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92 P a r t I I Producing Your YouTube Videos

Some camcorders today use flash memory storage instead of a hard disk drive. The
advantages are pretty much the same, in that file transfer is a snap. These cam-
corders record directly to a CompactFlash, SD/MMC, or Memory Stick flash mem-
ory device in MPEG-2 format. Because of the small size of the storage card, these
are typically compact camcorders.

Which is the best type of storage to use? If you intend to transfer your videos to a
PC for editing, I recommend an HDD or flash-based camcorder. It’s very easy to
transfer digital video files from a camcorder’s hard drive to a PC’s hard drive via
either a FireWire or USB connection.

Standard or High Definition?

Just a year or two ago, you had to spend a considerable amount of money to get a
camcorder that shot in high definition (HD). That’s not the case today. You can find
HD camcorders for as little as $150, and even when you’re looking at higher-end
models, there isn’t much of a premium for the HD feature.

In addition to the higher 720p or 1080p resolution, all HD camcorders shoot in the
16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Shooting in widescreen is a must these days; YouTube
viewers pretty much expect a widescreen picture for new videos.

In short, there isn’t much of an excuse not to move up to an HD camcorder.
YouTube viewers expect high definition, and you don’t pay much (if any) more to
get an HD model. So when you’re shopping for a new camcorder, put high defini-
tion recording at the top of your feature list.

Choosing a Camcorder

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy a camcorder. As it always does,
developing technology helps to bring you better performance at a significantly
lower price than you would have paid just a few years ago. The challenge is picking
the right camcorder for your needs.

As you might expect, the more money you spend on a camcorder, the more bells
and whistles you get. In particular, a bigger budget typically buys you better picture
quality, a bigger zoom lens, and various special features (such as transition effects,
night-vision shooting, and so on). That’s not to say that you have to spend a fortune
to get a decent performing unit; budget somewhere in the $300 to $600 range for
the best performance for dollars spent.

What should you look for in a new camcorder? Beyond HD recording, you should
consider a model that includes a good quality zoom lens, image stabilization (to
keep your pictures steady, even if your hands aren’t), various automatic exposure
modes, and some sort of built-in video editing. This last feature lets you perform