Increasingly, smartphones have replaced camcorders for video recording by hobbyists. Despite this, there are still reasons to consider choosing a digital video camera in 2018 over a smartphone for your video needs. The most obvious reason is price, but that’s not the only factor as you’ll see below on our list of the best camcorders for beginners and hobbyists. Why Choose a Camcorder? All About the Footage Most of the high-end smartphones on the market can shoot video in 4K.