Let me tell you from experience how important it is to know how to record good digital video with your camcorder before going on vacation or filming that big event. When I was getting married, my sister offered to film the happy day for me with her new camcorder, I accepted, as it would save money on the wedding, since a cameraman could be quite expensive.

Let me tell you how wrong I was, the digital video was dark, shaky, and blurry every time she came closer or moved across the room. The sound was muffled and muffled and it was more of a headache to watch than a joy. Simply put, you want to spend money on a good digital video recording.

I don’t want people to make the same mistake as me to spread the word about my learning experience. I would like to give you some good tips on how to record good digital videos with your Minidv camcorder.

Tip No. 1: Do not record while walking or moving as the digital video camera cannot stay focused on a moving subject. Pick a place to stand and start by recording a starting point for a few seconds before moving on to the next object. Move the camcorder slowly and carefully to the next focus point and hold it there for a few more seconds before stopping shooting.

Tip No. 2: Avoid over-zooming of objects, it not only drains the camcorder’s battery faster, it can give viewers a crazy headache. If there is a time when you would like to get closer, stand still and take your time while zooming and recording videos, also try to avoid any quick movements as the image will become blurry.

Tip No. 3: Make sure the lighting around you is bright enough and don’t point the camcorder lens directly into the sunlight, not only can this damage the video camera lens, but it will also obscure the images and it will create an unpleasant movie. If you plan to be indoors, I suggest you invest in a camcorder light accessory that can easily be attached to the camcorder and turned on if needed.

Tip No. 4 – Last but not least, my favorite camcorder accessory has to be a tripod. You can buy a cheap little small tabletop tripod for simple videos or you can invest in a larger standing tripod to shoot longer videos. By using a tripod during recording, you can be sure that your images will not be shaky and your film will not look amateurish.