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Tripod Compatibility
Amazingly in this day and age, a very few camcorders do not allow for attachment to a tripod, or do not allow easy connection. It may seem like a daft thing to ask, but check it.

Size Matters
The size of your camera will depend on a lot of things, not least, your stamina. Most camera-folk will expect to get a vehicle pretty close to their shooting location, whereas wildlife videography usually means a fair bit of footwork. Once you’ve got a tripod and other bits like converter, reflector, map (not to mention sustenance), the weight and size of your camera can make a lot of difference. If, like us, you rely on public transport much of the time and have a guide dog plus often a retired guide dog, you can easily be ready to nap away the shooting hours by the time you get to your location.

Having said that, most seasoned videographers like a bit of weight to minimize the camera shake that can often come when hand-holding. Smaller cameras also need to cram all the controls into menu form which slows down access to them, and speed of control is often essential in the wildlife situation.

Bells & Whistles
It’s easy to set yourself a target budget, then be led into spending a bit more for the extra couple of bells and whistles. An idea of what may be useful is worthwhile.

Probably the most important feature for the wildlife photographer is a colour viewfinder. It is almost impossible to see much of wildlife in a mono viewfinder. Surprisingly, even some DV cameras only have mono, so check it out carefully. Some cameras do try to compensate by adding a fold-out colour screen or monitor but these are very difficult to see in some light conditions, especially sunlight, so be very careful about your choice here.

Autofocus is standard on all modern camcorders, but it is useful also to be able to focus manually. Most modern cameras do have this facility but some don’t ,and some are not easy to access. It’s certainly a device we personally couldn’t do without.

Manual Exposure is another facility we value, and find it especially useful for the very varied light levels common to wildlife photography. Most digital cameras have this facility but some cameras of hi8 format and below are missing it.

Some people swear by manual white balance controls. These allow you to balance up colour casts created by certain filming conditions. Only some cameras have this facility. Again, check it out carefully. It is worth bearing in mind though that some computer editing software will allow colour correction at the editing stage, so look at your combined balance of facilities.

Manual shutter controls gives you more control over the feel of your picture. Again, most DV cameras have the facility but not many below (including digital8). Some people will swear by it, but most enthusiasts I know never use it.

Backlight compensation is a very fast track to adjusting exposure where a subject is against a bright sky or other light source. Most cameras have this as standard, but those that don’t usually have manual exposure which is slower to adjust but does offer more variability. Many have both, which allows fine tuning for difficult light conditions.

Digital and auto effects can be very useful. There is a large number of variations across the camera range, and the subject really needs a whole article to itself. However, do look at what effects you have on your editing system to get some idea of what you might need.

Screens and monitors are easier on the eye than viewfinders. They also usually have speakers which allow you hear your audio in playback without having to use earphones. It is often easier to see icons and menus on a screen than through the viewfinder. They are ideal for framing in awkward situations where you can’t easily get your eye to a viewfinder. They are ideal also if you have a vision problem as they magnify everything, making composition and menu access easier. Do bear in mind however that clarity of picture in the screen is dictated by light conditions, and they are usually impossible to see in bright sunshine. Some photographers we know have constructed their own lightweight hood to shade their screen, and you might find this useful. Most shops will allow you to try the facility out in different light conditions before you buy, so don’t be afraid to check it out.