Buying camcorders doesn’t have to be painful. You just need to know 2 things: (1) What will you use it for and (2) how much you’re willing to spend for it.

Home movies
If your main purpose for a camcorder is to document events like family gatherings or vacations, you won’t need very fancy models. A low- to mid-range camera, something with a 10x optical zoom (or 20x digital zoom) will do an adequate job.

Zoom
Camera zoom comes in 2 kinds: optical and digital. Camera lenses perform optical zoom, while digital is performed by camera software. Optical zoom trumps digital when it comes to image quality, which makes optical zoom-capable cameras the way to go for amateur filmmaking.

Storage
For home or vacation movies, recommended storage formats are hard disks, memory cards and DVD disks. Since footage is already in digital format (as opposed to tape), they’re easier to share with others via email or online on sites like YouTube.

Amateur filmmaking
If you’re into making an amateur film, you may want to think about getting a camcorder that works well under conditions such as low-light levels. If your funds permit it, go for 3CCD cameras (the camera has 3 CCD chips instead of 1). Without getting too technical, 3CCD cameras shoot better colors and the images show better even with low light levels. Your choice for storage formats depends on how much footage you need for your project. f you’re going to take a lot of footage, a miniDV camera may be a better option than hard disk, memory card or DVD disk models because you’ll less likely to run out of storage space and miniDV tapes cost a lot cheaper.

Budget
Once you’ve figured out how you’ll mostly be using your camcorder, it’ll be easier to determine a budget. After that, it’s just a quick search on where to purchase camcorders of your choice at the best price.

But before you break the bank, one great thing about video technology nowadays is that you don’t have to go for broke to get good quality video. There are camcorders today that go from just under $50 to about $150 and they’re great for capturing day-to-day stuff. Many camcorders can even record in HD (720p) format, which means that if you have an HDTV, you’ll be getting the most out of your video equipment.

When looking to buy HD camcorders, carefully consider storage. Some cameras come at a low price because built-in memory is very limited (or none at all). So consider the costs for buying the required storage media when buying your camcorder.

In conclusion, as long as you’ve defined what you need and how much you’re willing to spend, choosing which camcorder to buy won’t be all that confusing. And whatever brand you get, whether you decide to buy a canon camcorder, a Sony model or a less prominent brand, the important thing is that the camcorder you own came at a cost that is reasonable to you and will help you achieve your goals – whether it’s to fulfill your filmmaking ambitions or to preserve precious memories. To see affordable options, check out http://www.camcorders4less.com.