Flash memory and hard drive-based camcorders have emerged as competitors to traditional tape-based video cameras. These digital cameras provide good video quality in new, more computer-friendly formats. Hard disk camcorders have more capacity. Flash camcorders are more compact.
Storage Space
In 2010, hard drives cost less than flash memory. Hard drive camcorders average 40GB of storage space but at least one features 240GB, enough for more than 100 hours of high-definition video. Flash-based models currently top out at 32GB.
Power Consumption
While battery life varies among different models, flash cameras tend to run longer on a charge. A hard drive has a motor and other mechanical parts that consume more energy than solid-state flash memory.
Price
While prices of the two camera types overlap, you can find several flash cameras for less than $200, as of September 2010. Hard drive models tend to start at just more than $300.
Removable Media
You can remove the media from an SD card-based flash memory camcorder. This can be handy for mailing, storing or otherwise transferring the content. The drive in a hard drive camcorder stays with the camera.
