Pick the Perfect Present for Your Camcorder
If your camcorder has been good, it deserves something nice for the holidays. Here are my suggestions.
Your camcorder is like a member of your family: You take it with you to weddings, parties, and all manner of family gatherings. So with the holidays fast approaching, it's time to think about what you are going to get your camcorder for Christmas. Here are my top picks for gifts to make your camcorder (and the family videographer, you) happy.
There's nothing worse than a grungy recording head, so treat your camcorder to the video equivalent of a good wash behind the ears with a head cleaner tape.
Recording or playing back videos deposits minute specks of the material that coats videotapes on the magnetic recording head, and over time this debris can cause problems such as dropouts (where frames of video go missing) or even a tape jam. It might feel a bit like buying your uncle a bar of soap, but a $10 head cleaner tape shows that you care.
Think of this as buying your camcorder a new set of sunglasses. Filters can improve the quality of your video and open up new creative vistas. A polarizing filter, for instance, boosts colors and gets rid of annoying reflections on glass, while a warming filter helps make skin tones look more natural. Some companies sell sets of filters (such as Tiffen's $50 58mm Photo Essentials Kit) that screw onto the front of your camcorder lens, but make sure you get correctly sized ones; they come in different diameters to fit different lenses.
Nothing says "I love you" to a camcorder like a mini tripod. And they can help you take better videos, too: A mini tripod (sometimes called a tabletop tripod) such as the $11 Sunpak 1001D is small enough to fit into a pocket, but it allows you to put the camcorder on a table or the top of a wall, then pan and tilt it to get the shot you want. But bear in mind that these mini tripods are suitable only for small, lightweight camcorders. If you have a larger camcorder, you'll need a sturdier and heavier tripod to keep it stable.
If your camcorder is feeling adventurous, you might want to think a about getting it a $79 Sticky Pod. This innovative device uses suction cups that can mount your camera to most smooth surfaces, such as a car door or hood. It holds the camcorder firmly, so you can take videos as you drive over the hills and far away.
Everybody needs a place to call home, and your camcorder is no exception. A decent camcorder bag can hold your camcorder, tapes, or DVDs; filters; a spare battery; and a few other knick-knacks as well.
The selection of bags available is huge, so it's worth thinking about how big a case you need. How much stuff do you take along? Do you want to bring a still camera as well? Pile up the stuff you want to carry, then pick an appropriately sized bag. It's also worth paying a bit extra to get a decent bag that is waterproof and well padded to stand up to the rigors of traveling. I've used Petrol bags and liked them, but there are plenty of good brands out there.
Love may be eternal, but your camcorder battery isn't: Most camcorder batteries don't last over an hour or two.
Manufacturers offer extended batteries that can boost time between charges to two or three hours. Third-party vendors also sell extended batteries: B&H Photo has a handy battery selector that shows a list of batteries compatible with your camcorder.
Having a second battery is a good backup plan: if you keep both your principal and spare charged up and ready to go, your camcorder will keep going long after the rest of your family has drifted off into a food induced, post-holiday dinner slumber.
Richard Baguley, special to PC World
