Should I use my camcorder's "widescreen" mode?

Should I use my camcorder's "widescreen" mode?

Tim Smith (Camcorder Training Specialist) gives expert video advice on: What does the "spotlight" function on my camcorder do?; Should I use my camcorder's "widescreen" mode?; Do consumer camcorders have slow-motion capabilities? and more...

You're thinking about shooting in 16 by 9, or widescreen. That's great. If you really want to get that widescreen feeling, that big movie feeling that you get sitting in a theatre, that's a great thing to do. Widescreen is very creative. But there's something you need to know. Manufacturers, even inside the same company, sometimes produce that image in a different way. Some camcorders will give you a sharper image in 16 by 9 than 4 by 3, which is conventional television or almost a square image. With other camcorders, it's just the opposite. Depending on the camera you want, you want to look at how that image is produced. Either way, if you've decided to shoot in 16 by 9, or widescreen, you probably should do it. It's a creative choice even though it might cost you a little bit in picture quality. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won't.