Why are the bigger shoulder-mounted camcorders higher quality than the smaller handheld ones?
They are better built. Even when using the exact same recording format of the smaller camcorder like DV, the bigger camcorder will have more expensive sharper lenses, improved sensor chips, much better audio components for lower noise and cleaner sound… …and most importantly of all – the controls and camera are much more robust and easy to use so that human operation of the camcorder is much better. A shoot can be a very stressful environment and the bigger camcorders are less prone to mistakes as their controls and indicators for sound and vision are much clearer. Unlike smaller camcorders, important basic controls (like sound!) are not hidden down some obscure menu system. The equipment that connects to the bigger camcorders is also designed to be more robust and loose connections are much rarer and also easier to repair than with the flimsy lightweight smaller camcorders. There is less risk that a reshoot may be needed or that the production will have to “make do” with poorer so
