How to Shop for a Camcorder That Uses Tape Media

Tape media in the digital age? Camcorders that use tape media such as Digital8 and miniDV are alive and well in the market today, so if you’re shopping for a camcorder that uses tape, you are in luck. Are all tape formats the same? No. Each format has its own advantages and drawbacks that you need to consider while shopping. Here's a primer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet connection
• Computer

1. Pick miniDV if you want to go with the current industry standard. The cassettes are getting less expensive and are widely available. Camcorders that use the miniDV format are small, lightweight and supported with many accessories.

2. Select Digital8 if you want to save some money on recording media, or if you have older 8mm analog video tape that you want to convert. Digital8 tapes are cheap and reasonably small, so the camcorder designs are relatively compact.

3. Choose VHS-C if you want cheap tapes that will play (with an adaptor) in your VCR. VHS-C camcorders are also cheap. The downside is size: both the tapes and the camcorders are larger than the other formats out there.

4. Go with Sony's microMV if you want the very smallest in cassettes and tape size. The machines that use this format are tiny, but their price tags are not. Availability might be limited to a specialty video store.

5. Feeling retro? Good old 8mm is still out there, although it is getting harder to find. Your best bet is searching for used equipment on eBay or the classifieds.

6. Check out online consumer magazines and forums to learn about the best brands. You will learn a lot from other customers.

Tips & Warnings

• MiniDV and Digital8 are both excellent choices for folks that like to edit their own videos. If you are a serious home-movie fanatic or an up-and-coming independent film maker, you will be well served with either of these formats.
• VHS-C has a high-definition variant called S-VHS-C. The slight improvement in quality is offset by compatibility and availability issues. Basically, if you want the added video quality, go with Digital8 or miniDV.
• The microMV format won't work with many video editing programs, since it uses MPEG-2 compression rather than DV.
• Tape formats are not interchangeable. Make sure you have the right media for your camcorder.
• Media longevity can be an issue. The tapes will last, but the manufacturers may not continue to support a given format. Remember laserdiscs?