Camcorders

Camcorders became popular in the early 1980s and haven’t lost popularity since. Gone are the days of tape-based recording. The majority of today’s models of camcorders are digital, lightweight, and extremely versatile. A top camcorder choice for you will be portability versus affordability. Camcorders can be used by the average person with no particular skill to record memories such as weddings, vacations or elementary school plays. They can be used by the professional to produce movies, television shows, music videos and commercials. Prices can range from under $100 for a model such as the handheld Flip Video MinoHD to a few thousand for the professional models such as the Panasonic AG HPX500. Popular makers of camcorders include Panasonic, Canon, Sony, JVC, Kodak, Flip Video, Sanyo and Samsung. Modern camcorders record in an assortment of formats with 3D, HD, and MiniDV currently being the most popular. With Kelkoo, you’re assured of finding the right camera for your needs at the cheapest price. ... View more - View less

View the Camcorders Buyers Guide

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- Kodak Zx1
  Rated 4 out of 5
- from $39
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $39
  
  Sensor resolution: 1.6Megapixel • Media type: Integrated Memory • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: A/V, USB, HDMI • Optical zoom: 1x • Optical sensor: CMOS
  - Datavision $99
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- Sanyo Xacti VPC-SH1
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $361
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $361
  
  Sensor resolution: 4Megapixel • Media type: SDHC Memory Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB • Optical zoom: 23x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Digital • Hard drive size: 5GB
  - $361.97
  View all 1 offers
- Sony MHS PM5
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $105
- Available from 2 retailers
- from $105
  
  Sensor resolution: 5Megapixel • Media type: Multimedia Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: HDMI • Optical zoom: 4x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Electronic
  - $156.94
  - Sears.com en... $105.95
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- Contour HD1080p
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $299
- Available from 2 retailers
- from $299
  
  Sensor resolution: 5Megapixel • Media type: MicroSD • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Connectivity: USB 2.0 • Hard drive size: 2GB
  View all 4 offers
- Flip Video Mino
- from $97
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $97
  
  Sensor resolution: 0.8Megapixel • Media type: Integrated Memory • HD Recording: Without HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB • Optical zoom: 1x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Hard drive size: 4GB
  - $97.96
  View all 1 offers
- Flip Video MinoHD
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $67
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $67
  
  Sensor resolution: 0.8Megapixel • Media type: Integrated Memory • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB, HDMI • Optical zoom: 1x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Hard drive size: 4GB
  - $67.56
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- Sony HVR HD1000E
  Rated 4 out of 5
- from $1,649
- Available from 4 retailers
- from $1,649
  
  Sensor resolution: 2.2Megapixel • Media type: DV, HDV • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: A/V, S-Video, HDMI, Composite / Component (RGB) • Optical zoom: 10x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Electronic
  View all 4 offers
- Sony Pro HVR Z5
  Rated 4.5 out of 5
- from $3,699
- Available from 4 retailers
- from $3,699
  
  Sensor resolution: 1.1Megapixel • Media type: DVCAM • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: FireWire, HDMI, XLR • Optical zoom: 20x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Electronic
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- Sanyo Xacti VPC-CS1
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $187
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $187
  
  Sensor resolution: 3.4Megapixel • Media type: SDHC Memory Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB 2.0 • Optical zoom: 9x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Digital
  - $187.32
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- Sony HDR FX1000
  Rated 4.5 out of 5
- from $2,959
- Available from 7 retailers
- from $2,959
  
  Sensor resolution: 3.31Megapixel • Media type: MiniDV • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: A/V, FireWire, S-Video, IEEE 1394, Component • Optical zoom: 20x • Optical sensor: 3 CCD • Image stabiliser: Optical
  View all 7 offers
- Kodak Playsport
  Rated 4.5 out of 5
- from $182
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $182
  
  Sensor resolution: 5Megapixel • Media type: Secure Digital Card, Integrated Memory, SDHC Memory Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Waterproof • Connectivity: A/V, USB 2.0, HDMI • Optical zoom: 1x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Electronic
  - $182.99
  View all 1 offers
- Sony HXR-NX5E
  Rated 5 out of 5
- from $3,779
- Available from 6 retailers
- from $3,779
  
  Media type: Integrated Memory • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Optical zoom: 20x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Optical
  View all 6 offers
- Sony HVR-A1E
  Rated 4 out of 5
- from $1,869
- Available from 2 retailers
- from $1,869
  
