Your recommendations for a Video Camera?

[crusin'minnie]

I'm really wanting to replace my big bulky Camcorder and get a smaller model. I am just beginning to research this and thought I would ask you guys for opinions.


Thanks!!

 

[madthemouse]

We replaced our old camcorder two months ago with the Canon Mini Digital Z40. It's the size of your palm, and is only 1LB. I had looked at a lot of camcorders and picked the Z40 from Canon. It has all the features I was looking for and I wanted it to be digital.
I'm partial to Canon because of the quality of their lens and that they have the number one optics system. But.... that's just me.
If you go with either the mini DV or Hi-8, I'm sure it will be a big improvement over that big ( news type ) camcorder. Whatever you pick I would recommend buying software ie; like ArcSoft ShowBiz to do your editing of your movies.

 

[twotime]

I just bought a sony mini dv (can't remember the model.
I't a great camera to replace my broken 8mm. I think it is consider
a "palmcorder".

Just be aware when buying a smaller camcorder, get a good feel of how comfortable you will be holding it By that I mean take the time to adjust the strap and fit it properly around your hand.
I find that for me, I have to slide out the small veiw finder (regarless if im using it or the LCD screen) so that my 3 middle fingers can actually have a ledge to hold on to.

Have fun shopping

 

[Earstou]

Question for madthemouse about the Canon Mini Digital Z40 camcorder.
We were looking at this but chickened out because I read on acouple sites that the motor noise could be heard on your movies. Have you noticed any problem with this?
It looks like a great compact camera for the price.

 

[madthemouse]

Earstou, I have not experienced any motor noise being picked up by the built in mic. I have learned over the years that, if you want to pick-up the audio, of what ever your recording, your best off to use an external mic. This will give you much clearer, and directional sound. So that you have little, to no sound being pick-up on the perimeter. If it is audio, that you would like to have on the video that your doing, I would recommend using an external mic.

 

[Rodrigo]

In the web site of Circuit City
www.circuitcity.com
there is a lot of info about camcorders for people like me, a novice user. There you can find a lot of models, can compare features, prices, and read users opinions.
Besides, they explain every feature of the products.

 

[jeffreyml]

If you go to this site www.cnet.com they have numerouss ratings on evreything electronic. Just scroll down the page to camcorders. They also have users reviews that can be extremely helpful.

 

[DISNEYWORLDBORN2SHOP]

I just got my new camcorder in the mail this week. I wanted something smaller than our old 8mm to bring on our Disney Cruise. I bought a JVC GR-DVM7u at buydig.com for half the price I could find it locally. So far I love it and the size is awesome.

 

[crusin'minnie]

Thank you all very much for the great information. Especially the web sites for comparisons!!!

 

[rtkane]

We have a Sony DCRPC101 and absolutely love it. It has great features, a Carl Zeiss lens, a great touchscreen LCD which makes it very easy to use, image stabilization, night shot--everything you'd need and great battery life. It is also VERY small. Here's some info on it (From Amazon) and a link:

Amazon.com

Sony's Site

The Sony DCR-PC101 is a uniquely designed MiniDV camera with a wide range of functions, including operating as a 1-megapixel digital still camera, a 10x optical zoom, a manual focus ring, a night-shooting function, and a large 2.5-inch LCD screen.
Lens

The lens is a famous, high-quality Carl Zeiss construction with a single CCD capturing the image, enabling the camera to produce 520 lines of resolution. The SteadyShot function stabilizes the picture and reduces camera shake. Use the infrared NightShot for shooting at night or in dark settings. The PC101 also sports a 10x optical zoom, which is enough for most purposes. Turn on the digital zoom, which electronically magnifies the optical image, and zoom up to 120 times.

Digital Stills
Digital stills can be stored on a Memory Stick that works independently from the DV tape system (an 8 MB stick is included). The camera performs with 1-megapixel resolution, making it capable of sharp images that are up to 1,152 x 864 pixels in size. The camera can also shoot in MPEG movie mode, storing 320 x 240 videos onto the memory stick.

Inputs and Outputs
The PC101 is equipped with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, a lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. The USB connection is used for transferring digital photos and MPEG movies. The traditional S-video and RCA connections are also present for direct viewing on a television or VHS dubbing.

The DCR-PC101 comes with one 8 MB Memory Stick. Memory Sticks are reusable, but if you tend to take a lot of digital images, then you'll want a bigger card.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV digital technology delivers clear, sharp video with up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution--far superior to the 240 lines of resolution offered by 8mm camcorders. You'll also get minimal color noise interference for a more stable picture.

You'll also get excellent sound quality, recorded in either 12-bit or 16-bit audio recording modes.


16-bit audio includes on set of stereo audio tracks to produce CD-quality sound.
12-bit audio utilizes two sets of audio tracks so you can easily add background music or commentary into your videos while maintaining the existing soundtrack.
This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of two full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.

Also, I just put the link to Amazon in there for their reviews... you can find it a LOT cheaper looking elsewhere, such as a search with MySimon

 

[sm4987]

I just recently brought a Sharp Compact Digital Viewcam. It is a small as some of these digitial cameras (maybe smaller), but is a digital camera and a mini dv camera. It has a memory card for the pictures, but you can still take stills on the tape. It was on sale for $399 and we got a $100 rebate on it. I don't know what other bargins are out there for what I just paid for my camera. We tried it out and it's wonderful. It even had night vision It's a wonderful camera. Look into it.