Comparison Canon LEGRIA HF R806 vs Canon LEGRIA HF R506

The physical size of the camcorder sensor. It is usually measured diagonally and is indicated in fractions of an inch — for example, 1/3 "or 1/2.33" (the second option is larger, respectively). In addition, sensors of a “photographic” format can be installed in video cameras, in which case the corresponding designation is used — for example, APS-C.

The larger the sensor, the higher the image quality it can provide (all else being equal). This is due to the fact that on larger sensors, each individual pixel is larger, more light falls on it, which increases sensitivity and reduces noise; this is especially important for shooting in low light. For amateur purposes, small sensors are quite enough, but in professional cameras (see "Features") this parameter is at least 1/3". The exception, however, are models with several sensors (see "Number of sensors") in them each individual sensor is quite small, and high quality is ensured by image processing features.

Focal length of a standard video camera lens in terms of a 35 mm full-frame sensor. This parameter is also called the "equivalent focal length" — EFL.

The focal length itself is the distance from the optical centre of the lens (when focus to infinity) to the sensor, at which the sharpest image is obtained on the sensor. It is one of the key characteristics of any lens, because. determines the viewing angles, the degree of approximation and, accordingly, the specifics of the use of optics. At the same time, it is impossible to compare different options in terms of the actual focal length: the laws of physics are such that with different sizes of sensors, the same focal length will give different viewing angles. Therefore, EFL was adopted as a universal characteristic and criterion for comparison. It can be described as the focal length that a 35mm lens with the same viewing angles would have.

The larger the focal length, the narrower the viewing angle will be and the higher the degree of approximation of the visible scene. Optics with EFL up to 18 mm belongs to the class of ultra wide-angle ("fisheye") and is used primarily to create artistic effects. Distances up to 40 mm correspond to "wide angles", 50 mm gives the same degree of approximation as that of the naked eye, the range of 70-100 mm is considered optimal for portrait shooting, and large values allow the use of optics already as a telephoto lens. Knowing these provisions, one can approximately...evaluate the capabilities of the lens and its suitability for certain tasks; there are more detailed recommendations, they are described in special sources.

Also note that modern video cameras are usually equipped with lenses with a variable focal length (zoom), which allows you to change the degree of approximation and viewing angle; see "Optical Zoom" for details.

Manual focus mode in the standard lens of the video camera (or, if the lens is not included, the ability to work with optics that have this mode). This allows the operator to control the sharpness in the frame himself, without relying on automation.

The point of this feature is that even the most advanced autofocus systems do not always work as expected. This is especially critical in professional shooting: many artistic techniques related to depth of field can only be implemented manually. On the other hand, this mode of operation is more difficult than shooting with autofocus, it requires certain skills and constant control. Therefore, manual focus is quite rare in amateur models (see "Features"), but is almost mandatory for professional ones.

Note that some of these lenses do not have autofocus at all.

The highest frame rate provided by the camera when shooting video. The minimum frequency for normal viewing is the classic 24 fps used in cinema. At the same time, most modern video cameras are capable of providing up to 50 – 60 fps, and even higher frequencies can be used for the slow motion effect.

In fact, this indicator is important primarily when shooting dynamic scenes. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the fast motion will look in the frame, the less jerky it will be and the more pleasant the overall impression of the image will be. The reverse side of this is an increase in the size of recorded files (all other things being equal). Therefore, the frame rate can be made adjustable so that the operator can choose the best option for a particular situation.

Video file formats that the camera can use to store recorded footage. If you want to view these materials using a separate device (player, media centre, etc.), you should make sure that this player supports the appropriate formats, otherwise conversion may be necessary.

The data transfer speed provided by the camera when recording video. This parameter is also called bitrate (i.e., the number of bits per unit of time). For any file format used for recording, the general rule is that the higher the bitrate, the better the image quality (especially for formats that use lossy compression). On the other hand, high speed have appropriate requirements for the capabilities of the memory cards used — for more details, see "Memory card support"; and it increases the size of the file accordingly. Therefore, many modern camcorders are able to work with different bitrates; this allows you to choose the best option depending on what is more important for you at the moment — maximum quality or the ability to work with a slow card.