  Sensor resolution: 3Megapixel • Media type: DV, DVCAM, HDV • HD Recording: Without HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: FireWire, S-Video, USB • Optical zoom: 10x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Electronic (Super Steady Shot)
  - $1,869
  - PC Connection... $2,499.95
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- Sony MHS-PM5KL
- from $150
- Available from 4 retailers
- from $150
  
  Sensor resolution: 2.1Megapixel • Media type: Secure Digital Card, Memory Stick DUO, SDHC Memory Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB 2.0 • Optical zoom: 1x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Digital • Hard drive size: 4GB
  View all 12 offers
- Sony Bloggie Touch
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $124
- Available from 6 retailers
- from $124
  
  Sensor resolution: 2.1Megapixel • Media type: Secure Digital Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB 2.0 • Optical zoom: 1x • Optical sensor: CMOS
  View all 11 offers
- Flip Video UltraHD
  Rated 4 out of 5
- from $137
- Available from 2 retailers
- from $137
  
  Sensor resolution: 0.92Megapixel • Media type: Integrated Memory • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB • Optical sensor: CMOS • Hard drive size: 8GB
  - $137.30
  - Sears.com en... $137.30
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- JVC Everio GZ HM300
  Rated 4 out of 5
- from $132
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $132
  
  Media type: Hard Drive • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB • Optical zoom: 20x • Optical sensor: CMOS
  - $132.49
  View all 1 offers
- Toshiba X100
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $202
- Available from 2 retailers
- from $202
  
  Sensor resolution: 10Megapixel • Media type: Multimedia Card, Integrated Memory • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB, HDMI • Optical zoom: 10x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Hard drive size: 4GB
  - $202.97
  - Provantage... $258.77
  View all 2 offers
- Toshiba Camileo H30
  Rated 3.5 out of 5
- from $139
- Available from 2 retailers
- from $139
  
  Sensor resolution: 10Megapixel • Media type: Secure Digital Card, Integrated Memory, SDHC Memory Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB 2.0, HDMI, Composite • Optical zoom: 5x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Electronic
  - $139.51
  - Provantage... $176.28
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- Vivitar DVR-510
  Rated 3 out of 5
- from $32
- Available from 3 retailers
- from $32
  
  Sensor resolution: 5Megapixel • Media type: Integrated Memory • HD Recording: Without HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Optical sensor: CCD
  View all 3 offers
- Panasonic AG-DVX100
  Rated 4.5 out of 5
- from $1,799
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $1,799
  
  Sensor resolution: 0.38Megapixel • Media type: MiniDV • HD Recording: Without HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Optical zoom: 10x • Optical sensor: 3 CCD • Image stabiliser: Optical
  - $1,799.99
  View all 1 offers
- Sony HDR-FX7
  Rated 4.5 out of 5
- from $1,998
- Available from 7 retailers
- from $1,998
  
  Sensor resolution: 3.36Megapixel • Media type: HDV • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB • Optical zoom: 20x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Optical
  View all 7 offers
- Canon XF300
  Rated 4.5 out of 5
- from $5,799
- Available from 4 retailers
- from $5,799
  
  Sensor resolution: 2.37Megapixel • Media type: CompactFlash Card • HD Recording: With HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Optical zoom: 18x • Optical sensor: CMOS • Image stabiliser: Optical
  View all 4 offers
- Kodak Mini ZM1
  Rated 4 out of 5
- from $39
- Available from 1 retailers
- from $39
  
  Media type: MicroSDHC • HD Recording: Without HD Recording • Type: Digital Video Camera • Connectivity: USB 2.0 • Optical sensor: CMOS
  - $39.27
  View all 1 offers

Camcorder Buying Guide

Kelkoo.com

Buying a Camcorder

Combining the functions of a camera and a video recorder, a video camcorder is now becoming an indispensable part of every home. Whatever the occasion, capturing those cherishable moments wouldn’t be possible without a video camcorder. The release of a number of camcorders in the market from various brands might cause you trouble in selecting the right camcorder. However, making a checklist of the features and functionalities you are looking for can help you choose the right portable camcorder that lets you shoot movies and capture images with excellent quality. Here is a camcorder buying guide to help you make a wise purchase decision.

Fix your Budget: As you would do for every other product, the first step to buying a portable camcorder is to decide on your budget. While there are numerous models of camcorders cropping up in the market, the price is one of the major factors that help you settle for a particular camcorder. As a general rule when buying a video camcorder, the more money you invest, the more advanced camcorder you get. So, stretching your budget even a bit can afford you a camcorder with better performance and advanced features.

