Best Cheap Camcorders
3.1MP (Interpolation Option) Digital Mini Video Camcorder Camera with 1.44″ Display |
|
  this is a nice camcorder. it may not have a perfect quilty but its nice its easy to use, light weight, slim. but what thers one thing i dont like about this camcorder is. you have to have batteries im not big on bettery operated things ye and ather words a nice camcorder. its good for your teens firs cam yea soo like it oo and go to [...] its a virural game |
|
Polaroid DVF-130 USB Camcorder with 2.0-inch LCD Display (Blue) YouTube Camera Ready |
|
 I picked one of these up at Big Lot’s for $39. Been wanting a flip style camcorder to keep in the car for capturing video when I don’t have a video camera on me. Also great for tossing in the pocket for quick interviews or any event where you don’t want to lug a full size video camera. Offloading video is quick and easy with the pop out USB connector. Video is on par with what I expected. 640×480 video with that of camcorders about 10 years ago. Decent for any quick capture for You Tube! |
|
NEW Dual Cam High Resolution Blue DIGITAL VIDEO CAMCORDER / STILL CAMERA |
|
 This camera/camcorder is alot more then i expected for the price,very easy to use and takes very nice pictures. Well worth the money. |
|
Coby 2.4-Inch TFT LCD SNAPP Swivel Camcorder/Camera CAM4000BLK (Black) |
|
 I BOUGHT THIS CAMCORDER FOR THE PRICE AND COMPACTABILITY. SO FAR IT’S JUST RIGHT FOR TRIPS, VACATIONS AND HOME PICTURES/VIDEOS. NOT THE GREATEST BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE HD, BUT VIDEO IS NOT THAT BAD. FOR THE CHEAP PRICE(UNDER $45)IT’S WORTH IT. COMES WITH ONLY 1 MIN. OF MEMORY SO YOU NEED TO BUY AN SD CARD UP TO 8GB TO GET MORE VIDEO TIME(7.5 HRS). COBY HAS DECENT PRODUCTS THAT I PURCHASED OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THIS CAMCORDER FOR AMATEURS IS JUST RIGHT. |
|
Aiptek AHD-1 720p HD High Definition Camcorder / 5MP Camera with Built-in USB Cable and HDMI Direct-Connect to Your HDTV |
|
 Aiptek’s AHD-1 is a pocket-sized, 720p HD High Definition digital camcorder that records crisp, crystal clear video on up to 32 GB SDHC memory cards. With the built-in USB Cable and integrated software you can quickly and easily upload your videos to sites like YouTube. Utilizing the HDMI hookup, you can easily Directly-Connect to your HDTV to instantly share your videos with friends and family. Capture your precious, once-in-a-lifetime memories in High Definition so that you can relive them time and time again, forever! |
All About Cheap Camcorders
As camcorders go, there are many, many choices out there. Cheap camcorders and expensive camcorders, bulky vs. handheld camcorders, advanced versus straightforward, and everything in between. Cheap camcorders are actually a fairly large portion of the market, and have a lot more variation within that bracket than you might think. Here’s a look into what you get (and what you don’t get) with cheap camcorders, why they are so affordable, and who they might be most useful for.
What makes cheap camcorders cheap?
For some camcorders, the low price tag corresponds to the basic features that the camera has. (It’s the old “you get what you pay for” adage.) This means minimal zoom, basic features, and modest image quality (not bad quality: just not professional grade).
For other cheap camcorders, the low price tag is because it’s been sitting on the shelf awhile, and the retailer is marking it down to try and sell it. Looking for specials and sales this way is a good way to get a moderate camcorder at a cheap camcorder price.
The other way that camcorders can cost so little is if they are used or refurbished. In some cases, this means a high-functioning camera at a low price, but it also means less of a guarantee of the condition and longevity of the camcorder.
Are cheap camcorders a good idea?
The answer to this question isn’t actually in the cameras: it’s more about you, and how you plan to use your video camera. If you’re an aspiring film maker (or simply a film enthusiast) who wants to toy with lighting and editing and zoom and focus, then no, a cheap camcorder is not the best fit for you.
But there are plenty of situations where a cheap camcorder is overwhelmingly the best choice. For example, perhaps you’re planning to go on vacation. You know there’s a chance that your camcorder will get dirty (or sandy, or wet, or broken). It could get stolen, or banged up in your luggage. These are all good reasons not to take a fancy camera with you.
Or perhaps you want a recorder that your kids and their friends can use to make at-home movies without you having a heart attack every time they drop it. In this case, as in many others, a cheap camcorder is actually a much better use of your money, relative to how it will be used.
Where To Buy Cheap Camcorders
Do you want to buy a cheap camcorder? Many people have found that cheap camcorders give them exactly what they’re looking for—a quick and convenient way to catch video footage on a moment’s notice—without costing too much out of their wallet.
Sure, you could spend hundreds of dollars more on an expensive camcorder. But if you don’t have any desire to use those advanced features, and if you want a cheap camcorder that you can take with you on vacation or on hiking trips and whatnot, without worrying about what will happen to it—well, then a cheap camcorder is a great idea.
So where do you find one? It turns out that not all cheap camcorders are the same, which means that you can buy them in several different places, depending on what exactly you’re looking for.
- Big box stores & Google Shopping. These are good sources for cheap camcorders if what you’re looking for is the lowest price camera you can find. The simplest, least-fancy, and least-expensive cameras may not have name brands that you recognize, but they will record video, and you can find them using Google shopping (organize by “priced low to high”), or by searching big box stores known for low priced electronics.
