It's a balancing act between budget, image quality, features and simplicity.

With so many video cameras available it's important to choose a camera that is “fit for purpose”.

For successful implementation be sure to consider the skills of the camera operator.

There are various cameras types available:

  • Digital Stills camera with video clip feature
  • Digital Camcorders (DV)
  • Hybrid digital movie camera

Suggested checklist:

  • Good lens/digital sensor
  • Records appropriate format/resolution/quality
  • Good on-board microphone / microphone input
  • Easy to use

Other factors:

  • Battery life
  • Microphone gain control
  • White balance control

 

 PROS

 CONS

 Digital Stills  Light, compact, low cost, compressed files, easy to use  Low picture quality, no external microphone input, limited movie length, limited manual control
 Digital Camcorder  Excellent picture quality, external microphone input, manual controls, large capacity, good availability  Bulky, more complex, require capture process
 Hybrid digital movie camera  Light, compact, compressed files, easy to use, good picture quality, external microphone input, manual controls, large capacity, low cost  Poor availability, poor low-light capability, average on-board microphones

Hybrid digital movie cameras meet this criteria and offer the additional benefit of recording compressed video direct to SD card.

  • Some digital stills cameras will only record video for 30 seconds at a time. If you intend to use this type of camera please check the maximum time limit for video clips.
  • Some digital camcorders record to DVD media or internal hard-drives, others may require that you transfer video via a Fire-wire or USB port. Please make sure your computer/laptop has the relevant ports.
  • Some digital cameras, camcorders and hybrid movie cameras record in formats that are not readily useable in Windows Movie Maker. You will need to convert the recorded files before they can be imported with third-party conversion software. We have created our own utility for converting MP4 to AVI - contact us for a free copy.

Conversion Software: