How to Test a Camcorder for Video Quality

You got a camcorder to shoot quality video, so does your camcorder measure up to the test? Sure, professionals do this sort of benchmarking all the time, but you don’t have to get paid to test out your equipment. Before you shoot footage of that next family event, take some time to find out how your camcorder really performs. Here is how to test a camcorder for video quality.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• camcorder

1. Set up a small “still life” on a table. That is, a collection of different objects on the table. You need objects of many different colors, as well as some reflective surfaces and a few things that are as close to pure white as you can get.

2. Film the still life under good lighting conditions. Be sure that the area is well lit.

3. Compare the image on the camcorder playback to the real still-life. The white objects should show up true to life, not too blue, not too yellow. If the white objects look askew, use the white balance control to correct the image.

4. Look at the colors in the image. They should be as close in value and brightness to the real thing without being over the top and fake. If your camcorder allows you to make adjustments to the color saturation, you can fix or at least lessen any problems here.

5. Check the image exposure. The key thing here is the ability to see small details on the image, so you will want to have items with fine detail in your still life.

6. Review the dynamic range. The reflective objects in the still life give you a good indicator of this. Are the reflections crisp and clear?

7. See if you notice any spots or glitches in the image. Does the picture look grainy? This is called noise and is the hallmark of bottom-end camcorders.

8. Compare different camcorder models at online consumer sites. A side-by-side comparison will aid in your determination of the camcorders with the best video quality.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to test video quality in an electronics store before you purchase a camera. Bring along some objects to film, and then ask the salesperson for permission to try out various cameras.
• Shoot your still life from a tripod or other stable shooting platform.
• If you have some serious money to spend, you can pick up color test charts. These charts have tiles of different colors as well as a gray scale and true black. This is recommended if you plan on using your camcorder professionally.
• Try to put items with different textures in the mix as well. Fine details such as hair, fabric weave and surface etching really put a camcorder’s abilities to the test.