New Camcorders Give Consumers More Choices

Tammie White, left, tries her hand at using their DVD mini-camcorder as her husband Woody White, right, watches as they film their children Hayden and Haley on the swing, Thursday, April 13, 2006, in the backyard of their home in Wilmington, N.C. The Whites bought a DVD camcorder last year, helping to make it the fastest growing format in camcorder history. (AP Photo/Karen Tam) (Karen Tam - AP)

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Woody White, producer of "Hayden's T-ball Game" and "Haley Catherine's Princess Birthday" couldn't be more proud of his videography.

He's archiving priceless family memories with the most convenient camcorder he's ever used.

"I just love it," the attorney and married father of two from Wilmington, N.C., said of his DVD camcorder. "You just pop it out of your camera, put it in any DVD player, and there's no wires involved."

White bought it last year, helping to make DVD camcorders the fastest growing format in camcorder history. But new, lightweight tapeless models are now giving consumers more choices than ever. With hard-disk drives and flash memory, they're vying for attention with camcorders using the popular DVD format or the tried-and-true MiniDV, which records digitally to compact tapes.

Each format has its benefits and drawbacks, and features vary widely among models, making the shopping experience a complex research project. But one thing is obvious: It's hard to beat the compact size of digital models versus the bulkier analog tape versions of yesteryear.

"It pains me when I see someone carrying a VHS camcorder at Disneyland," said Linda Vuolo, a director of camcorders at Sony Corp. "I always want to say to them, 'Hey, here's one that you could put in your pocket.'"

Choosing a camcorder will depend on how much you're willing to spend, how you intend to use it, and what video quality you require. The product should also feel right to the user.

"If you can't hold it comfortably, it'll be impossible for you to shoot good video," said Robin Liss, editor-in-chief and founder of CamcorderInfo.com.

Sam Wheeler of Bothell, Wash., went through all the pros and cons last November when he shopped for an upgrade to his noisy, 5-year-old 8mm-tape camcorder.

After three weeks of reading online reviews and product details he didn't fully understand, the father of two finally settled on a $300 MiniDV camcorder. Wheeler figured he wasn't going to use the camcorder enough to justify higher-priced models.

"I'm happy with it," he said. "We were using it this past weekend for my daughter's birthday."

As the old kid on the block, the MiniDV camcorder offers some of the best bargains, with some models under $300. The tapes cost about $8 for a three-pack, and each cassette can store 60 minutes of video.