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Finding a camcorder that shoots good photos
Everyone wants a camcorder that shoots great stills;
after all, nobody wants to carry two devices that
essentially perform the same task. Unfortunately,
most camcorders use fast but low-resolution,
high-noise sensors, which creates video that looks
great on a device such as a television but pretty
bad on a PC monitor or printed as stills. Here are
some clues to finding a happy medium.
The response:
These cameras are finally beginning to appear,
though you still can't capture high-resolution,
8x10-worthy stills. The best you'll be able to
do right now is a model with good color, low
noise, and at least 3-megapixel resolution. The
camcorders that take the best stills are pretty
expensive, and the pictures they capture will
suffice for only small-scale printing or
onscreen display. |
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The long answer
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It depends on how you plan to display the
pictures. |
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Hint: If you're
going to display the pictures at least 50
percent smaller than the original size,
resolution doesn't matter much--opt for the
camcorder with the best color. |
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The image on the left was shot with a camcorder
(effective photo resolution is 1.2 megapixels),
while the one on the right was shot with an
inexpensive digital camera (effective resolution
1.9 megapixels). Both are displayed at least
half size. Though they show differences in white
balance, they both provide about the same amount
of image detail.. |
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Hint: A camcorder
with middling resolution but great color and low
noise can deliver better photos than one with a
relatively high resolution and poor color. |
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The image on the left was shot with a camcorder
(effective photo resolution is 1.2 megapixels),
while the one on the right was shot with an
inexpensive digital camera (effective resolution
1.9 megapixels). Both are displayed at least
half size. Though they show differences in white
balance, they both provide about the same amount
of image detail.. |
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Compare these 2-megapixel stills from a
camcorder (left) and digital camera (middle) at
actual size. You'll see the color shifts, the
edge artifacts, and the noise in the camcorder
images that you won't spot in those from a still
camera with the same resolution. But a snap from
a lower-resolution camcorder with good color and
low noise that's scaled up slightly (right) can
deliver the best compromise. |
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