DVD and On-Line Video Production 
What To Look For In A Digital Camcorder?
Introduction
Digital camcorders are smaller, lighter and easier to use than their analogue predecessors, not to mention their innate ability to record high quality, digital video, and audio, on a variety of storage media. Digital recording, onto digital tape, DVD ("Digital Versatile Disk"), or hard disk – all of which are, nowadays, popular storage media for digital camcorder footage – means that footage can be downloaded, quickly and easily, to a computing for editing and distribution, and is much less susceptible to deterioration over time.
Digital Camcorder Features
Many modern digital camcorders are equipped with an LCD ("Liquid Crystal Display") panel, which can be used instead of the viewfinder to frame a shot, but can also be used to view previously recorded footage, "in the field", or, in some cases, to access further features and functionality of the camcorder. An LCD panel can, however, be difficult to see in bright sunlight, so you may need to consider its size, resolution and brightness. The Sony DCR-DVD408 DVD Handycam, for example, features an LCD touch screen measuring 2.7", diagonally, and with a widescreen, 720 x 480 pixel, resolution.
Low ambient light conditions – that is, typical indoor light conditions, as far as a digital camcorder is concerned – can be a problem for many camcorders, and it is often the ability to perform well in poorly illuminated settings that sets a good model apart from a bad one. Some digital camcorders include slow shutter speeds, infrared, and/or integral LED ("Light Emitting Diode") illumination to allow shooting in poor light. The Flip Ultra, from Pure Digital, for example, offers clear, bright recording, even in low light conditions.
Tips & Techniques
Bear in mind that it is not just the quality of your digital camcorder that ultimately determines the overall quality of your video footage. Zooming in and out should be avoided, apart from rare occasions – weddings, speeches, etc. – where effectively the same shot is accompanied by continuous audio, as should panning, aimlessly, across a scene. Both techniques are often unnecessary, and succeed in distracting, or irritating, potential viewers, as well as reducing the quality of the footage, itself.
Digital Camcorder Accessories
Digital cameras & digital camcorders are obviously designed to be portable, so the fist accessory that you`ll probably consider – if it isn`t already included with your camera or camcorder – is a sturdy, waterproof, carrying case or bag. If you are intending to carry your equipment outdoors for any length of time, protecting it from the elements – rain, especially – is a necessity. Remember that a carrying case needs to be large, and versatile, enough to accommodate not only your digital camcorder, but also any associated lenses, cables, storage media, spare batteries and cleaning materials that you are likely to need on your travels. Image stabilisation is all very well, but the best way to eliminate shakiness in your digital camcorder is to use a tripod, or monopod (as the name suggests, a one-legged support, with the other two legs being your own); do, however, look for a model designed for moving, rather than still, images.