Camcorders

Questions and Answers

camcorders...?

Q) what type of camcorders connect straight to computers, and from there you can upload whatever you filmed straight to the computer...?

A) There are many camcorders from http://www.epathchina.com connect straight to computers, and you can upload whatever you filmed to computer very conveniently, look around may be you will find what you need.

When it comes to Digital Camcorders - what is the simple difference beween the terms digital and optical zoom?

Q) I read somewhere once, digital zoom is actualy of secondary importance to a camcorder enthusiast and that to get a sense of the power of a cam, you find out its 'optical zoom' , fine I suppose. So whats the difference between digital zoom and optical zoom ?

A) ya its true that digital zoom is of no or secondary importance. the main difference comes when you want to take a picture which is a distance and you want to take a pic.now optical zoom actually can zoom to the object (as prescribed on the cam or video cam like 4x or 6x etc.. ) you will no lose the picture clarity. where as the digital zoom can be larger then the optical but actually coming to truth the digital zoom never takes the picture of the distance objects but instead it zooms the picture in the optical zoom.ie if the picture has a tree and u want the see it clearly a fruit on it you zoom in the picture viewer the clarity of the fruit drcreases the same thing happens in digital zoom. so opt for cam with larger optical zoom never worry about the digital one. go to the source below get the clear picture.

Are HDD camcorders they the best type of camcorder you can get and what time recording can you get from 20 gb?

Q) Any more info on HDD camcorders would be appreciated too, thanks.

A) HDD are not the best I don't know what you mean Try www.camcorderinfo.com

Does anyone know of a place that will buy broken camcorders?

Q) Me and my camcorder got caught in a sandstorm on holiday and it hasn't worked since. I'm in desperate need of cash and was wondering if anywhere would buy it to repair and sell on.

A) You can try to sell it on eBay or Craigslist...just be sure to disclose that the camcorder is broken.

Is it OK to use camcorders in Windsor Castle?

Q) I'm doing a college project around Windsor, and was wondering if anyone knows if it's OK to take video clips using a camcorder at Windsor Castle?

A) Photography and filming (for private use only) are permitted in the Castle Precincts. Mobile phones must be switched off inside the State Apartments and St George's Chapel.

Can most camcorders also be used as a camera to take still pictures?

A) These days, Yes, lots of them usually store still pictures on a SD card or similar where video goes to either Tape,Dvd or hard drives.

Does anyone know any UK web sites which review/recommend camcorders?

Q) I can find loads of sites telling me where the cheapest camcorders can be found, but to help me inform my decision as to which is the best one I would like to read some independant reviews from people who know about these things. Thank you.

A) www.cnet.co.uk is quite good as it gives in depth report reviews. Otherwise, try amazon.co.uk, type in the camcorder your thinking of buying and if they sell it, usually there will be a list of customers own reviews and opinion on the product.

Do you need a USB cable or a firewire cable to upload videos from camcorders? Or do you need to use both?

Q) I am trying to upload videos, but I don't exactly know what kind of equipment I need. Do I need a USBcable, firewire cable, or both?

A) It depends on the camcorder. It will tell you the technical requirements in the user manual. Some will even offer both methods of transfer.

Is iLink (Firewire) better for connecting camcorders than USB?

Q) When I connect my Sony mini DV camcorder directly to my TV, the images replayed are detailed and sharp. However, the same footage, when imported to my laptop and burned to a DVD and then played back on my TV, is of poorer quality and sharpness. Does anybody know why this might be? I’ve used 2 different pieces of software to import the footage but both produce the same poor results. I am connecting my camcorder to my laptop via a USB cable but could also connect them using an iLink Firewire cable. Does anyone know if this will improve the quality of the images. If so – I’ll go and buy one.

A) Firewire is the way to go in Video Transfer. While many USB Cables are catching up (I belive the 2.0 may surpass) to the Firewire, the transfer rate varies in USB to greatly, sometimes packets are transfered at a very low rate, and other times at a high rate. Firewire is generally consistent with it's transfer rates, and is what I use for all Video to Computer Transfer. Let me know if you have any further questions. Blake Adams

Do all digital camcorders have a 'frame record' function?

Q) If not, what fairly recent/newish models do? I want one to make stop-motion animation films with, but I'm not sure what to go for. I want something with fairly decent resolution, a zoom lens, and if possible a swivel LCD display panel.

A) Take a look to Canon S3 Is or some panasonic dmz series. You can have some more info at www.dpreview.com