Latest digital camcorders a ticket to the director's chair

Remember The Blair Witch Project and those jerky, out-of-focus shots which made amateur movies hip?

It definitely inspired my father, who had been talking about buying a digital video camcorder until the movie came along and he decided to give his four-year-old Hi-8 Sony camcorder a second chance.

But if you check out the latest DV camcorders and the crystal-clear, professional-quality video they are capable of, you might be persuaded to take the director's chair in digital style.

About HK$9,000 to HK$10,000 buys a mini-DV camcorder offering broadcast-quality video. Once the domain of TV stations and movie makers, the DV format has become affordable to the consumer as technological advances drive prices lower.

Unlike analogue camcorders, DV camcorders produce all-digital video that can be downloaded to the PC, edited and written back to a fresh tape or CD without losing quality. They also reproduce better colour, picture sharpness and sound quality and the video captured by DV camcorders will not degrade over time, as analogue video does.

DV camcorders also can take still shots, so those contemplating buying a digital camera might want to consider DV camcorders. However, if you are looking for high-quality, high-resolution digital photographs, stick with a still camera - I still haven't seen a DV camera in the HK$8,000 to HK$12,000 price range with comparable quality.