Five Resources for Buying A Digital Camcorder

Another name for this post could have been separating the good from the bad. There is a lot of crud out there from flim-flam hucksters to people writing posts without a clue as to the importance of actual content. I'm sure it has made many a potential camcorder buyer extremely puzzled.

These would be SEO type posts wrapped around Google ads. Sickening. Anyway, here are five viable resources to get the straight skivvy on making an informed decision on buying a 2010 camcorder.

1. Use Google Product Search to read the user reviews from different vendor websites such as Amazon and Overstock.com
2. CamcorderInfo.com is the place to go for information on budget and consumer digital camcorders.
3. CNet Camcorder Buying Guide is also a winner for new users. It starts off asking questions like what kind of user are you and then helps you pick the right device for your budget.
4. If you want to know what life is like beyond $999 you should visit Videomaker.com for upper level consumer and prosumer camcorders.
5. Certainly if you find a blog post from an actual user read that post. In my original post at BlogHer I used Kristina at MomInformation about her experiences with a camcorder as an example.

But wait, I've got more.

• The Knight Digital Media Center has a guide to buying camcorders that is focused on the needs of reporters/journalists. They looked at it from a professional, prosumer and consumer price points. There are some things I would quibble on, such as knocking hard drive camcorders but I do agree about not buying a DVD camcorder. No, no and heck no.
• Janice Chen at ZDNet.com has a post on the 5 Camcorders to Buy New Graduates but I think those of us in the continuing eduction school of real life can benefit from these suggestions.

I hope the examples and suggestions in the prior posts help you find the right digital camcorder for you. These are just suggestions and ideas to consider. I'll probably keep added to the list as I find good resources.

This is the fifth and final extract of a post I did for BlogHer on Thoughts on Buying A Digital Camcorder. I have added additional content and have been humbled by the gods of grammar.