When looking at camcorder specifications, you will often come across the term 'frame rate'. This is expressed in the number of frames captured per second (fps, for frames per second).
What frame rate should you film at?
A frame is essentially a still photo. Shoot enough of them quickly and you’ve got a full-motion video. Frame rate, then, refers to how many frames a camcorder captures in one second, which determines how smooth a video looks.
Camcorders typically record at 30 fps to give the impression of seamless motion. Moving images are recorded at 24 fps, and some camcorder models offer a 24p mode to simulate motion pictures. Recording at a frame rate lower than 24 fps results in video that appears choppy and inconsistent.
Many camcorders offer the ability to record at faster frame rates than 30 fps, usually 60 fps. This is useful for capturing sports or anything with fast movement.
