Are you in the market for a new camcorder? If you answered “yes” to this question, you probably need to know more about the different camcorder formats currently available, and which one is right for you.

The four main recording formats are: hard drive, DVD, mini-DV, and hybrid. Here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons of each one:

Hard drive

Hard drive camcorders record video files onto a permanent hard drive installed in the camcorder. This is similar to how files are stored in your computer. Comparable to DVD camcorders when it comes down to video quality, hard drive camcorders generally produce high quality recordings, especially with the high definition models.

The amount of memory contained in a camcorder’s hard drive depends on the particular model you choose to purchase. The most common storage capacity is 30 gigabytes, but you can also find camcorders with 60 gigs of memory. On the plus side, these cameras offer massive storage capacity. You can store up to 7 hours of video on a standard 30 gig camcorder – and that’s at the highest recording quality. On lower settings you can double and even triple the amount of recording time available to you. With no removable media to contend with, you never have to spend time loading new tapes or DVDs, and can continuously record to your heart’s desire. Mini-DV tapes and DVDs only have the capacity to record up to 60 minutes of video on each piece.

Also, with a hard drive camcorder you never have to worry about accidentally recording over tape, as everything is simply recorded onto the hard drive. These camcorders are compact, and easy to carry around, although they tend to cost more and when you run out of hard drive space, you have to stop recording.

DVD Camcorders

In this comparison of camcorder media types we can’t forget to mention DVD camcorders. This type of camcorder is popular for one simple reason: convenience. Because these camcorders directly record onto playable DVDs, the process of recording and playback is seamless. By making use of recordable DVD media, these devices make it very easy to share videos with friends and family, or play back an exciting video spontaneously.

The only drawback is that you have to own a DVD player that can playback recordable DVDs, as older models can’t play anything other than standard DVDs. But that doesn’t mean you still won’t be able to play back from the device – simply use the camera’s A/V outputs to connect it to a television or VCR.

DVD camcorders have many advantages, such as size and portability, and the discs don’t degrade as quickly as tapes. With great features similar to those found on mini-DV and Digital8 camcorders, DVD cameras have a lot to offer.

Mini-DV Camcorders

Mini-DV camcorders are extremely popular due to the video quality they produce. Plus, these cameras use tiny mini-DV tapes to record video, which are affordable, small, reusable, and you can find them anywhere. For all these reasons, mini-DV camcorders are perfect for travelling.

Another fantastic feature of mini-DVs is the ability to more precisely edit videos, as you can make frame by frame edits not possible with digital media.

Hybrid Camcorders

The newest camcorders to hit the market, hybrid camcorders combine the features of DVD and HDD camcorders into one device. This type of camera helps you make the best of both worlds, with the flexibility of DVD recording and the large storage capacity of hard drive camcorders. When using the camera, you have a choice between burning the video direct onto DVD and recording onto the camcorder’s hard drive. A comparison of camcorder media types should now include this new type of device.