Shoot Video Like A Pro
Choosing the right camera is the number one priority on your "things to do list". There are many things to consider:
1. External Microphone Terminal: Required so you can plug in an external microphone. A must have. Check for the external mic terminal first, if it’s not there, choose another camcorder.
2. FireWire Terminal: Might be listed as a DV terminal or a IEEE-1394 connection. A must have so you can send and receive digital video between camcorder and computer.
3. Remote Control: Needed so you can operate the camera while recording yourself. Allows you to start the record, zoom, pause, etc. Extremely useful.
4. Headphone Terminal: Required so you can use headphones to check the audio being recorded. Another must have.
5. 1/4″ or larger CCD: Avoid anything smaller. The larger the CCD the higher the resolution of the video.
6. 10X Optical Zoom: Do not settle for less and do not be seduced by digital zoom which is pretty worthless for your needs.
7. Manual White Balance: Required to balance colors under all lighting conditions.
8. Image Stabilization: Steadies the image as you shoot. It doesn’t compensate for bad camerawork, but it can help smooth out a shot when you can’t use a tripod.
9. Tripod Socket: You would be hard put not to find this but worth mentioning.
10. Top or Side Loading Tape: Inconvenient to have a bottom loading tape when using a tripod.
11. Manual Focus And Exposure Controls: Having the ability to turn off automatic control leads to better production as you become more experienced.
12. S-Video In/Out: Needed so you can record input from computer screens. Most useful.
