Panasonic Mini DV Camcorder
This line of DV camcorders features a range of compact, yet feature-rich, handheld video recording devices. Common aspects include an optical zoom of up to 30X (depending on model), an image stabiliser, USB & Firewire connectivity and Colour Night View. Of course the range of features on the cameras vary depending on the specific version of the camcorder, but here are some of the key features to look for.
Features of mini DV camcorders
A more compact, smaller tape that records onto DV mini tapes and can typically hold up to around 11GB of data on a tape 65 meters long. It's typically used for digital video recording rather than analog.
Camera shake can be very visible if the camera is handheld. However, electronic image stabilisation can compensate for this. It achieves this by shifting the electronic image from frame to frame of video in order to counteract the motion.
The size of the LCD screen is important to consider if you want to clearly see what you're shooting. However, for the compact video cameras , screens will fall around the 2.5inch mark. This is something to bear in mind if you want to see more of what you're shooting on a bigger screen.
The number of the optical zoom relates to the focal length. This is the distance between the center of the lens and the image sensor inside the camera. Zoom length varies according to quality of camera, but the Panasonic camcorders tend to have an average of 10x, with some models going up to 30x optical zoom.
Some models feature a colour night mode which allows you to record images in very low light situations.
USB & Firewire Connectivity
USB and firewire connectivity means that you can connect the device to a computer and transfer data using a USB or firewire cable.