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Why Trade Up To A Digital Video Camera?
By Trevor | August 2, 2007
Most analogue video camcorders can offer extremely high quality videos to be saved and shared much the same way as digital video, and in some instances offer better quality, even though that is changing on a monthly basis.
The zoom capabilities on a regular tape camcorder may seem limited when compared to the numbers presented by the digital video units, but don’t let that be the final deciding factor.
Camcorders are limited to optical zoom, which is done through the manipulation of the glass lenses. Optical zoom brings an image closer to where only a certain portion of the picture will fit into the frame. Typically, a twelve-power zoom is available on most consumer market units.
Digital video cameras are pushing zoom numbers of a previously unheard of level in the hundreds. They will have a certain optical zoom capability then switch to digital zoom.
Optical zoom is performed inside the camera where an image is taken in its actual size, or as large as the optical zoom allows, then digitally increases its size. This can result in poor image quality and in some of the larger zoom sizes; the pixels of the picture will be visible.
Digital video editing software, contrary to popular belief, does not require a digital camera to use. All they want is a digital signal, the source of which is irrelevant to the software.
A connection between the camcorder and the computer is accomplished by the use of a video capture card. The source signal can be your camcorder, a digital video recorder, a tape player or even your television antenna. The capture card and the video editing software simply do not care.
Where the difference may be noticeable is in the quality of the image that has been copied to your hard drive. Firewire connecting a digital video recorder makes an exact copy of the digital image on the digital recorder.
Tapes or other signals connected through a Digital Video connector may realize a slight loss of quality, but for the most part, it will be hard to detect.
If you have a newer video tape camcorder, it will probably do a great job for years to come. Unlike digital cameras, which are rendering the film industry obsolete, digital video cameras are entering the market with few detrimental effects to the video film industry.
Movies recorded by a digital camera are still being transferred to video tape for storage or sharing and VCRs are still a hot commodity for showing them
If you are in the market for a new video recorder you may want to consider taking the digital road for the quality, but the same features that sold you on your old camcorder should be the same you look for in a new digital video camera.
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