Camcorders

[SnowRider]

Just wondering what people out there have. I want to get one and I am looking at this one:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony...sem/rpsm/oid/158697/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

What do you think?

 

[Greg]

I'm a big Canon fan. their mini-DV line is really nice. We have a DC10 (discontinued) and it's great. Writes directly to a mini-DVD. Certainly small enough to bring skiing. That Sony model with the HDD looks pretty cool though, but I still prefer Canon products.

 

[AMAC2233]

I have the Canon DC10 which they don't make anymore, but is very similar to the DC100: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Canon-Camcorder-DC100/sem/rpsm/oid/147508/catOid/-13063/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do. I've only had it for about 6 months, but it's been fine so far. It was a great price for what it is. I now wish I had bought just a digital camera, though, since I use the still image function more that the video.

 

[riverc0il]

i have a Panasonic PV-GS15 which is a few years old. video quality and having a camera that is portable and small enough to fit into a pocket are primary issues to look out for. camcorder companies want to focus on zoom, particularly digital zoom which is useless and should be turned off. anything above 16-20x optical is a waste unless you have a tripod, so don't believe the hype on zoom. i generally never go closer in than 16x but i have up to 24x on my camcorder. always take quality over zoom after you have the minimal required zoom for your activities.

that cam has 12x optical which is just enough, imo. the price is nuts though, i assume going with a miniDV model would be cheaper. i have never cared much for sony products, but that is just brand preference. canon makes great point and shot digi cams so i would assume their camcorders are top notch as well. i went cheap and compromised going with the panasonic. seems like you could get a better deal for the money. all my videos are made with a $300 street value camcorder (note that the online videos are low quality due to size issues). here is a good site:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-DCR-SR80-Camcorder-Review.htm

if you want to produce good videos, you will also need to spend about $100 on a good editing software. whatever comes with the camera will likely be a fairly poor OEM version that will get you up and running but not give you creative control that makes for good videos.

 

[andyzee]

I've got 2 Sony's, like them the best. I may be wrong since I never had one, but I just don't trust systems that write direct to DVD.

 

[YardSaleDad]

We have two in our house. A simple Sony DV and an HDV model. Unless you are going HDV, save your money at this point and go with an entry level DV. The differences in quality between the various DV models is minor compared with the jump to HDV.

If you go HDV that set's off a financial chain reaction. You need an HDTV set to truly appreciate the video you shoot. You also need to upgrade your computer to handle editing HDV footage, and buy software that is able to handle HDV. Of course now that you have a HDTV set, you want that Digital Cable to watch LOST in HDTV. Not to mention you now need to chuck all your movies on DVD and replace them with Blu-Ray version which of course requires a player....

You get the picture. Unless you have a budding Spielberg in the house, or a large trust fund, save your dough and get a simple $200-$300 DV model.

 

[SnowRider]

It's a hard drive model (HDD) not high def

We have two in our house. A simple Sony DV and an HDV model. Unless you are going HDV, save your money at this point and go with an entry level DV. The differences in quality between the various DV models is minor compared with the jump to HDV.

If you go HDV that set's off a financial chain reaction. You need an HDTV set to truly appreciate the video you shoot. You also need to upgrade your computer to handle editing HDV footage, and buy software that is able to handle HDV. Of course now that you have a HDTV set, you want that Digital Cable to watch LOST in HDTV. Not to mention you now need to chuck all your movies on DVD and replace them with Blu-Ray version which of course requires a player....

You get the picture. Unless you have a budding Spielberg in the house, or a large trust fund, save your dough and get a simple $200-$300 DV model.

 

[andyzee]

It's a hard drive model (HDD) not high def

I like the HD idea, but you are paying a premium for it. Also, what would you use for storage of videos. We like to make DVD from our videos, but that's not the same quality as the original recording. We use mniDV tapes and an hours worth of recording uses about 10 gb

 

[YardSaleDad]

It's a hard drive model (HDD) not high def

I know. My point is that HDD does not buy you any quality over a simple DV.

 

[riverc0il]

I like the HD idea, but you are paying a premium for it. Also, what would you use for storage of videos. We like to make DVD from our videos, but that's not the same quality as the original recording. We use mniDV tapes and an hours worth of recording uses about 10 gb

this is an interesting point which begs the question of preference. with miniDV tape, you load the data to the comp for editing, edit, then you can burn the original data to DVD and also have the original data on the tape. essentially, two backups, or just the tape if you don't want a DVD backup. same with the DVD recording, you have a DVD with the originals and can burn a backup. same with hard drive though, you just back up to a DVD. i think this really comes down to personal preference, from what i understand. i would think that the benefit of a hard drive is fewer moving parts to worry about. is there a write speed difference or anything quality related? that is what i would be concerned about in regards to miniDV vs DVD vs HD. for what it is worth, i have had issues with miniDV when it is cold or high humidity. not very fun having a camera die mid-shot or return sub par video due to field issues. i would be leaning towards DVD or Hard Drive for my next cam due to issues i have had with miniDV, though it could just be an inferior model.

