Technology Shopper’s Guide Purchasing a Digital Video Camera

What to Consider When Purchasing a Camcorder Popular Storage Mediums; Pros and Cons Video Cameras Additional Resources Key Terminology Table of Contents Click each text link to access the informat ion Click to Exit

Purchasing a Camcorder Selecting the above image will launch your Internet browser and take you to an online video, “How to Buy a Camcorder.”

Storage Mediums MediumProsCons Tape (miniDV)  Fewer compatibility issues  Can capture high definition footage  Very little compression meaning high quality video  Lengthy download time  Slowly being replaced by other media forms  Linear access Mini DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM, and Blu-ray Disc  Video is recorded directly on a disc  Can be played directly in a DVD player  Standard & high def formats  Expensive  Less reliable  Limited storage capacity Memory Cards (SDHC, Memory sticks)  Compact  Durable  Will record both video & still images on same card  Non-linear access to video  Video is highly compressed  Short recording times Built-in Hard Drive  Longest recording times  Compact camera designs  Non-linear access to video  Not as durable as solid-state media  Additional hard drive storage space is required

Pocket Camcorders Sony Bloggie ™ Sony Bloggie Standard Definition Camcorders Panasonic SDR-H85K High Definition Camcorders Canon Vixia HF S200 Video Cameras Navigation Hints: Images link to ppt slides Text links to external websites (View Comparison Chart) Image from: Image from:

Sony Bloggie ™ CategoryPocket Camcorders ItemSony Bloggie Price (CDN)$ Model NumberMHSCM5V Source of Information cnet reviews digital camera reviews Sony User-friendly Rating out of 5 Image from:

Panasonic SDR-H85K Category Standard Definition Camcorder ItemPanasonic Price (CDN)$ Model NumberSDR-H85K Source of Information Panasonic cnet User-friendly Rating out of 5 Image from:

Canon Vixia HF S200 Category High Definition Camcorder ItemCanon Vixia Price (CDN)$ $ Model NumberHF S200 Source of Information Canon cnet Amazon User-friendly Rating out of 5 Image from:

Comparison Chart Category Pocket Camcorders Standard Definition Camcorder High Definition Camcorder ItemSony BloggiePanasonicCanon Vixia Price (CDN)$229.99$350.00$ $ Model NumberMHSCM5VSDR-H85KHF S200 Source of Information cnet reviews digital camera reviews Sony Panasonic cnet Canon cnet Amazon User-friendly Rating out of 5

“How to Buy a Digital Camcorder” – Author – PC World – Viewable online and includes printable version – Includes supporting video “Camcorder Buying Guide” – Author – cnet reviews – Viewable online and includes printable version “Video Editing Software Review” – Author – Top 10 Reviews – Viewable online – Includes supporting video guide Additional Resources Navigation Hints: Click images to link to external websites for more information.

AVCHD – Advanced Video Codec High Definition is a video recording format developed by Sony and Panasonic. The HD recording format can also be found in some camcorders sold by Canon, JVC and Sanyo. For additional information, read the discussion forum on cnet.cnet Pixel – The smallest element in a digital image. Each pixel contains only one color. SDHC – SanDisk high capacity memory card. View a pdf file of SanDisk’s cards.pdf Storage medium – Identifies what the video is stored on during the recording phase. Many digital video cameras have removable storage mediums, while others have fixed hard drives. Key Terminology