Best Video Camcorder Reviews –
What’s cooler than a video camera? Not much! In my opinion there are two types of affordable camcorders that have to have two important features. Read on!
Used by law enforcement, private investigators, surveillance professionals, storm chaser, sports videographer and sports professionals alike, video cameras are as much fun as they are useful. What could you use yours for? Spy on your spouse, backyard in the dead of the night, take incredible extreme sports or awesome family videos. You can use it for your professional work as well as for private use.
Most video camera camcorders are made for surveillance purposes. Like me as private investigator, many PIs need a good camcorder that both can take great night vision videos as well as has a long zoom.
Best Video Camcorder Features
Night Vision: Night vision is technology that provides users with some vision in total darkness and improved vision in low-light environments. The three main types of night vision technology are low-light imaging, thermal imaging and near-infrared illumination. Camcorders with great night vision have active infrared night–vision which combines infrared illumination of spectral range 700–1,000 nm (just below the visible spectrum of the human eye) and with CCD cameras sensitive to this light.
Video Resolution: You can find camcorders that record video in either standard or high definition resolution. HD camcorders will be more expensive, but they will deliver higher quality video.
Image Sensor: The image sensor is the device inside your camcorder that transforms the light coming through the lens into a digital signal that gets recorded by your camcorder. There are two basic types of sensors: CMOS and CCD. The larger sensors are better.
Zoom lens: The kind of lens your camcorder has is crucial: long zooms allow you to magnify far away objects. But not all zooms are created equal. You need to look for the optical zoom rating of your camcorder, not the digital zoom.
Image Stabilization: If your camcorder has a long zoom lens, it should also offer a form of image stabilization to ensure your videos are steady. Like a zoom lens, the better form of image stabilization is optical image stabilization, not digital.
Two Types of Video Camcorders
In my opinion there are two must have important features in a camcorder for surveillance professionals I want to point out here. Every PI wants a long zoom when shooting videos on far away objects. Especially when you shoot videos as a PI your objects can be more than 100 feet away. A long optical zoom is crucial or your work is useless if you don’t get clear pictures. The second feature that is very important is the night vision. As a PI I have a lot of video work after dawn. The good thing is I don’t need such a long zoom at night because I am more invisible and can move closer to my object without being discovered. I searched a long time for a camcorder that has the two features long zoom and night vision combined but found them extremely expensive. I decided to go for two different camcorders so I can use the one with the long zoom during the day and the other camcorder at night for clear video while filming any object.
Lets compare the two must have important features in this article: A camcorder with a long zoom and steady shot as well as the one that has awesome night vision. I use both for my professional work and having two different camcorders saved me a lot of money. Later in this article I reveal which camcorders I decided to buy for my work as a surveillance professional.
Video Camcorder Handycam Camcorder Reviews
Sony HDRCX405 Video Recording Handycam Camcorder Review
Sony HDRCX405 Video Camera Features
- Starting price $ 239
- 1920 x 1080 Full HD camcorder with 2.2-megapixel Exmor R® CMOS sensor
- 30x Optical / 60x Clear Image Zoom
- 26.8mm wide angle ZEISS Lens
- Very light weight
- Usb adapter built in
- 2.7″ Clear Photo LCD display
- Dual recording mode creates AVCHD and MP4 files simultaneously
Pros:
- Highly portable due to light weight
- High-definition HD video up to 1080p
- Great long and clear image zoom
- Optical SteadyShot
- Face detection technology with voice enhancement
- Built-in USB cable makes file transfer and charging easy
- Great price
Cons:
- No build in memory (need to buy separate memory stick or check if it’s included)
- Night vision shooting mode not great; no high-quality video at dark
Sony HDRCX405 Camcorder Review Summary
The Sony HDRCX405 is one of its kind. I love this camcorder due to it’s light weight and long zoom. Especially the steady shot, incredible zoom and great price makes it one of the best camcorders on the market for surveillance professionals.
Amazon Rating: 5.0
Click here for current price information!
1080p HD Infrared Night Vision and Full Spectrum Camcorder Review
1080p HD Night Vision Video Camera Features
- Starting price $ 199
- 1080p (1920px X 1080px) High Definition video capture (30 fps)
- Built-in Infrared Light (5 feet distance)
- JPEG still pictures up to 24MP image resolution
- Ports: HDMI, SD Card, USB 2.0
- Wide 3″ Touch Screen LCD
- Supports up to 64GB SD Card
- 18x digital zoom
- Electronic Image Stabilization
- Ultra High Quality Stereo Microphone
Pros:
- World’s only camcorder that switches to Infrared or Full Spectrum mode
- Two SD card slots
- Nice sized viewing screen
- Light and compact
- Functional touch-screen
- Great price
- Awesome for surveillance after dawn
- Built-in Infrared Light (5 feet distance) gets great night vision video
Cons:
- Only 18x digital zoom; no great long zoom
- Battery life not long if infrared/full spectrum used
1080p HD Infrared Night Vision Review Summary
The 1080p HD is an awesome camcorder for filming in the dark. If you really want to see even more clearly in the dark use the Evolva Infrared Light Night Vision Flashlight with it. As I said before its very difficult to find an affordable camcorder that has both long zoom and great night vision. This camcorder is one of the best Spy cameras for surveillance work after dawn. Why, because you don’t need such a long zoom. We are more invisible in the dark!
Amazon Rating: 4.0
Click here for current price information!
Sony FDRAX53/B 4K HD Camcorder Review
Sony FDRAX53/B 4K HD Camcorder Features
- Starting price $ 898 (Discounted)
- Balanced Optical SteadyShot
- ZEISS lens(26.8mm)
- 20x optical zoom in 4K, 30x Clear Image Zoom in 4K
- 3.0″ LCD (Touch panel)
- Manual ring
- Night shot
- 4K Time-lapse capture
- Fast Intelligent AF
- High Speed 120 fps Recording
- 3.0″ LCD Touchscreen / 0.24″ Color EVF
- 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Microphone
- Wi-Fi / NFC Connectivity
Pros:
- Amazingly clear pictures
- Great low light and nighttime videos
- In 1080 mode, the Intelligent Active Image Stabilization is amazing
- Attach on top accessories like a microphone or LED light
- Good battery life
Cons:
- Shake on the outside edge when shooting in 4k mounted on a tripod (Sony released Firmware 1.02 that has vastly reduced the video shake)
- Zoom not as long as the Sony HDRCX405
Sony FDRAX53/B 4K HD Camcorder Review Summary
Besides a few minor complaints this camcorder is simply outstanding. The zoom function is very responsive and better than in others and the balanced optical steady shot is the ultimate secret weapon for making good hand-held video. This is an awesome camcorder for recording family vacations and special events!
Amazon Rating: 4.0
Click here for current price information!
My personal recommendations: I am working as a surveillance professional for many years and for me its important to have a long zoom and great night vision in my camcorder. I decided to go for the Sony HDRCX405 because it has the best long zoom (30x Optical / 60x Clear Image Zoom) for a great price. I also bought the 1080p HD for my work after dawn. The Cleveland 1080p HD works awesome as a night vision camcorder. If you are looking for a camcorder for family vacations and special events I recommend the Sony FDRAX53/B 4K.
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