 

[andyzee]

this is an interesting point which begs the question of preference. with miniDV tape, you load the data to the comp for editing, edit, then you can burn the original data to DVD and also have the original data on the tape. essentially, two backups, or just the tape if you don't want a DVD backup. same with the DVD recording, you have a DVD with the originals and can burn a backup. same with hard drive though, you just back up to a DVD. i think this really comes down to personal preference, from what i understand. i would think that the benefit of a hard drive is fewer moving parts to worry about. is there a write speed difference or anything quality related? that is what i would be concerned about in regards to miniDV vs DVD vs HD. for what it is worth, i have had issues with miniDV when it is cold or high humidity. not very fun having a camera die mid-shot or return sub par video due to field issues. i would be leaning towards DVD or Hard Drive for my next cam due to issues i have had with miniDV, though it could just be an inferior model.

I had some cold/humidity with my first camcorder which was an digital 8mm, I also had gotten my monies worth out of that one. The second one a miniDV, I haven't had any such issues with and I've had it for a couple of years now. Either way, those are some very valid points Steve.

 

[Greg]

this is an interesting point which begs the question of preference. with miniDV tape, you load the data to the comp for editing, edit, then you can burn the original data to DVD and also have the original data on the tape. essentially, two backups, or just the tape if you don't want a DVD backup. same with the DVD recording, you have a DVD with the originals and can burn a backup. same with hard drive though, you just back up to a DVD. i think this really comes down to personal preference, from what i understand. i would think that the benefit of a hard drive is fewer moving parts to worry about. is there a write speed difference or anything quality related? that is what i would be concerned about in regards to miniDV vs DVD vs HD. for what it is worth, i have had issues with miniDV when it is cold or high humidity. not very fun having a camera die mid-shot or return sub par video due to field issues. i would be leaning towards DVD or Hard Drive for my next cam due to issues i have had with miniDV, though it could just be an inferior model.

That whole acquisition thing is why we got away from the our old digitial cam that used Hi-8 tape media. Having to acquire the video to the computer and then compile and burn a DVD was a drag. With our new DVD cam, it can "ready" the DVD to be played in any DVD player right from the camera. Much easier. For actual video "productions" like Steve puts together you obviously still have to get the video to the comp for editing, but for home videos of the kids and stuff, creating a readable disk right from the camera is much easier. It actually does a decent job of "chaptering" scenes on the fly.

 

[SnowRider]

I know. My point is that HDD does not buy you any quality over a simple DV.

I can get almost 7 hours on the HDD with out changing memory ect.

 

[riverc0il]

I can get almost 7 hours on the HDD with out changing memory ect.

that is a huge perk. one thing that absolutely sucks about miniDV is the standard for miniDV tapes is 60 minutes. a 60 minute tape generally means i will do two or three recording sessions and have 10 minutes of blank tape i don't even use for fear of being in the field and needing to switch tapes if i max out the one i use. nothing worse than needing to switch tapes during a shoot. also, when i transition the video to the comp, it needs to be played back in real time, i assume DVD and hard drive transfer speeds are WAY faster, though you are just going to watch the video any ways, so it really doesn't matter much...

 

[SnowRider]

though you are just going to watch the video any ways, so it really doesn't matter much...

I actually plan on editing ( My brothers high school friend is gonna help me get started ) and try to come out with a season vid of me and my buds. The camcorder will also be used for lacrosse game tape for my brother to send in to the colleges.

 

[riverc0il]

I actually plan on editing ( My brothers high school friend is gonna help me get started ) and try to come out with a season vid of me and my buds. The camcorder will also be used for lacrosse game tape for my brother to send in to the colleges.

i meant you need to watch the entire video to know how you want to edit it

 

[Joshua B]

I've never owned a dedicated video camera, but with the idea of hard drive recording and fast data transfer to the computer, the one mentioned in the first post look like a great idea. Personally, I cannot accept the color interpretation on most consumer level video cameras which use a 1 CCD chip. Only 3 CCD/3 chip cameras preproduce true RGB colors, and those are pricey. So I continue to wait.

 

[riverc0il]

word, joshua. i don't plan on upgrading until 3 CCD camcorders come into consumer range price. definitely the way to go.

 

[hammer]

Bump...anyone have any suggestions on a basic camcorder that would be good for outdoor activities? I'm thinking mainly about skiing (size has to be reasonable).

Also, what is the best media to record to?

 

[Greg]

I'm going to be using the Canon DC-10 this year. You'll see the results in a couple months.