Decide the Purpose: The next step should be to decide the purpose for which you want to buy a portable camcorder. Asking yourself the following questions can help you decide: Do you want to capture the precious moments of your family get together? Or do you want to shoot videos of sport events? Are you a pro at capturing videos or a beginner? Your answers to all these questions will help you grab the best camcorder that fits your needs.

Know the Key Features: The performance, color, and clarity are the main features that differ among video camcorders from various brands. Some camcorders offer videos with exceptional quality with sharp color contrast, while a few others do not. As said earlier, the specs and features vary with the price and brand of the camcorder. However, there are also possibilities that an expensive camcorder can perform below expectations and vice-versa. The capability of a camcorder to capture high-quality images under low light conditions also matters. The ease of use is yet another important factor that should help decide your purchase decision. If you aren’t a pro at shooting videos, then it’s advisable to opt for a portable camcorder with automatic control.

Unless you are clear about the features of the camcorder, its fair to say that it would be difficult to pick the right camcorder. Firstly, you need to understand the difference between an analog camcorder and a digital camcorder. When it comes to convenience and video recording, a digital camcorder ranks high. Next, you should look for the basic features that a camcorder should have. A few of these features include zoom, Image Stabilization, automatic modes, widescreen, shutter speed, and aperture.

Look for Reviews and Opt for Comparison Shopping: The last step is to look for reviews of the product to ensure that it’s worth your money. You can even compare prices at various comparison shopping sites available to get the best deals. Comparison shopping sites generally display camcorders from various brands and list the most important features. So, you can have a birds-eye view of the features and functionalities of a video camcorder, compare the prices, and shop for it at the e-store that offers it at the best price.

Questions to Ask

Having made up your mind to get a digital camcorder, you might end up barking up the wrong tree if you are not sure what you’re looking for. So, here are a few questions you ought to find answers for before picking one.

What media source does the camcorder use to save the recorded videos?

Mini DV is one of the much preferred media to record good quality videos as it is not only inexpensive, but is also reusable. DVDs, on the other hand, are also popular media as the user can view the recorded videos right away via a DVD player. While there are DVD camcorders available in the market, ultra-compact camcorders that use flash media, such as SD cards and memory cards to record videos are making a splash. Compact camcorders that use flash media are preferred over DVD camcorders owing to the extended memory capacity they offer.

What kind of controls does the camcorder have?

How effective the manual control on in the camcorder should also influence your purchase decision. A few camcorders allow the user to manually control nearly all its settings, including aperture, white balance, shutter speed, gain, and focus. A few others let you control only a few settings and the rest will be automatically adjusted by the camcorder itself. For instance, a camcorder with a single button to record videos is a sensible choice than another with complicated access controls, especially if you are an amateur videographer. Some digital camcorders allow the user to make adjustments even in the Auto mode.

How many ports does the camcorder have?

Make sure the camcorder that you choose comes with at least two connectivity ports – a USB port to let you connect the camcorder to your computer and an A/V port to let you transfer media files via analog method. A few camcorders also come with an S-video port, which is an advanced version of an A/V port.

Does it include accessories?

Not all video camcorders are accompanied by accessories. Although your purchase decision need not rely upon the accessories the camcorder comes with, you need to know the list of accessories you might want. Useful accessories include, accessory lenses, a camcorder bag, a tripod, and a white balance card.

Types of Camcorders

Initially, not many options were available when it came to purchasing camcorders. Despite being heavy and inconvenient, analog camcorders were the only ones available previously. Now the market is flooded with so many different types of camcorders to suit varied requirements and budgets. Today, with technological advancements on the rise, you have numerous types of digital camcorder to choose from.

Mini DV Video Camcorder – Popular among documentary filmmakers, Mini DV camcorders let you shoot high-quality videos for a maximum of 90 minutes. However, the recording time completely depends on the mode (standard play or long play) in which the camcorder is set. The biggest plus of Mini DV camcorders is that they facilitate precise and convenient editing. Although tapes are now being replaced by hard drives, its best to understand that tapes make a better choice for storage as your hard drive could crash anytime.

DVD Camcorder – The best part of DVD camcorders is that they record videos to mini DVD media that can be played either on a DVD player or the camcorder itself. However, when it comes to the cons, we must admit that the DVD camcorder limits the recording time and of course, DVDs are quite expensive when compared to tapes.

