Buying the Right Video Camera

Now that we have the audio side of things covered, I’d like to take a brief moment to discuss picking out a video camcorder. With Camtasia Studio’s recent support of camera video (and considering the fact that new codecs and file formats have made it more feasible than ever to put real-world video on the web), you may be considering the purchase of a camcorder to round out your content creation arsenal. While a webcam can do the job in a pinch, if you want professional results, you’re going to need a more professional solution.

Because the range of devices in this area is so broad (and because my firsthand experience with individual units is admittedly narrow), I’m going to give you some general purchasing guidelines rather than recommend specific brands or models. Individual camcorder models have dozens of distinguishing characteristics, but for the purposes of this guide, I’m going to focus on the few most beneficial to indoor studio recording to complement Camtasia Studio. To wit:

• Go digital. Analog camcorders are quickly going the way of the dinosaur, so if you’re buying new, it shouldn’t be an issue. With analog cameras, you would need to find some way of digitizing your images so that you can work with them, and it’s simply more hassle than you probably need. Among digital camcorders, there are different types, and thus different ways of getting your content into your computer. Some cameras record directly to DVD, letting you then pop the disc into your computer’s DVD drive, though these are typically better suited to those who just want to point, shoot, and deliver, with no editing involved. MiniDV camcorders record onto digital tape. To import the content into your computer, you’ll need to connect the camera with a Firewire (IEEE 1394) cable. Some cameras are now completely tapeless, relying on a small hard drive to store your video data. Through an attached Firewire cable, these drives can be read and written to just like any other hard drive.

• Three heads are better than one. Digital camcorders are equipped with at least one CCD (or charged-coupled device)^[*], which is the sensor the camera uses for recording images. Most sub-$1,000 cameras sport only one of these. The higher-end camcorders, however, tend to have three - one each specifically engineered to respond to red, green, or blue light. This color separation yields a much higher quality image. With the increasing popularity of HDV (high-definition) camcorders pouring into the upper cost brackets, many quality low-def units are coming down in price. I’ve seen 3-CCD cameras as low as $500, and you can expect this trend to continue.

• Microphone input. If you’ve made home videos with garden-variety camcorders in the past, this little tidbit probably won’t be news to you. Most cameras’ built-in microphones are complete junk. Try to find a camera that has some sort of microphone input (preferably XLR, though most of us mortals can’t afford the cameras that offer this amenity). Even a 1/8" microphone jack would be handy, though. And of course, you need a mic to plug into it. If you’re doing a “talking head” style video, then a lavaliere mic would probably suit your needs just fine. Another option is a camera-mounted shotgun microphone. These attach to a special shoe on the camera, and many are now custom designed to “zoom in” on a subject in automatic response to the camera’s zoom.

• Get a remote. Since using a camcorder with Camtasia Studio often means that you’re the one on-camera, it behooves you to be able to control the unit from a distance. Remote controls are practical for executing new takes as well as zooming in and out. Most of the higher-end models include a remote, and even the lower-budget models have them available as an optional accessory.

• Video light. Virtually all lower-end camcorders choke in low-light situations, so make sure your studio is well-lit. While this isn’t completely necessary, a nice-to-have feature on your camcorder is an included lamp to brighten up your target when the ambient lighting just isn’t enough.

• Mount it. Especially if you’re taking video of yourself, you should be putting your camcorder on a tripod to keep it steady. Of course, if you want to go cheap, then an old table lamp will work, too. Just pop off the lampshade, and you’ll find that the lampshade threads exactly match your camera’s tripod mount. (Thanks to New York Times technology columnist David Pogue for this one.)

^[*]CCD sensors are increasingly being replaced by CMOS sensor technology, a less expensive alternative.