Going to make a daring prediction (or a scorching take) right here: Camcorders are going to make a point-and-shoot fashion comeback within the subsequent 12 months. In the identical manner that compact cameras have skilled a resurgence amongst youth on the lookout for the nostalgic vibes, so too will the helpful cams that these of us who truly used the issues again within the day won’t ever perceive.
And I am going to admit, I am a kind of that do not fairly perceive. Out of doors/Journey Vlogger Ryan Stella makes the case for for the Sony HDR-CX405 HD Handycam she bought in 2025, and there are a variety of good causes she cites: there’s the tactile really feel of really holding a camcorder in your palms, working zoom levers, and pushing buttons. These are usually not dissimilar to the explanations Fujifilm customers stay and die by that model, for example. There’s additionally the slowed-down tempo. She cites a 15-second startup time meaning a second has often handed as soon as the digital camera is powered on, resulting in precise captured moments feeling like some sort of victory. Then there’s the SD card recording medium that precludes prompt, inconsiderate posting on social media. We’re off to a superb begin right here.
However the place my outdated self fails to grasp the nostalgia worth is within the picture high quality. So many occasions, Stella places up her iPhone footage back-to-back together with her camcorder footage, and it is undeniably higher when it comes to focus, picture high quality, colours, and audio. Against this, the camcorder reveals plenty of coloration noise, softness, and is notably shakier with out the subtle stabilization present in an iPhone.
However perhaps that is the purpose. Youthful generations of photographers (and on this case, vloggers) appear to yearn for video that serves up old-school-looking pictures. Should you’ve by no means used a compact digital camera or camcorder, or have not because you have been very younger, these gadgets maintain a sure mystique to them—not not like the movie cameras that appear to attract 30- and 40-somethings like myself. Movie cameras have been one thing I utilized in my youth, however by no means in my precise profession, and they also nonetheless maintain a form of worth as a enjoyable factor to play with now and again.
All that stated, whereas the video might evoke sentimental emotions of the previous, I personally don’t have any need to revisit the poor dealing with of the camcorder period. I used to be compelled to show video journalism with camcorders, and I nonetheless shudder to consider simply how a lot more durable it made my job to have college students begin studying on cameras they’d (on the time) by no means contact within the area. I am going to gladly stick with my mirrorless/cinema cameras of at present, whose controls and menus really feel way more intuitive than within the camcorder period.
Stella has a variety of footage and ideas concerning the digital camera in her video above, and it is value trying out in the event you’re fascinated about hitting the used marketplace for one of many cameras. If you would like to get an up to date model of her digital camera, there’s the Sony FDR-AX43A UHD 4K Handycam that provides a big decision and have bump over the digital camera in her video.
What do you assume? Will camcorders make a comeback? Go away your ideas within the feedback under.