- Electronics retailers and Department stores. These are good places to find cheap camcorders that used to be a bit higher in price, but have been marked down. Low sales mean they’ll be marked down, and when combined with other deals and promotions, you can actually find a decent camcorder for the price of a cheap camcorder, if you’re patient enough to look around and wait until a good deal arises.
- Auction sites. eBay is the most famous auction site, but even Amazon and other retailers will sell used electronics. Sold here, camcorders are cheaper than when new, but aren’t guaranteed by the manufacturer. Do a check on the person you’re buying from, if possible, and use your best judgment.
- Refurbishing companies. Many companies sell cheap camcorders that are not just used, but inspected and refurbished by companies that have experience doing so. This is a good way to find a cheap camcorder that’s a compromise between a new one and a used one with an unknown history.
Buying Cheap Camcorders Online
Buying cheap camcorders online is a very good idea if you want a camera that delivers what you’re looking for but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Camcorders can be very expensive, or quite affordable. In fact, you can find cheap camcorders for under $100, middle range camcorders for $200-$400, or expensive camcorders for as much as $800-$1000.
Somewhere in between is good for most people, but if you really want a cheap camcorder, that works well but costs as little as possible, shopping for your camcorder online is definitely the way to do it.
There are several different ways to look for deals on online camcorders. First, you need to figure out what sort of camcorder you’re looking for. Do you want a specific model or manufacturer, and are just looking for the best price? Or are you just looking for any brand, the cheapest price you can find?
If you know the model you’re looking for, search for that specific model of cheap camcorder using a web-wide search tool, such as Google Shopping. This tool will compare prices on models across dozens (if not hundreds) of websites that offer products for sale online. You can search for the specific camcorder you want, and compare prices across various retail websites, and also reliability and other factors across those sites.
Another way to find cheap camcorders online is to target a specific website with a good reputation for discounted prices. Keep an eye on that site, and the specific model you’re looking for. If you learn how and when they put items on sale, or if you wait for a certain promotion or deal (such as signing up for a credit card or some other account), you may be able to time it such that you get a higher quality camera for the same price as a cheap camcorder. However, with this approach, keep in mind that if you wait too long, you may miss out on the camcorder, as it may be taken off the sale chart, or sold out while you are waiting for the price to go down even further.
Types of Cheap Camcorders
Cheap camcorders are a great way to be able to record whatever you want without having to spend an arm and a leg to afford it. While when you being your camcorder search, it might seem that all the camcorders on the market cost $200 or $300 or even $500 and more. This isn’t necessarily true. Some cheap camcorders cost under $100. How is this possible? Well, there are several different ways that a camcorder can cost so little. here’s an overview of the different categories of cheap camcorders, so you understand what you’re getting for your money.
- Simpler machines. One of the most obvious ways of making a camcorder cost less is to equip it to do less. Some of the least expensive camcorders are fairly low powered as camcorders go. They may have little or no optical zoom (digital zoom only), small screen size, mid-grade image quality, small battery, small memory card, and limited functions and options. If you want to make high quality recordings of events, this isn’t the best choice, but if you simply want to record what’s happening so you can re-live the event later, these lower budget cheap camcorders are a great choice.
- Used or re-furbished. One way to get a slightly higher quality camcorder at a still low price is to buy one that is used or refurbished. Since it’s not new, they can’t charge you as much, but you don’t get as much of a guarantee as to the quality, condition, and longevity of a used cheap camcorder. The best way to make sure you’re not wasting your money is to buy from reputable shops that have a reputation for high standards of equipment quality, and even offer some form of a limited warranty for their items.
- Overstocked. If you keep an eye on the cheap camcorder market, you may be able to snag a good bargain because some company made more camcorders than they could sell. The longer an item sits on a shelf without selling, the more likely it is to be priced down. If a certain camcorder is unpopular for a specific aspect that doesn’t bother you, it may become a cheap camcorder after not long because other people aren’t buying it – their loss is your gain.
Expensive vs. Cheap Camcorders
When you’re in the market for a cheap camcorder, it can be difficult to determine what exactly is the best choice for you and your family. Cheap camcorders can cost under $100. Expensive camcorders can cost over $1000.
So what’s the difference? Certainly the really high end models do more than the cheapest models. But what is a good middle ground for most people? Is a $100 camcorder ever a good choice? Is a $500 camcorder worth the money?
Here’s an overview of some of the differences you’ll see across that price spectrum. It should give you a starting point to help decide what it is you’re looking for, so you can be better equipped to choose between expensive and moderate and cheap camcorders when it comes time to actually buy the camera.
- Zoom. Camcorders have two types of zoom: optical (which is controlled by a changing lens) and digital (which doesn’t actually add detail, just uses the camera to make the image larger). The more expensive the camcorder, the higher optical zoom power it will have. If you plan on recording things that are far away and want to zoom in, optical zoom helps you do this.
- Features. Cheap camcorders are a bit simpler: they record, have basic zoom functions, and that’s about it. More expensive cameras do more; they let you fine tune more adjustments, have a greater number of settings, etc. If you don’t plan to use the settings, a cheap camcorder is actually a better choice. If you think you may use the settings, look into how much you’ll use them and only pay for the appropriate amount.
- Portability. This is an interesting aspect. Some cheap camcorders are very small because they are a very small, simple camera: they may even be hand-held. On the other hand, some expensive camcorders are small because their technology is more sophisticated and compact, and they can fit more ‘camera’ into a small space than a cheaper model that does the same things. If you want to use your camcorder on the go, consider size and portability as one of the factors you should look into.