Remeber that probe which crashed into the surface of Mars because one team was using the metric system and the other was using the imperial system? Well if you feel like that probe when trying to figure out which memory card to buy for your new flash camcorder, you’re not that far off. Camcorder and memory card manufacturers are conspiring to confuse you, by using completely different metrics.

MiniDV has dominated the camcorder market for over a decade, but that stronghold is beginning to weaken. Flash memory camcorders, hard disk camcorders, and optical media camcorders are all aiming to take MiniDV’s place as the king of the camcorder. New small and feature rich flash camcorders provide strong competition for MiniDV camcorders. Still, MiniDV is not dead yet, so which one should you buy?

The popularity of Flash camcorders and Hard Drive camcorders is rapidly increasing. The question is which one should you buy? It’s a tough decision because Hard Drive and Flash camcorders have so much in common that there is really very little different about them. They both offer instant access to the video that you’ve recorded, High Definition (up to 1080P) recording, great accessibility from your computer, and many more features. In fact, most manufacturers use the same optics and electronics to produce a HDD version and Flash version of the same camcorder, so the only real difference between the two is where they store their video and the implications that has on how you use the device.