My very first camcorder was a beauty. It was shaped like a large sandwich in plastic wrap with a juice box taped to its side. It was a Hi8 camera and I used it so much that one day a piece flew out from the inside when I removed a tape. My parents got me another shortly thereafter.
So, I went off to film school armed with my camera. When I told my classmates that I had a camera they asked me if it was digital. Um, I think so. ...?
This month I hope to clarify camcorder formats (including the semi-popular DVD cameras) so you can make the best choice for your next camera purchase.
The "format" of a camera is kind of media it records to and, thus, what kind and quality of media it records. It turns out that my Hi8 camcorder that uses a Digital8 tape is not digital at all. So, to get my footage off my camera and onto a computer to edit, I needed to buy a special $300 box that would convert the analog signal to a digital one (you can find out more about this and many other subjects on our wiki).
Since the camera didn't cost much more than $300, I couldn't afford to buy another piece just to make it work with my computer. In short, it was pretty useless as a camera if I ever wanted to really get into editing.
This is true of the DVD or direct to hard drive camcorders as well. While they do record a digital signal, the video is in a very compressed MPEG2 format, which makes it difficult to edit and can reduce the quality when you do.
VHS cameras are entirely outdated, and VHS as a format does not hold much data, and less data means a much worse image.
So my recommendation is that you purchase a MiniDV camera. It is a solid format that allows for a really nice image. At this time it is not a good idea to purchase an HDV format camera (even though it is uses a MiniDV tape). The footage looks great, but it is a pain to work in because it is very compressed--like DVD camcorders--and there isn't a great way to show off your work in HD yet anyway.
Tip of the Month: Do not reuse your tapes. There are two reasons for this 1. Used tapes have a higher chance of messing up your footage, and, more importantly 2. You should hold onto everything you shoot in case you want it later.
