Digital Video Cameras

What is a Video Camera?

Video cameras are used as an electronic machine for capturing pictures in motion. Earlier it was common in the television industry but now it has widened its uses and is used in various application areas.

Video cameras are used in two primary modes.
The first is the live television in which the camera captures actual time pictures straight to display for sudden observation. Most live connection cameras are for security purpose and tactical or military where secret footage is required.

The second type of video camera is used to record the images for further processing. Earlier video tapes were used for the primary formats. But today, hard disk, and flash memory in camcorders are increasingly used by the young generations.

Types of video cameras

• Professional video cameras are used for television production and filmmaking.

• Camcorders, are easy to carry and commonly used for TV production, home movies, electronic news gathering (ENG) and others. Some digital ones are pocket video cameras. Pocket video camcorders are becoming popular these days especially among the amateur videographers. These light weight small pocket camcorders function in the similar manner as full and large video cameras but they are very easy to use. By making it more compact, these cameras sacrifice video quality and possess fewer features than full fledged electronics counterparts. Now there are many pocket cameras available in the market that allows the individual to record videos in different formats. The internal memory of the pocket camcorders is limited to the recording of just 2 to 4 hours. The memory can be extended by using SD memory card which can store the memory for long period and record the video of longest duration.

Video camera with hard disk drives allows the filmmakers to record the footage straight in the camera’s memory which can be transferred to the computer through the USB mode. Pixel and screen size is the main factor which needs to get considered before buying the model. It is better to buy large cameras because they usually have large mega pixels which are needed to get the quality picture. Small handled cameras have smaller screens which create difficulty to record image clearly. Choosing video cameras with best light performance and low light makes it easier to capture the footage in dim lights. Some cameras have built in feature in them which is used to illuminate the footage while recording in dark environment.

• Closed-circuit television (CCTV) are used for security and surveillance needs. They are used commonly in homes, offices and public places. These video cameras are small so that they can work discreetly and function unattended.

• Webcams are video cameras that produce a live video feed for a computer.

Price range

• For home and vacation movies, there are cameras with simple controls and good-quality output at $300 to $800
• Budget buyers who don’t want to spend much can buy camcorder with basic features at $500 or less.
• There are stylish and feature-rich cameras for the ones who want to set the trend and look cool at $800 to $1,500.
• If you are an independent filmmaker looking for professional video camera to shoot a documentary or any other video, you will get one at $1,500 and more.
• For shooting business meetings and presentations, you can get a camera at $600 to $1,500.

However, you can also find professional video cameras available at prices between $2000-$5000 and higher price range from $5000- $10,000 and more.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Helps capture full videos in the available memory without any difficulties, convenient to carry, cheaper than other cameras, variable shutter speed, a wide range of megapixels, zoom options along with 20 x zoom lens which means that you can click the pictures standing far from the places quiet operation and good video results in automation mode.

Cons: Expensive, low insurance premium and overall costs, some models are bulky, inconvenient to carry

Top brands in the industry

Kodak playsport, Canon Vixia HF G10 (Black), Canon Vixia HV30, Sony Handycam HDR-CX130 (Black), Canon Vixia HF M400 (Black) and the other various top brands

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