Buying a Mini DV camcorder is like buying a car: though the priciest models cost eight times as much as the cheapest, they all have essentially the same parts and they kook similar to the uninitiated. So why spring $4,995 for a JVC GY-DV500U when a Samsung SCD67 has an MSRP of $600?

Or, to go even further, why not just get a nice analog camcorder for $300 on the street? The short answer is, if you don't plan to copy or edit your tapes, go right ahead: the quality of Hi8 camcorders is quite good. Otherwise, Mini DV is an overwhelmingly superior format because you can make exact digital copies, you can make edits without loosing quality and (with some maintenance) you can make your precious videos last forever. Also, the ability to connect with a single cable and edit digital footage with an up-to-date desktop computer is amazingly powerful, even with software you can learn in an hour. So let's make a quick survey of the Mini DV format, to help you decide how much camcorder to buy and how much to pay for it.

For the Casual Shooter

Today, you can find many fine DV camcorders for $1,000 or less, all chocka-block with nifty features. Models like the Panasonic PV-DV101, the RCA CC9360 and several others use imaging chips (CCDs) with a generous 680,000 pixels, which produce very high-quality video images.

A few entry-level cameras lack some useful features that might be found in a more expensive camcorder. If you just want to point and push, you may not miss the lack of manual shutter, iris, focus or white balance; but you can't take control of your camcorder without them. Many models lack analog (S-video and/or composite) inputs, which means you cannot copy your old tapes to the camera in order to convert them to the DV format for archiving.

The Canon ZR20 is one of several models with a color viewfinder, which is better than black and white because it shows a truer picture of what you're getting (external screens are not as accurate as internal finders.)

Finally, a couple of camcorders in the under-S1000 category, like the Sharp VL-WD450U, can capture stills on memory sticks that can be inserted in card readers and uploaded into your computer. Models with tape-only stills record each as a several-second freeze frame, which must be located and transferred like any other video shot, and that's a far less convenient process.

For the Serious Hobbyist

And what do you get if you move up to the $1,000 to $2,000 price range? Part of the answer's easy: all the desirable features mentioned previously that are often missing from low-end camcorders. If you consult the matrix, you'll see that these models are loaded.

Because you'll be using more accessories at this level, you'll want an accessory shoe to hold a movie light or an external microphone. The Sony DCR-TRV17 and the Canon Elura 10 both have this desirable feature. A headphone jack is indispensable for any serious sound recording: think of headphones as a viewfinder for your ears. Most models in this range include them but a few omit this basic accessory.

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