Category — Video Camcorder

Flip camcorders, made by Pure Digital, are getting a new little brother in the form of a compact HD camcorder. In addition to the Flip Mino and the Flip Ultra, Pure Digital announced Wednesday that they will add a Flip Mino HD, with 720p recording capabilities, to the mix.

Ever popular with the YouTube video crowd, Flip camcorders are big sellers in the ultra-compact camcorder market. The Flip Mino HD is expected to be similar to other compact HD camcorders such as the RCA Small Wonder HD. Software for easy editing and uploading of videos will be included with the new Flip .

While they won’t fit the bill for your next B movie, compact camcorders like the new Flip Mino are super-handy for uncomplicated, on-the-go fun. Pop one in your pocket and who knows what will happen?

I can see the opening scene now: Phelps shoveling down his 12,000-calorie breakfast, ending with those chocolate chip pancakes. There must be tons of footage available already thanks to all of those digital camcorders and video cameras that have been following him around.

I haven’t thought about swimming much since I was a kid, but watching Michael Phelps at the Olympics made me notice that something is missing from my life: the opportunity to eat whatever I want and not have it show.

Thinking of Phelps and all of the technology-assisted broken records as the subject of a film made me think of how Hollywood has looked at sports over the years. Here is a short list of my personal favorites:

1. Bang the Drum Slowly
2. The Natural
3. Hoosiers
4. Field of Dreams
5. Chariots of Fire

Rocky just rates an honorable message in my book.

The are more video cameras on the market these days than any sane person can keep tabs on. But you won’t find many that are designed to record underwater. Not without a “housing,” anyway.

Even if you just want to take your camera into the bathtub with you (Ready for your close-up?), you’ll need a waterproof if you want to get any underwater shots. If you want to take it with you when you go snorkeling, you’ll be able to have a greater variety of subjects to choose from—and even more if you are scuba diving.

If you have an older camera, you may have to buy a new one. Manufacturers often discontinue making cases for older models. If you do have to buy a new one, make sure you buy a camera from a manufacturer that also offers a housing. Not all of them do.

You can find a more detailed discussion here. If you’re a hardcore DIY type, you can build your own. It looks like a major task to me though.

I’ve saved the best solution for last. I have enough trouble managing the gadgets I have already, so this nifty camcorder from the folks at Panasonic is just what I’d buy.

Panasonic SDR-SW20

Think your stuck with mediocre sound quality with your camcorder? Think again.

Check out BH Photo for some sound tips. You’ll quickly learn the basics of how to get professional sound quality from whatever consumer camcorder you currently use. The manufacturers market higher costing camcorders as having superior, professional sound.

But if you need (or just want) better sound, these articles will tell you what you need. Most of the camcorder add-ons available aren’t prohibitively expensive and well worth the cost. You’ll also get a few tips that will help you in other ways, e.g., recording directly from the sound board at a wedding or other locations. If you don’t want to settle for the OEM, there are alternatives. Now you know.

In America, more people own a PC than a Mac (despite what Apple would have us believe). Thus, all camcorders are considered PC Video camcorders. You can always find reviews on digital camcorders online. And with this information, you can see the compatibility of the camcorder. This is especially important with a DVD camcorder. You will want to be able to upload your footage to a computer more often (it’s like making a mix cd, but instead a dvd playlist). All you need is a computer and some Roxio burning program. Then, anybody is set to create dvds!

In the old days (ie. the 80s & 90s), amateur filmmakers wouldn’t use a computer. They would use two VCRs or actually edit in-camera. I know, it sounds too ridiculous to be true. But I do remember when my friend Erika and me would make little stop motion videos with our clunky VHS camcorder. It took forever. And then, if you wanted to get really complicated. You could edit with the two vcr combo connection. It was fun, but now it seems like such a waste of time and effort. Thank god, computers have made things go faster.

Most camcorders just use a USB cord or firewire cable to connect to a computer. And then you’re all set to manipulate your recordings.