At the same time, we note that in terms of quality, this parameter is important mainly for professional video shooting. If you need a camera for amateur purposes, there is no need to look for the maximum bitrate: after all, such models (and memory cards for them) cost accordingly.

The lowest illumination of the scene being shot, at which the camera is able to provide an image of normal quality. Note that in devices with a night view function (see below), this parameter can be specified in different ways. In some models, minimal illuminance is implied, in which the camera can shoot without backlight and at the same time maintain colour reproduction (as in normal daytime shooting); in others — an "absolute" minimum of light, below which it is impossible to use even the night mode. This point should be clarified according to the official documents of the manufacturer.

Anyway, the lower this indicator, the less light the camera needs to work and the better it handles with shooting at dusk or even at night. Thanks to the use of special technologies, some models are able to work even in complete darkness, with an illumination of 0 lux; this is due to the fact that modern sensors are able to perceive infrared radiation invisible to the eye. However, more often than not, shooting still requires a certain amount of light — at least tenths of a lux. For comparison: an illumination of 0.1 lux approximately corresponds to a lunar night with a “half” phase of the moon, and 1 lux is comparable to a bright full moon in southern latitudes.

Presets and white balance adjustment modes provided by the camera.

White balance is a characteristic that describes the qualities of the lighting of the scene and the distortion that this lighting introduces into the colours perceived by the camera. Its used because modern digital sensors are unable to independently adjust to different light sources, as the human eye does. In fact, this means that the same object shot under lighting with different colour temperatures (for example, under a “warm” incandescent lamp and a “cold” fluorescent lamp) will look different without adjustment. To avoid this, the white balance setting is applied.

The main options for such a setting used in modern cameras are as follows:

— Auto. In accordance with the name, in this mode, the camera electronics independently evaluates the specifics of the illumination of the scene being shot and makes appropriate corrections to the colour reproduction. This adjustment is the most convenient for the operator, because. does not require any additional actions from him — everything is done by automation. At the same time, no such adjustment system is perfect, and does not always provide 100% white balance for the current situation. Therefore, even in the simplest models like pocket ones (see "Features"), this option is rarely the only one, not to mention professional equipment.

— Presets. The ability to select white balance from several options that correspond to...standard shooting conditions — for example, “sunny day”, “cloudy”, “fluorescent lamp”, “incandescent lamp”, etc. Such a system is quite simple even for inexperienced users and at the same time quite reliable and versatile, although its specific capabilities directly depend on the number of presets.

— Manual. Manual white balance setting assumes that the operator himself “tells” the camera which object to consider pure white — based on this, the electronics calculate the lighting characteristics (unlike automatic mode, when the reference object is also determined without user involvement). The easiest way to do this is to use a regular sheet of paper, but the procedure also works with neutral grey objects. Manual mode allows you to very accurately set the white balance for a particular scene, but it requires some time and appropriate skills — and therefore is used mainly in professional camcorders.

— Temperature control. This function allows you to set a specific value for the colour temperature of the light source (in kelvins) — it is this temperature that will correspond to the white balance when shooting. This setup format is faster and more convenient than manual setup, but is not widely used. This is due to the fact that it is well suited only for studio conditions, where the characteristics of each light source are precisely known — in other cases, manual adjustment is usually more reliable.

The number of auto exposure modes (scene programs) provided in the camera design.

Exposure is a certain combination of the main shooting parameters — shutter speed, aperture and sensor sensitivity. Different situations may require different combinations to obtain the best image quality. For example, for shooting dynamic scenes, relatively fast shutter speeds are required to avoid blurring each frame — and for normal illumination of each frame, you need to open the aperture or increase the sensitivity. In portrait shooting, the conditions are dictated by the aperture, etc. Auto exposure makes it much easier to set all the parameters mentioned — instead of selecting a combination manually, the operator just needs to turn on a certain scene programme on the camera.

The more auto exposure modes, the more extensive the camera's ability to adjust to a specific situation, the easier it is to work with it under a wide variety of shooting conditions. At the same time, it is worth noting that when calculating these modes, our catalog takes into account not only automated presets (“portrait”, “beach”, “sunset”, etc.), but also “full automatic”, when the camera itself determines the specifics of the scene, and a fully manual setting mode.