Digital camcorders bring true freedom to recording home movies
Cameras which record moving pictures have traditionally been much larger and therefore less portable than their still-frame counterparts.

All that has changed, however, with the massive advances in digital media which have taken place in the last few years.

And it's the size of the media on which the moving images are recorded which has made such tremendous advances possible.

Initially, video recorders took a full-size video cassette, and this in itself meant that the cameras could not go below a certain size. Then, the micro-video cassette was devised, which could be placed inside a full-size video outer case for the purpose of playing back the content on a VCR.

Now, though, it's the advent of compact photographic and video memory cards which has enabled this mini-revolution to reach its ultimate stage. Offering the capability to store large amounts of video - and still images - on a card no bigger than a thumbnail, these recording media have enabled camcorders to be vastly reduced in size in turn.

Just like their still counterparts, digital camcorders also usually come with a zoom lens, allowing the photographer to get really close to the action, or zoom out for a wide, more panoramic view.

Tiny sensors inside the camcorder usually take care of adjusting the focusing. These ultra-precise devices detect where the main body of a picture is located, and adjust the focus accordingly.

Zoom lenses fitted in many camcorders offer truly awe-inspiring capabilities to get as close as possible to the action. Because of these massive zoom ratios, manufacturers have taken to incorporating image stabilisation software in the innards of their camcorders. This acts by altering the path to the camera's sensor which breaks down an image into the millions of pixels which constitute a digital picture. The technology is especially useful in minimising the effect of movement of the hands when operating a digital camcorder, as these rarely move along the same trajectory as the photographer's eyes when they are following, and recording, a moving image.

Important accessories to consider when buying a modern, compact camcorder include a spare memory card. The price of digital memory has dropped sharply in recent years, and this, along with the availability of standard SD format cards with ever greater capacity, means that the cost of building a substantial home video library is lower than ever.

And finally, if a digital camcorder is to be used to its maximum potential, a sturdy but lightweight protective case is a must.

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