Sony PAL camcorders are worth a good look if you're an amateur cinematographer looking for a reliable product line. At this point you're doubtless familiar with the basics, but let's review them anyhow. At the rate technology continues to outstrip itself, you want to pretend to try to keep up. Certainly Sony PAL camcorders are a solid investment no matter which model you consider.

What's Behind Sony PAL Camcorders

Let's face it, Sony has been doing what it does best--audiovisual electronics--for more than 40 years. The expertise gathered along the way translates into your choice of Sony PAL camcorders. There's no question that Sony's PAL line is extremely strong for digital format, rather than VHS, format video.

There are three basic video formats in common use--NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. NTSC was developed in the United States and finalized in 1941, based on black and white technology. It's the official analog standard in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and some of Central and South America. An interlaced system, it has 525 lines and 60 fields at 30 frames per second.

The PAL system developed a bit later in Europe, based on color technology. It is also interlaced, with 625 lines, 50 field and 25 frames per second. These differences give it more flicker, but far better color and picture than NTSC. SECAM was developed in France and has specs along the lines of PAL with different color technology. PAL is by far the most commonly used and has the best picture, by all accounts.