Buyers Beware

In keeping with the spirit of Black Friday, here's an important tip for those considering the purchase of a new camcorder. A recent visit to the local consumer electronics store revealed the wide array of camcorders available this holiday season. Unfortunately there seems to be a serious disconnect between manufacturers and the needs of video makers.

While hi-definition camcorders abound, many lack the option to add an external microphone.

For those new to video making, audio can be as important or sometimes even more important than the image. Unfortunately, built-in camcorder mics are typically lame and completely unsuitable to create decent work. So while the picture quality of some of these cameras are truly impressive, those same cameras are virtually worthless due to the lack of an external mic jack.

Here is one model, the Canon ZR-800 mini-DV camcorder, which does include a mic jack. It's very affordable too - about $250.