Flash Memory Camcorders - Three Misconceptions

Flash memory camcorders are the most recent thing in the camcorder market. Although they've been around several years, they're just now starting to rival other types of camcorders in price and video quality. Hard drive camcorders are their biggest competitor, and although tape camcorders are cheaper their long download times and delicate tape mechanisms make them an increasingly less popular choice. Although they are quickly gaining in popularity (of the 5 top selling camcorders on Amazon, 3 are flash memory models) there are still a lot of people confused about their specifications and overall quality. To that end, lets take a look at some common misconceptions about flash memory camcorders.

Flash Memory Camcorders Are expensive.

When compared to hard drive camcorders they're actually about the same. If you're comparing them to tape camcorders, they are more expensive but not much. The best way to do a comparison is find two camcorders with equal video quality and compare them. All things being equal with standard definition hard drive and flash camcorders are relatively equal. When talking about High Definition the flash camcorders are a little more expensive depending on the model and features. The hard drive models probably have an edge in cost, but just barely.

Flash Camcorder's Video Quality Isn't as Good.

Because flash memory camcorders compress their video people think the quality isn't as good. While that's technically true, looking at the video you can see little difference. In fact some broadcast news stations are starting to use professional flash memory camcorders to record late breaking news. Because they don't use tape, the video download times are much quicker. The biggest factor in quality of video is lens quality. That's the first place where manufacturers cut costs. It's an issue on the “point and shoot” flip camcorders, but not with the higher end “pro-sumer” models. My $300 dollar unit looks just as good as a $400 dollar tape unit. I can't see any difference.

Camcorders With Flash Memory Are Flimsy

It's true they're light, but that's because they don't have any moving parts. That makes them feel less solid than a tape or hard drive model, but they're just as rugged. More so actually. Because they don't have a delicate tape mechanism or hard drive they're less likely to break if dropped. A hard drive is subjected to a lot of force when you move the camera and the drive is spinning. Some hard drives are reported to not work above certain altitudes either. Flash camcorders don't have that problem, even the cheap flash memory camcorders.

So, you can see that flash memory camcorders are essentially equivalent to other models. True they do have weaknesses, but so do the other types, the same with each model's strengths. That's true of any product though. Their are a dozen or so camcorders under $200, they're the "point and shoot" types, suitable for uploading internet video. There's also some HD models over $1000, and just about every thing in between. You've got to decide which camcorder has the factors you want at the price you can afford.