Once I decided to buy a new camera I started to browse through the reviews because I wanted to make sure I bought the best compact video camera for my money. That’s where the problem started. Most of the reviews I read were written by enthusiasts that had far more knowledge of camcorders than me, and actually far more than I wanted. I wasn’t interested in “storage card capacity” or lists of technical specifications that gave geeks detailed information and told me nothing.

All I wanted is does it do what I want it to do?

My Guide to Getting the best compact Video Camera

The first step is to decide what you need the camera to do. Do you need the camera to turn on quickly and be ready to film straight away? Will you be filming lots of fast action? Do you want a budget camera or one that will take crystal clear images?

I came up with a list of features that were essential for me

• Easy to use
• Good quality images
• Fast to turn on so that I can film quickly
• Image stabilisation – a really handy feature that prevents image shake
• Capacity to store at least two hours of filming
• Easy to connect to my PC
• Easy to upload to facebook ( I have relatives overseas).
• Reasonable Price

Your list may contain similar essentials but you may want to add or take away from the features I needed.

I then started to look for cameras that met all the criteria. I even went to the trouble of creating a table with the contenders along the top and all the features down the side. In this way I could tick each feature as I studied a camera.

My final step was to do some price comparison research. I wanted to buy from a reliable company that offered fast delivery and had a good returns policy. When comparing the price I looked for companies that either offered free shipping or I added the shipping cost so that I got a comparable total.

The whole thing was quite a lengthy process, but I was amazed at the difference in features between manufacturers. There was also a difference of around 40% in price for the model I eventually decided to buy. Watch out for companies that advertise a very low price but then add $20 or more for shipping. Some turn out to be not such a good buy.

Good luck with your search for the best compact video camera. If you would like to save yourself time and see which I decided to go for and why then click here to visit my blog.