Chief among them is a range of exposure programs similar to those found in SLRs and some compact photo cameras. In my mind the most useful feature available on some models is image stabilization. Both optical and electronic image stabilization systems minimize camera movement caused by an unsteady hand. One of the latest features is still image capture. Canon's Optura, for example, stores a series of the same still image on the moving tape, an image which can then be downloaded to a computer.
Spare batteries are worth the extra weight, along with a spare tape or two.
Always use the best quality tapes you can afford, to minimize the video head clogging, which degrades image quality, associated with low quality tapes shedding their surface materials. Hitachi America 2000 Sierra Point Pkwy.