Digital camcorder terms explained
| Compact Flash (CF) Memory | A form of removable memory card used in some HDD camcorders to store and transfer images. |
| Digital zoom | Enlarges the centre of a scene digitally. Very easy to use but image resolution and sharpness can be affected. |
| DVD camcorder | A camcorder which records footage on a small (8cm) DVD recordable disc, playable in most DVD players. |
| Exposure | The process of allowing more or less light into the camera and exposing the image sensor to light, which results in a captured image. |
| Hard Disk Drive camcorder | A built-in hard disk drive (HDD) means there is no need to buy additional discs, cards or tapes as all footage is recorded directly to the hard drive. |
| High Definition | A new format for television, with a picture made up of 720 OR 1080 lines rather than 625. Some camcorders can film in this format which delivers a far superior quality picture. |
| LCD screen | Liquid Crystal Display. A screen that allows you to frame and review your movies in addition to displaying camcorder functions and menus. |
| Lithium ion battery | A rechargeable battery that does not require a full discharge before being charged again. Higher capacity than most battery technologies. |
| Mini DV camcorder | A type of camcorder that uses high-quality digital tape. Each tape holds approximately 60 minutes of footage. |
| Optical zoom | Allows zoom filming without any loss of picture quality. The higher the magnification, the closer you'll get - some high zoom camcorders can reach over 30x. |
| Secure Digital (SD) Memory | A memory card format that is smaller and lighter than Compact Flash, and that is becoming the standard. |
| USB | A 'plug and play' hardware interface between computers and add-on devices such as camcorders to quickly and easily transfer movies. |
| Widescreen | A video format with a wider aspect ratio to normal television, usually 16:9. |
Argos guide to digital camcorders
- Digital camcorders explained
- How do I choose the right digital camcorder?
- Get more from your digital camcorder
- See our Jargon Buster for further explanation of technical terms
Also buying guides available for: