Evolution of the Camcorder


Bild von Gamma-Ray Productions
Each of these were produced throughout this decade:

Right: JVC Compact Analog VHS camcorder. I got this for Christmas 2003. It’s lived the longest life, I filmed everything with it from my friend fixing his bicycle chain to a trip to Vancouver in 2004. Worked really well until I started to use it for time-lapse purposes in 2006, which meant I was continuously pressing the record button to start/stop it at intervals and fast-forward the tape all the time. That’s what destroyed the picture.

Middle: Canon MiniDV digital video camcorder. I received this at Christmas 2007, and did some documentary work with it as well as time-lapse footage. But keeping it running for hours at a time just so I could speed up the footage into a time-lapse on the computer and accidentally leaving it on after transferring video knocked the system into an indefinite lapse into play mode when I turn it on (it won’t turn off when plugged in, it won’t change modes, it won’t charge). That was by June 2008.

Left: Samsung Flash SDHC Card camcorder. I got this for Christmas 2009. Inexpensive, and it uses memory cards. Won’t be using it for time-lapse (even though it ironically comes with a time-lapse option on it). I’ll be making some plans to use it for some specific purposes in the future. Can’t wait.

It’s interesting how this device has developed over the course of just one decade. From bulky tapes to MiniDVs, to just a little memory card, the unit has transformed from a complicated, heavy machine to a simple lens barrel and side screen. It’s pretty cool.