Almost all camcorders have zoom capability. Optical zoom works by increasing the length of the lens and offers superior image quality compared to high-magnification digital zoom. Some camcorders have more than one zoom rate, some have manual control of zoom rate, and few have an instant zoom feature, which instantly changes the zoom. Almost all camcorders have auto-focus capability. In addition, some offer manual focus capability for trickier shots.
Some camcorders come with built-in light for recording in dim conditions.
Few have connections for snap-on external lights. Built-in lights can quickly drain battery power. Almost all camcorders offer automatic exposure settings. Some have programmed exposure settings for special types of shooting situations or offer manual setting of shutter speed and aperture. Some camcorders have image stabilization feature for correcting camera shaking, especially at higher zoom levels without a tripod.