 1/3” format) are found in higher performance camcorders. Physically small detectors require small, less expensive lenses and result in compact, lower cost camcorders. For surveillance applications, an important consideration is that light sensitivity decreases with pixel size. While larger pixels in general have more light sensitivity and are superior when imaging in low light or at night, larger pixels also result in a decrease in resolution (in consideration of a particular focal length lens). Also, larger pixels with large array sizes result in large arrays and large lenses. So, smaller pixels are often preferable. One should compare the sensitivity of camcorders with the smallest pixels with other camcorders being considered. Pixel sizes for a variety of digital camcorders are shown in the accompanying chart (referenced at the first link in the article). Objective Lens F-Number: As with SLR cameras, lens F-number is extremely important to a camcorder’s low light sensitivity. All other things being equal, a lens with a low f-number (such as F1. 4) focuses much of the light from the scene onto the camcorder’s sensitive imaging detector. A lens with an F-number that is twice as high (F2. will pass only 25% of the light through it, making the camcorder 25% as sensitive. That’s a lot! For compact camcorders with integral lenses, sometimes the objective lens must be designed with a relatively high F-number in order to retain the compact design yet deliver the desirable zoom range. In particular, one finds that the F-number at the longer focal length values increases slightly. F-numbers at the maximum zoom setting for a variety of digital camcorders are shown in the accompanying chart. Night Vision Module Availability: For camcorders to be used for surveillance applications, the availability of a night vision module can be quite important, particularly for imaging at a distance and at night. Camcorders simply do not have sufficient light sensitivity to enable imaging in these environments. However, by attaching a night vision module such as those shown here, the light sensitivity of the camcorder can be increased by up to ten F-stops. As is well known, the resulting night vision images will be green, absent of all color. But, reasonable images can be produced in starlight and moonlight. Some of these night vision modules can be seen by clicking on the link above. Other Factors To Consider In evaluating camcorders for surveillance applications, resolution and sensitivity are usually the primary considerations, other factors may deserve attention. Some of these are listed below. Media: “Media” refers to where the video will be stored. Many camcorders utilize several different media types. The following are the common types of media and some considerations for surveillance applications: MiniDV Tape – These have been used for many years. The downside is the need to fast forward and rewind rather than direct access. However, they are known to be quite reliable, they are widely available and rugged. In addition, it is often convenient to have physical media with surveillance footage rather than a soft copy only which could more easily be misplaced or mislabeled. MiniDVD – Though a familiar media, it may not be as convenient as one expects since the DVD often cannot be directly inserted into DVD players. Also, recording in the highest quality sometimes results in significantly lower capacity. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) – These are generally high capacity media (e. g. 120 gigabytes) with long record times. Backup is obviously important and necessary. Also note carefully if compressed video is being used for storage in order to increase the available capacity. Flash Memory – Flash memory (such as solid state memory and memory cards) is very attractive since there are no moving parts resulting in a compact and efficient design. Capacities are increasing every year. Image stabilization: Image stabilization is a camcorder feature that helps improve image quality during hand-held video recordings, reducing blur due to camcorder motion. The stabilizer instantly corrects camcorder shake so that hand held shots at full telephoto (such as video taken from a moving car) are smooth and steady. These image stabilizers can be either optical or digital in design. Optical image stabilizers usually manipulate a prism in the lens to stabilize the image when projected on the camcorder detector. Digital image stabilizers usually sense the camcorder motion and, taking advantage of extra rows and columns on the perimeter of the detector, shift the image an appropriate amount to stabilize certain types of motion. Normally, the optical image stabilizers, though more expensive, are preferable since they better remove the blur component of the motion. Lens interchangeability: Many lower cost camcorders have non-removable objective lenses. These lenses are compact and highly integrated into the camcorder’s housing, have a very wide zoom range and even macro capability. Normally, the field-of-view of the integrated zoom lens is selected to achieve the FOV range desired for most applications. However, for increased versatility, higher-end camcorders offer a removable lens and a lens mount so that a series of lenses can be offered for a wider variation of applications, including wider angle and more telephoto viewing. (See a list of mid-range camcorders having removable lenses here). For non-removable lens camcorders, if wider angle or more telephoto FOV values are required, adapters are sometimes offered to change the magnification as desired. But the result is a reduction in optical quality. For the surveillance videographer, interchangeable lenses can be a great benefit if the magnification offered by fixed lens camcorders isn’t sufficient for the desired application. In addition, night vision modules that are designed for removable lens camcorders fit between the lens and camcorder and retain all that objective lens’ functions including motorized zoom, auto-iris and image stabilization. Digital zoom: Digital zoom is an important feature for any camcorder. Because it is not possible to appreciate all the imaging detector’s resolution on the camcorder’s viewfinder or display panel, digital zoom enables the operator to view details on the viewfinder that would otherwise go unnoticed until digital images were later analyzed. In addition, it’s useful to note that a detector having a larger pixel array enables the operator to perform more digital zoom than with a camcorder having a smaller detector without the effects of pixelization. User interface: Any camcorder operator will confirm that accessibility to features is of some importance. Drilling down through sub-menu after sub-menu to access routine functions is not a desirable thing to do while in the field. Infrared mode: Some camcorders feature a sensitivity to near infrared light permitting the use of an infrared illuminator to brighten scenes. For a variety of reasons, these illuminators are not applicable for many surveillance situations. For one thing, normally the illuminators included with the camcorders do not project sufficient illumination at the distances of interest. In addition, they can be detected by others with most camcorders and CCD cameras. Manual Gain: For low-light situations, some camcorders offer a manual gain mode that permits the user to manually adjust the gain in the video image, usually increases up to +18dB. Though grainy, for surveillance applications, the video images are normally a significant improvement over non-gained or even auto-gained versions. Shutter Speed: If maintaining the standard frame rate (for example 60Hz) is not necessary because the objects under observation are not moving quickly, the frame rate and detector shutter speed can be reduced (for example to 1/3 sec) so that each of the sensor’s pixels will integrate light over a longer time that they are exposed. In darkened environments, selecting the longest acceptable integration time may be sufficient to provide a usable image at dusk or dawn. External Audio inputs: In order to prevent the appearance of sounding like a pure optics geek, it is important to mention that audio quality and access to external audio inputs is important for the surveillance videographer. The built-in microphone doesn’t always work well when shooting images far away or when you need something more directional to filter out ambient noise. Viewfinder: When performing covert surveillance, having a viewfinder on the camcorder is sometimes important in order to prevent the illumination from the bright LCD panel. Robustness: Another serious compromise is the lack of robustness in camera hardware — the flimsy switches and controls that cause videographers stress. When you’re out in the field under possibly dangerous conditions, you don’t want to be playing around with little controls and LCD panels that easily come apart. Price: Of course, price is always a consideration when evaluating the many many camcorders models available today. But, what these guidelines should show is that very often, the most expensive camcorder may not be the best for a specifi c application. Understand what features are most beneficial for your application in consideration of camcorder price range. Conclusion Technology improvements in CCD and CMOS image sensors as well as the introduction of new high definition display and recording formats have resulted in the introduction of lots of different digital camcorder models. Guidelines have been provided when evaluating camcorders for use in surveillance applications. 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. 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. DISCLAIMER: We have made every attempt to provide accurate information. However, we cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies. Should you identify errors or require assistance, please contact us directly. Thank you. For more comprehensive White Papers visit our online Knowledge Center. www. electrophysics. com/night-vision 373 Route 46, Fairfield, NJ 07004 Phone: 973-882-0211 Fax: 973-882-0997 www. electrophysics. com © 2008 Electrophysics Corp. All rights reserved. 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