WOW your audience amd make you feel like a pro  by taking the next step and using advanced techniques

To support this new found breadth of purpose, camcorder design has undergone a huge array of changes in recent years. While you still have the basic combination of lens, CCD, processor and storage medium, you now get all sorts of tools ranging from a diversity of video encoding options designed to maximize image quality or size, sockets to cover every option from playing footage on a TV to copying it onto a memory card, and handy tools designed to do everything from smoothing out your shots to capturing radiant smiles.

high definition camcorders have imported the best features from your computer and DSLR

Focus Peaking / focus assist

Combine professional skills with hi-tech functions and you’ll banish unwanted focus foul ups

Most professional camera operators will tend to zoom in, set their focus then zoom back out again , as this makes it easier to get the image nice and sharp and it won’t soften as you return to your intended shot length. Focus Peaking and Focus Assist functions on your camcorder take this professional trick and give it a high tech slant , like Zebra patterning modes that help you get your vulnerability correct, In recent years we’ve seen more and more camcorders offer a similar function to help you get your focus right Focus Peaking modes increase the contrast of the image displayed on your camcorder’s LCD screen without increasing the contrast of the footage being recorded to your tape or card, The increased contrast •on your screen will allow you to see the edges of the objects you’re shooting far more clearly, making it easier to detect if they’re a little fuzzy and unfocused.
Some camcorders will even mark suspiciously soft edges within the shot with a glowing fringe to make sure you can’t miss them The ultimate step in focus peaking is the focus assist mode, which zooms the image as well as turning on focus peaking, so you can’t miss a thing. Focus Peaking can be used as you shoot to help keep the action sharp, while Focus Assist will help you set up your shots before hitting the red button.

Optical Zoom
Another example of a mechanical solution that is better than its digital counterpart optical zooms should be at the top of your shopping list

As long as Optical Image Stabilisation is an example of an old method being subtly better than its modern counterpart , This cannot be said about optical zoom which is head and shoulders above older counterpart

Mic Attenuation
Improving the quality of camcorder microphones has created new challenges

In the past microphone seemed  come across to be an afterthought. Even the big names in camcorder manufacturers , the microphone were poor , constructed from trashy, unshielded components and prone to hissing and spitting as if every bit of footage you recorded came across as bad.

The voices of ambitious videomakers were heard over time, and manufacturers slowly began improving the quality ot camcorder mics until we reached the point today where camcorders can record in pseudo-surround sound, or zoom the pick-up pattern of their shotgun mic to record better long distance audio, You can even forego the onboard mic entirely and plug in a high quality external Unfortunately, the upshot of all this is that while we can now record significantly better sound, it has also become much harder to do so.

 Camcorder microphones have gone from being the weakest link in the chain to one of the strongest picking up a range and volume of noise far greater than the camcorder’s circuitry can process without overloading; fortunately, there are all sorts of features that will help out, most notably in the form of Mic Attenuation. In the simplest terms, Mic Attenuation just seems to turn down the volume of your camcorder, but in actual fact switching your Nic Attenuation on is dropping the microphone’s sensitivity by as much as 30Db. Where a volume pickup reduction would get rid of the quietest of noises, Mic Attenuation works by making sure that the loudest of noises recorded stay within the tolerance of the camcorder’s circuitry, meaning that you avoid distortion or complete audio blackouts from massive audio peaks, Mic Attenuation is handy in situations where you want the effect of Audio Gain Control without the bother of monitoring the audio, but it really comes into its own at concerts and stage shows where you’ll be recording your audio from a particularly powerful source such as an external microphone or by cable from a mixing desk.

Advanced Features Mini Buyers’ Guide

When it comes to optical zoom ratios, there are some camcorders that by going that extra millimeters.

lOx is the usual magnification on a camcorder, and the most common extent of an optical zoom by a landslide,.Until recently, it wasn’t uncommon to find the occasional camcorder with a 22x or 25x zoom as its strongest selling point, and even in these days of ultra-compact camcorder chassis you can still find the odd model that goes a little bit further than lOx. Camera operators use their zoom as a composition device, an aid to concentrate, for dramatic effect or simply just to close the distance between them and their subject Whether you’re filming play from the back row, doing a bit of long distance wildlife photography or simply trying to crash zoom for effect, here is our pick of the five camcorders that go that little bit further.

Sanyo Xacti VPC-TH1

While the VPC-TH1 has the lowest genera score of all the models in this round up, it offers far and away the most power for your pound when it comes to choosing a camcorder  or it’s zoom ratio. The TH1 will set you back £18O/ $260 quid, for which you’ll get a market leading 30x optical zoom,

Canon Legria HF200

Next up is the HFZOO, a Canon cam that earned itself an awards for it’s excellent design and image quality, but which also offers you a very impressive 15x optical zoom,

Sony HDR- XRS2O

One of Sony’s flagship models, the XR25O is jammed to hilt with high end features and it also has a 1 2x optical zoom.

Sony HDR-CX520

The CX520 complements it’s excellent video and stills image quality with an array of useful features, not least of which is a 2x zoom.

Panasonic HOC H5300
A 12 x zoom is just one of the reasons why the HS300 earned top scores for features, handling and execution,

A guide to best  buy hd camcorders on the market , Including the new flip slide hd camera