Toolbox: Camcorders
Choose and use simple camcorders to create Hollywood-style results
If I had any doubt of what could be achieved with an affordable camcorder and a bit of imagination, it was swept away while attending a high-school film festival. As I watched, kids from San Fernando High School in Southern California shared short live-action and animated films they had created with cameras, computers and software. Viewable at www.sfett.com, the films come complete with music and special effects. These kids reminded me of how far video filmmaking has advanced while becoming more affordable.
Although some of us would love to own a camera with enough bells and whistles to rival the instrument panel of a space shuttle, today's selection of sub-$1,000 camcorders offers great image and sound quality, and enough features to make our videos of family, vacations and sporting events something worth watching.
Cameras
Buying a camera in this price range used to mean giving up a lot. Today, you get a lot of bang for your buck, with features such as full digital recording, higher color accuracy, reduced chromatic aberration and high-end functions, including image stabilization and progressive scan recording.
With all of the camera specifications and marketing hype flying about, it can be a challenge to make the best choice. But it has been my experience that by evaluating a limited number of features, you can easily determine which of today's cameras best suit your imaging needs.
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