Everyone wants a camcorder that shoots great stills; after all, nobody wants to carry two devices that essentially perform the same task. Unfortunately, most camcorders use fast but low-resolution, high-noise sensors, which creates video that looks great on a television but pretty bad on a PC monitor or when printed as stills. Here are some clues to finding a happy medium.
The short answer
These camcorders are becoming more common, though the ones that can capture 8×10-adequate stills generally have a resolution of 3 megapixels or more and are relatively expensive.

The long answer
It depends on how you plan to display the pictures.
Hint: If you’re going to display the pictures at least 50 percent smaller than the original size, resolution doesn’t matter much–opt for the camcorder with the best color.

The image on the left was shot with a camcorder (effective photo resolution is 3 megapixels), while the one on the right was shot with an inexpensive digital camera (effective resolution 7 megapixels). Both are displayed at least half size. Though the pictures show differences in white balance, each provides about the same amount of image detail.
Hint: If you want to print photos, you’re still better off carrying a cheap digital camera. But for small prints, you’ll probably get a sufficient amount of detail from a 2-megapixel camcorder.
Compare these stills from a camcorder (right) and digital camera (left) cropped in to look at the details. You’ll see the noise and blurriness in the camcorder images that you won’t spot in those from a camera–higher resolution, yes, but still far less expensive.
How do I get sound from my digital camcorder?

All consumer camcorders have built-in microphones, so even videographers on a shoestring budget can shoot talkies. Front-mounted mikes generally do a better job of capturing sound from a source in front of the camera and of rejecting the sound of the camera operator muttering than do small top-mounted units. If you’ll be recording very quiet scenes, such as a baby sleeping, look for a camcorder that doesn’t pick up too much motor hum through the built-in microphone.
Different types of videographers need different sound-capture capabilities, so look for the features that match your user type.
Home and vacation moviemaker

Headphones

Camera features to look for:
• Built-in zoom microphone that “zooms” the audio along with the lens
• Built-in windscreen
• Audio dubbing for adding music or voice-overs
• Microphone jack for plugging in external microphone or other audio source
• Accessory shoe for mounting external microphone

Accessories to consider:
• External microphone for improved sound capture
• Headphones for discreet playback or checking sound-capture quality
Independent filmmaker
Audio-level controls on a camcorder
Camera features to budget for:
• Accessory shoe for mounting external microphone
• Audio-level controls
• CD-quality 12- and 16-bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) sound capture and audio dubbing
• Built-in XLR ports or an optional XLR adapter for attaching pro audio equipment
Accessories to put in your grant application:
• Shotgun microphone for picking up subjects clearly without too much background noise
• Omnidirectional microphone for capturing sound from groups
• Boom poles and microphone stands
• Wired or wireless lavalier (lapel) microphone for documentary or interview subjects
• Headphones for monitoring audio-capture quality
• A good book on capturing sound with video; there’s nothing quite as frustrating as getting lots of great footage with unlistenable audio, so make sure to do your homework before you get started.
Budget buyer

Microphone and headphone jacks on a camcorder

Camera features to hope for:
• Microphone jack for plugging in external microphone or other audio source
• Audio dubbing for adding music or voice-overs

Accessories to save your pennies for:
• External microphone for improved sound capture
• Headphones for discreet playback or checking sound-capture quality
Trendsetter
Shotgun microphone
Camera features to show off:
• Built-in zoom microphone that “zooms” the audio along with the lens
• Built-in windscreen
• Accessory shoe for mounting external microphone
• Audio dubbing for adding music or voice-overs
• Headphone jack

Accessories to splurge on:
• Shotgun microphone for picking up subjects clearly without too much background noise
• Headphones for discreet playback or checking sound-capture quality
Business videographer
Lavalier microphone
Camera features to plan for:
• Built-in zoom microphone that “zooms” the audio along with the lens
• Built-in windscreen
• Accessory shoe for mounting external microphone
• Audio dubbing for adding music or voice-overs
• Headphone jack
• Audio-level controls
Accessories to expense:
• Wired or wireless lavalier (lapel) microphone for interviews
• Shotgun microphone for picking up subjects clearly without too much background noise
• Omnidirectional microphone for capturing sound from groups
• Headphones for discreet playback or monitoring sound-capture quality