A camcorder has the ability to record video, audio and most of them also take still shots. The camcorder fulfills both of these functions. Digital camcorders are popular eletronic devices used by the public to record video and audio and also have still picture digital camera capability as well.

The first video cameras were big and bulky and the recorder was actually a separate unit. These were only used by tv studios and not by the everyday consumer.

Sony released the first professional camcorder in 1982. The Sony Betacam used small cassetes. This was revolutionary for the television industry and although it added to the typical cameraman’s job, it quickly became the standard for capturing the all important events, such as news.

The first consumer camcorder was released by Sony in 1983. This one was still a dinasour and too big big to be held in one hand. By 1985 other companies were making VHS models of camcorders, including, RCA and Hitachi. These hit the top of the popularity lists with college TV studios and just video fanatics in general.

The digital era came into play around the mid-1990’s. The DV and mini-DV was quite a size reduction as well as a great improvement in video and audio quality over the regular analog camcorders.

As the size of the camcorder reduced so has the price tag. The old school big video cameras cost over $1500.00. Now they will fit in a shirt pocket and not break the bank at around $100.00.

When purchasing a camcorder you will want the most features for a price you can afford.

3 Top Camcorder Brands:

Here are the three best consumer rated camcorders with quality features.

Canon HFS100

Canon, always a leader in camera technology has the HFS100 High Definintion Flash Memory camcorder with Full HD recording. For 2009 they have upgraded to 8 megapixels and have manual Audio Level Control.

Sony HDR-CX100

Next in line is Sony, which is true innovation at work with superior audio and digital media. They have their own HDR-CX100 Flash Memory High Definition model camcorder. This one includes a battery saver feature known as BIONZ image processor that improves the speed and quality of video. This one is unit because of it’s Smile Shutter feature that automatically detects smiles and knows to take a still shot.

Panasonic HMC150

Now to the Panasonic version, their HMC150 offers High Definition superior image quality. This camera exceeds professional videographers expectations and is as easy to use as any digital still camera.

Any of these models are a great choice for fantastic video recording. Learn more about the camcorders with a complete digital camcorders types guide.

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