The problem with a lot of gadgets is they bring otherwise complicated technology into the hands of just about anyone, often without enough support of how to use it.

There was a time when a good quality consumer film camera would have a manual zoom but work everything else out automatically. Now even the cheaper cameras offer far more control, which requires an in-depth knowledge to get the best results.

The same is also true with camcorders and, as a relative newcomer myself, books like The Little Digital Video Book are a very valuable introduction. Michael Rubin manages to get the right balance between explaining both technology and technique.
In fact, one of the most valuable piece of advice was to keep a paper record of tapes and recordings. I've started using this for my digital photo collection and it has been very helpful.

Although it is a very readable book, and I was quite happy to work from cover to cover, there are plenty of exercises to demonstrate the advice and to show why what might feel like the right thing when filming may not be when it comes to showing it to an audience. It’s full colour throughout, which is important for a media rich subject like this.

The book also covers the various ways of connecting camcorders to a computer with photos showing the different plugs and sockets.

There is also an accompanying blog with example videos quoted in the book.

Highly recommended if you are about to get started with a camcorder, or thinking of buying one for someone.

Author: Michael Rubin
ISBN: 978-0-321-57262-2
Publisher: www.peachpit.com