HDD Camcorder – HDD camcorders have an upper hand over others in terms of cost. Since these video camcorders come with a hard drive, you need not spend your money on tapes and DVDs. The only drawback of HDD camcorders is you might have to stop recordingbecause the hard drive is full and you can’t transfer the files to a computer or any other storage device.

Flash Camcorder – In a world that is all about being compact, flash camcorders are something that cannot be ignored. Although their compact looks may be deceiving, these camcorders come loaded with numerous advanced features. Unlike HDD camcorders, these compact camcorders do not have moving parts and so there are very minimal chances of physical damage.

Combo Model – There are also combo models that come with a removable flash drive apart from having a hard drive. So, even if your hard drive becomes full, you have the choice of recording videos to the memory card.

Besides these standard types, you can even find waterproof camcorders, pocket high definition camcorders, and night shot camcorders. Waterproof camcorders make an excellent choice for underwater videography, whereas pocket high definition camcorders are the height of convenience. Although the latter comes in a size that fits your pocket, they don’t lag behind in their performance. Night shot camcorders come handy when you want to capture videos under dull lighting conditions.

Features

When it comes to purchasing a good quality camcorder, there are a few basic features you need to look for.

Zoom – A portable camcorder with good quality zoom lets you capture far-off subjects in stunning quality. Optical zoom refers to how many times closer the camcorder can bring the object to you. For instance, if the camcorder comes with a 10x optical zoom, then it can bring the object 10 times closer to you. Digital zoom, on the other hand, simply enlarges the pixels, thus making it appear as though the object is closer.

Autofocus – Video camcorders with an autofocus feature eliminate the need to adjust the focus manually. Of course, manual focus is required for low light conditions. You can also find certain models that allow you to adjust the shutter speed, exposure, and white balance.

Image Stabilizer - Most camcorders available now come with Image Stabilizer feature and so picking one shouldn’t be a problem. Image stabilization in camcorders guarantee crisp and clear images by minimizing blur due to shakes that are likely to occur while shooting. Using a tripod to avoid blurred images due to camcorder shakes is a good idea. However, in the absence of a tripod, image stabilizer steps in ensuring blur-free videos.

Storage Capacity – Both hard drive and flash camcorders come with varying memory capacities, which is why they have captured the attention of many. Few camcorders also come with removable flash memory cards. So, once the memory card is full, you can replace it with a new memory card. There are two common types of memory cards available – SD memory card and memory sticks.

LCD Screen – Camcorders come with varying sizes of LCD screens ranging from 2½ to 4 inches. However, it is sensible to opt for bigger screens. Few LCD screens cannot be viewed clearly under the sun, which becomes a major disadvantage when the camcorder does not have an eyepiece or if the LCD is a touchscreen. Some camcorders do come with a viewfinder, which helps save power and is perfect for use in bright lighting conditions.

Popular Brands

You can pick a camcorder that suits your needs and requirements from of the plethora of camcorders offered by various manufacturers. Some of the popular brands are Samsung camcorders, Canon camcorders, Panasonic camcorders, and Sony HD camcorders. Every brand has its own set of advanced features.

Samsung : Great looks, superior functionality, and intuitive controls are what Samsung camcorders are all about. Most sleek digital camcorders from Samsung use the advanced Flash Memory technology, which extends the battery life and also ensures quick start up in just 3 seconds. These compact camcorders are not only easy to use, but also extremely functional. Samsung HD camcorders promise to deliver lifelike images even under low-light conditions.

Canon : Canon camcorders are available in a wide range with varying features to fit every individual’s needs. Available in an exciting range of colors, flash camcorders from Canon are perfect for personal use. On the other hand, Canon professional camcorders that deliver superior quality videos with exceptional detail are designed exclusively for creative videographers.

Panasonic : Packed with innovative features, Panasonic camcorders are available with/without 3D compatibility. Camcorders from Panasonic offer reliable performance and impressive controls. These camcorders are available in a wide range to suit every pocket. So, whatever be your budget, you will find a Panasonic camcorder for you.

Sony : Well renowned for their range of truly functional electronic gadgets, Sony needs no introduction. From DVD camcorders to flash camcorders to pocket camcorders, this brand has it all! The Bloggie 3D camcorder is one of the recent additions to their line of pocket high definition camcorders. Sony HDD camcorders make a perfect choice for long hours recording, whereas their flash camcorders are compact and so boast of excellent performance and ease of use as well.

This camcorder buying guide should have given you an insight into the various aspects of buying a camcorder. Get to know about more about the products available by reading through our expert reviews. You can even compare prices across various online sellers to get the best deal.

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