Can a video camcorder capture high-quality digital stills?

Can a video camcorder capture high-quality digital stills?

Mark Comon (Vice President, Paul's Photo, Torrance, CA) gives expert video advice on: Can a digital camera capture high-quality video?; Can a cell phone capture high-quality stills?; Can a video camcorder capture high-quality digital stills? and more...

Today's digital video camcorders more often than not have a high-quality digital still capability. That is really good for capturing an occasional still picture. But digital video camcorders don't take as good a picture as still cameras for a couple of reasons. Number one, the lens quality; the lens quality on the camcorders is not as good as the lens quality on the still cameras. Number two, the imaging chip is still even smaller and they're designed for moving pictures. With moving pictures the human eye does not need to see resolution. The human eye builds in the resolution for you. With a still camera, we examine, we get in there and look for the fine details, so you need more detail with a still camera than you do with a camcorder. Maybe one day they'll be able to combine them both so that you get both in one, but not yet, we're not there yet.