It’s important to think about how you will use your camcorder. To help, we've divided camcorders according to the format they record onto and their main function.

Compact flash camcorders: these simple camcorders record onto SD memory cards, and onto their own internal flash memory. You can’t fit as much footage onto an SD card as a DVD or Mini DV tape, but SD cards have grown in capacity, making this category popular. Now you can find very basic models that can shoot modest quality video specifically for uploading to the internet and upmarket models that can capture more detailed, High Definition (HD) as well as standard definition.

These very compact camcorders are great for beginners and ideal for travelling or spur of the moment filming.

Hard disc drive (HDD) camcorders: a hard drive is a recordable disc that is fixed inside the camcorder, like the ones in computers. They can hold much more video than a flash memory-based camcorder. The hard drive makes the camcorder a little bigger than its flash memory rivals, but you can film for longer and you can capture HD footage too.

With no removable media, like a disc, it’s a case of playing the video back directly onto a TV, or downloading it to a computer for editing. Camcorders often combine a hard drive recorder with removable SD cards or DVD disc recording for the best of both worlds.

HDD camcorders are perfect for travelling, documenting and filming where you don’t have time to reload tapes or memory cards.

DVD camcorders: more 'serious' than memory card based models, these are bigger in order to incorporate the DVD or mini DVD to record onto. Ideal for filming holidays or sporting events, these allow you to watch it straight away on a DVD player and TV.

Mini DV camcorders: this popular category of camcorders record digitally onto compact video cassettes in very high quality. The tapes are small and so are the camcorders, and they're aimed at the professional end of the market. Video can be transferred to a computer for editing properly, or played back directly to a TV. This is the best format for budding filmmakers.

HD camcorders: shooting in high definition, these are hugely popular as they can capture very detailed video that looks great on an HD flat screen TV. The resolution of HD is higher (it contains more pixels) than the standard definition of DVD and regular TV. HD camcorders can be based on a hard drive, Mini DV, DVD or Blu-ray recorder, but because HD footage takes up so much more memory, you won’t find it as an option on the basic flash memory camcorders. If it's quality you need, then an HD model is for you.

Once you have decided how you will use your camcorder and which category is best, compare their key specifications. Remember that some aspects, battery life for example, might be more important to you than memory.

There are many clever features available that can either make your life easier, or make new ways of filming possible. These are just some of the key ones to look for:

Battery packs: a spare battery pack is probably the most useful accessory for a shoot.

Case: a protective case is a very good idea, to keep delicate equipment safe.

Memory: many camcorders rely on, or accept memory cards for recording onto, so spares are always useful.

Confused about jargon? Our Glossary explains the most common technical terms - so you can get your head round the facts.