Digital Camcorder

Tammi67

<font color=green>1st to out the Tag Fairy as the
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Can anyone recommend a good one? I am looking for one that does well at night, for parades and such. Also, I think I would prefer DV rather than DVD
 
Tried the DVD when I was shoping for a new camcorder. It made too much noise for my taste. Went with a Sony DV and am very happy with it.
 
I bought the DCR-TRV80, it is still for sale but Sony has come out with all new camcorders. It was a little pricey but I wanted a few of the features it had that most other camcorders didn't at the time. It has a built in flash and takes very good still pictures among other things. If I were looking today, I would look at the new ones since they are less expensive for the same technology. I actually had it over-nighted to me so I could take it to WDW in 2004.
 


The key is to determine how you are going to use the video camera. Is most of your video going to be indoors, outdoors or some 50/50 split? What type of lighting is available to you when you are shooting? Will your video be mostly hand held or will you use a tripod? These kinds of questions will help to determine the features you should look for. I tend to look for something that works well indoors under low lighting since I take videos of family events such as parties and get-togethers. Because of the close proximity I shoot mostly handheld so I wanted something with image stabilization. I then decided that high definition was important to me (not many people have that requirement) so I wanted something that shot in widescreen. And since the built-in microphones are EXTREMELY limited, I wanted something I could add external mics using XLR connectors. I ended up with one of the higher ended Sony cameras and have been very happy. The point is, make a list of what is important to you then using those features find 3-4 cameras that would meet your needs. Then try to find someone who has these cameras so you can get a feel for them. I truly thought I wanted a Panasonic but after playing with it and talking to others I found out the controls I used were out of the way for someone left-handed. Had I not talked to someone or defined what was important I could have ended up with something very unusable for me.


Jeff
 
I would recommend the Sony DCR-HC42. It is DV, and I haven't been disappointed with it at all. It has a special night setting which works out great for the evening shows. If you plan on doing any editing from VHS tapes in the future, I believe it is one of the few Sony DV models that lets the camera operate as a go-between from your VCR to your computer.

If you want to save a bunch of moolah, I highly recommend ordering from newegg.com (it was almost $100 cheaper there than at Circuit City).
 
Thanks everyone. I have been looking at the Sony's, the 42 being one of them. Like AZ said, mostly I want it for indoor, family type events, as well as WDW of course. It does not have to take great still photographs (that's what I have a camera for).
 



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