HAVING decided to join the growing band of home cinematographers all you need is to choose your weapon, go boldly forth and it's lights, camera, action.
The first dilemma is whether to go for the best price at the nearby department store with a combined camera and hi-fi department, or be pumped with statistics and enthusiasm by well-informed and doubtless well-intentioned sales staff at a specialist video retailer.
Either way, the persuasive sales techniques of Tsim Sha Tsui will not offer ideal conditions for objective purchasing decisions.
Camcorder technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, to the point where some high-end models could reasonably aspire to semi-professional status. Indeed, so-called ''domestic'' camcorders are regularly seen in the hands of broadcast journalists.
This generally high technical standard means that you are unlikely to end up with poor pictures, but it does nothing to help you make a simple choice from the huge range of models available.
A basic decision to be made is the choice of format. If your main aim in buying the camera is to record family events and special occasions, and you already have a VHS recorder at home, then ''VHS-C'' may be the best solution. VHS-C tapes, with running time of up to 45 minutes, will play via a cassette adapter in your regular machine.