One Chip Or Three.(analysis of camcorders)

Is It Worth The Difference For More CCDs?

Why does one camcorder take prettier pictures than another? Why is some video just plain sharper than others? Why are some camcorders better at recording accurate colors than others? Why do some camcorders function better under low light than others?

These are real questions that those trying to choose a camcorder should ask. There are a variety of answers.

Look At The Lens

Quality can often be something as simple as the fact that one camcorder has a better lens than another. Large lenses are usually better than small lenses. In general expensive glass lenses are better than cheap plastic lenses. (It's just like in eyeglasses, telescopes and binoculars, the more perfect and smooth the grinding, the better the actual image will be.)

The more light information that is transferred from the outside world into the camcorder, the higher the potential quality. For example, the new Canon XL1 has a wonderfully large lens that is capable of capturing a lot more light and detail than the tiny plastic lens used on many of the hand-sized compact camcorders.

This is the reason that those involved in broadcast TV use camcorders with big, high-quality lenses. Indeed, the lens on many broadcast TV cameras costs as much as the rest of camera itself!