Video Cameras and Camcorders

Capturing and preserving those special moments, birthday parties, graduation ceremonies and weddings, has never been so easy. Digital video cameras, an elegant combination of camera and recorder, archive important meetings and presentations, and even allow you to make your own films, documentaries or music videos.

Camcorders today offer innovative technologies and features to meet all your high quality video recording needs. Searching for the right camcorder should be a fun and exciting experience and the Markertek staff is here to help you decide! Shop Markertek for all your camcorder and video camera needs.

The Importance of Image Sensor Size

The number of pixels on an image sensor isn't the only factor influencing the quality of the video captured. The physical size of the sensor matters as well. Larger image sensors can capture more light than smaller ones, even if they have fewer pixels. That's because, while fewer in number, these pixels are larger and thus able to capture more light.

Choosing a Frame Rate

Typically, camcorders record at 30 fps to give the appearance of seamless movement. Motion pictures are recorded at 24 fps, and some camcorder models offer a 24p mode to mimic feature films. Recording at a slower frame rate than 24 fps results in video that looks jerky and disjointed.

Many camcorders offer the ability to shoot at faster frame rates than 30 fps, usually 60 fps. This is useful for capturing sports or anything involving fast movement.

How Long Does Camcorder Battery Last?

The number of hours that you can work through a camcorder depends on a number of factors. In general sense, battery life is supposed to last for anywhere between 1 hour to 2.5 hours.

Variable ND Filter

An ND filter acts like a pair of sunglasses to reduce the amount of light falling on the sensor without affecting color. Professional camcorders have built-in ND and this is usually a mechanical filter.

What is focal length?

Focal length measures the distance from the optical center of your lens-where the light rays converge-to the sensor or film in your camera. This is measured in millimeters, and the higher the number, the longer the lens, or focal length, is. The longer your lens, the narrower your angle of view will be, meaning that less of the scene will make it into the shot, but your subject will appear to be larger.

Prime lenses have fixed focal lengths, for example, 35mm or 50mm. On the other hand, zoom lenses can cover a range of focal lengths, such as 18-35mm or 70-200mm. Don't confuse focal length with focal distance. Focal distance is the measurement from your subject to your lens. All lenses have a minimum focusing distance, determining how close you can get to a subject before your lens can no longer focus on it.