Looking for a Digital Camcorder

Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
edited May 2007 in Internet & Media
If there is one thing my knowledge lacks at it revolves around the camera and camcorder industry. With little Kyle due to be here any day now, I want make an investment into a digital camcorder to capture all those special moments.

Now I don't want the basic ho-hum camcorder, I want something that has zoom, long battery life, great quality and durability. I am not 100% sure on the features in camcorders these days that are things to look for, but I am sure someone here knows :)

So any help is 100% appreciated.

Comments

  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    After browsing a bit I have found a few canidates... please feel free to throw them under the bus if they suck...

    - Canon HV10
    - Canon DC40
    - Panasonic VDR-D300
    - Sony Handycam DCR-SR80 "like the HD storage"
    - Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405
    - Sony Handycam DCR-HC96
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    Okay I am getting pretty stuck on the Sony DCR-SR82 60GB which is the newest addition above the DCR-SR80
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited April 2007
    Sledge- a few things to think about.

    1. Tapes (MiniDV) hold a lot of information, it's a mature technology, but it's a PIA to edit or playback with. When you download, many HD systems will only download at playback speed.

    2. DVDs you can playback right away but they hold only 20-30min at standard res. They also have to be formatted before you can use them- which may bite you at the wrong moment.

    3. HDs (as in Hard Drives here) have the best of all worlds, but they can have another gotcha- Vendors playing the proprietary format games.

    Another thing is- HD is a great picture, but I'd recommend Firewire to download all that data ... and it will still take a while. (If there was ever a need for higher speed busses- the time is very soon. e-SATA, next gen firewire and maybe even starting a USB 3 initiative or white paper is in order to support this and future resolutions conveniently).

    If it were me, I'd go ahead and get the HD standard anyhow. It's a fabulous picture for 1080 sets and the proper video editting package reduces it better than some standard Cams can record. Personally. I'd be looking at Sony since the Camcorders a friend and I have got have had the snot knocked out of them travelling all over the country and parts of the world- and they still sync up very well.

    I'm thinking the Sony HDR-SR1 as a good Prosumer model. I'm not sure of this HD model exactly, but the MiniDV version picture rocks. Your catch is that Sony plays the proprietary game- but there is good news to that.

    Sony Vegas Movie Studio eidtting is a very good and stable software package and it should soon support this standard soon. However, you have to have the patience to learn the package and should use Nero for your final comps and burns.

    Well, it may not be what you want or need because it is what works for me, but I hope there are some tips in here you can use.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited April 2007
    As a footnote- I'd still consider the model I suggested ... even though it's USB 2.0. Sorry- the MiniDV version is Firewire. While still slower than firewire- USB 2.0 is still better than playback.
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited May 2007
    - Sony Handycam DCR-SR82 "like the HD storage"

    I picked one up at Costco this last weekend with a gift card my grand father gave me, and well I love it, got it for $400 cheap than I could find anywhere else, so I am beyond happy. The video editing is very basic and simple and the device also allows 1 click DVD burns that time date and can also label each video.

    The touch screen isn't the biggest for being touch, but I found my PDA touch screen pen an easy solution for big fingers :) The video quality isn't super Hi Def but it is good enough...
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