zCamcorder

DVD camcorders are a fast-growing sector in the camcorder market, with big players like Sony, Panasonic and Hitachi throwing their hats in the ring. They are gaining popularity by the day and are now available at reasonable prices.

DVD camcorders are different from regular digital video cameras, as the former record video onto three-inch size DVD discs, rather than DV tape. This procedure gives DVD camcorders a number of plus points. DVD discs are stronger than tape and unlikely to get chewed up in the camera. The disc can hold about 30 minutes of DVD-quality video. You can get more recording time by altering the recording mode, but you do that at the risk of compromising on the video quality.

Another advantage of DVD discs is random access, whereas on tape everything is recorded sequentially. So you don’t have to rewind and fast forward to find the clip you are looking for. All you need to do is just select it from the menu. In some of them, you can even perform basic editing functions on-camera. Moreover, you can enjoy your home movies after removing the DVD from the camera and playing it in almost any DVD player.

DVD camcorders have three different formats. While Sony prefers to uses the DVD-R and DVD-RW formats, Panasonic and Hitachi have chosen the DVD-R and DVD-RAM formats. Among them, the DVD-R format is most compatible with standard DVD players. But you can use the disc once only when recording in the DVD-R format.

One area of concern, however, is that video is encoded as MPEG-2 on a mini DVD camcorder, as opposed to DV format. So, it needs specialist software to edit. DVD camcorders are also more expensive than similarly specified mini DV cameras.

Digital Camcorders provides detailed information on Digital Camcorders, Digital Camcorder Reviews, DVD Digital Camcorders, Cheap Digital Camcorders and more. Digital Camcorders is affiliated with Camcorder Batteries.

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Batteries have come along way in development with our high demands for our cellphones, laptops and digital cameras. Batteries have to have more power and last longer. The way we should take care of our batteries have changed. Reconditioning your battery to prolong its life is part of the maintenance of proper battery care. By reconditioning you can give your laptop or camcorder battery more life and lasts longer. Familiarize and get to know a few basic tips on how the battery works and proper storage and care.

Tips on reconditioning your batteries

Research shows if you leave your Nicd for three months or more crystals inside will ingrain together having them turn into a more solid structure, which is hard to break up. At this point reconditioning is required. This process is a slow discharge which is to remove any energy remaining and bring it below| v/cell. Let the battery fully discharge once every three months is a good maintenance procedure for your NimH and Nicd batteries. The NimH battery has the shorter life so over exercising (discharging|recharging) is not recommended.

Storing Batteries properly is important

Reconditioning of your batteries will be done in several cycles of you discharge and recharging in the life of your battery. Twelve hours before use charging will help you in your power loss. Don’t store your battery before use as it will loose power naturally and is not part of the reconditioning and maintenance system. For storing you should charge the battery to full and turn off the power. If you are storing the battery for several months or more. Not charging may result in poor battery reconditioning. By following these maintenance and reconditioning procedures you can get more life from your video camera, digital camera, cellphone and your laptop batteries or any other device that uses batteries.

Daryl Plaza is the owner of A1-batteries - a website with resources|reviews to help learn more about your cell phone, camcorder and laptop batteries with information and tips on all your battery needs.

http://www.a1-batteries.com

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Canon xl2 digital camcorder and a chance meeting as I was on a lunch break.

Did you know that you can get fed & paid to learn about video production? Picture this:

You’re down the street at the local shops when you hear a lot of screaming from up a side street.

“What the heck was that?” you think to yourself and make your way around the corner to see what all the commotion is about.

To your surprise, you see twenty or thirty people screaming and carrying on as they chase a New York City taxi-cab, only to have it stop after twenty yards and back-up, ready to do it all over again.

You hesitate for a moment and contemplate if it would be better to turn around and walk in the other direction.

It’s then you notice the traffic control personnel, the lights, cameras and huge number of support people. You have stumbled across a location shoot for a television commercial.

“Ahaaa”, you say to yourself “perfect opportunity to learn about ‘the business’”.

So you hang around and study the camera angles, positioning of the lights and how it is all controlled by the director. The placement of screens and reflectors, the use of microphones and the roles of the support crew.

It’s when you speak to the ‘extras’ (the rowdy ‘mob’) that you discover they are being paid $20 an hour and the whole event is fully catered!

Now if you want to learn more about the business of film and video production with the added bonus of being paid to do so, sign up as an extra and learn from the inside. If you are unsure where to start, just type ‘movie extra’ in a search engine like google.

Now this is a true story and as my luck would have it, was taking place right outside my office window for most of the day (the screaming and yelling did get a bit tedious after a while).

It was good to speak to the cast extra’s, but this was a better opportunity to talk to the technical crew on aspects of filming and production. Just had to pick the right moment.

And that I did and picked up some good info to boot!

The production house was not a large firm so they had developed systems and procedures to control costs while providing quality outputs. One of these was using a Canon xl2 digital camcorder as the secondary camera.

The size and weight of the Canon xl2 compared to the betacam unit allowed it to be placed in unusual locations quickly and easily (thus saving time, which equals money) and the image quality showed no discernable difference (you would need to view on a new digital system to notice a difference and even then you’d have to be looking closely.

I even managed to get a word in with the main production cameraman so I could ‘pick his brain’ on the Canon xl2 digital camcorder. He loved the unit but did say he found it’s performance questionable when filming vertical stripes and off green colourings (the types of situations you might find in filming catwalk models). Other than that he said the xl2 was a great asset for a pro or semi-pro operator.

So if you’d like a whole lot of fun while getting paid, sign up as a movie/production extra. And if you want a great camcorder and have the experience to use it get yourself a Canon xl2 digital camcorder.

Mark Sturge is the owner of KMS Productions and webmaster at kmsvideo.com. A site where visitors can find digital camcorder reviews such as the canon xl2 digital camcorder as well as useful hints and tips to better their filming techniques.

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