Camcorders

Professional filmmaking camcorders are a world away from the kinds of ultra-affordable starter video cameras used to shoot home movies. This category includes the kinds of high-end cinema cameras designed for filmmaking and professional videography, with features like professional XLR audio inputs, advanced cinematic colour science, and shooting resolutions reaching 4K and beyond.

The term ‘camcorder’ is quite flexibly used in the professional video industry, and is used to refer both to all-in-one cameras with fixed lenses, and interchangeable-lens cameras. Something all camcorders at this level have in common, however, is the ability to create cinema-quality visuals. While specific features vary between different camcorders, it’s common to see things like flat Log profiles for maximising dynamic range, high ISO ceilings for shooting in low light and sophisticated autofocus systems.