Long gone are the days of gargantuan-sized camcorders that took VHS cassettes (remember those?) and put some serious strain on the user's shoulder. Today, a whole slew of camcorders exist with a variety of options available regarding recording media, features, and price. Contemporary lightweight models often fit in the palm of your hand, making a chiropractor's appointment after extended use no longer a necessity.

However, with the range of features and prices available in today's camcorder market, you may be asking yourself how to know which one is right for capturing all of your memories. Ask yourself some questions before you make a purchase:

* How much am I going to use this camcorder? Will it accompany me on vacation a few times a year, or will I be taping the grandkids and family on a regular basis?

* How much can I afford to spend up front?

* Am I willing to pay for removable media such as tapes or DVDs?

* What kind of video-shooting knowledge/skills do I have? Do I desire to learn new several facets of new technology?

* Do I have the necessary equipment to complement my camcorder purchase? For example: hard drive and flash camcorders require a computer with DVD burner while not owning a high definition television defeats the purpose of HD camcorders.

If you have a reasonably new PC with DVD burner, or are willing to obtain one, a flash camcorder or hard drive camcorder may be right for you. Flash camcorders are ultra-compact, and generally hold about 60 minutes of video on internal memory. Many models can also shoot still images and some can even function as an MP3 player. This type of camcorder can be yours for about $100. Be warned, however, you get what you pay for. I'm skeptical that video quality is anything superior on inexpensive flash models, and you'll need some PC expertise in order to download video and burn it onto DVD. Hard drive camcorders are similar to flash models in that they store video on reusable internal memory. With a hard drive camcorder, you get more of the feel of a real camcorder and additional features such as optical zoom. Prices for this format start around $500 and head north from there.

Perhaps removable media is more of your thing. A format that's been around for a while is mini-DV. Mini-DVs are small digital tapes that the camera records on, just like analog tapes of camcorders past. Since this technology has been around for a little while, prices on mini-DV units can

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about How to choose the best camcorder for you?
We want to hear your view. Write now!