Small Camcorder with Image Stabilizer

timbim_2

Thought it might be. If you want to do a play justice, I'd consider getting a reasonable camera to start with, but look seriously at getting high quality sound as soon as budget allows. A bad picture with good sound is watchable, the reverse most certainly isn't.

minimoneysaver

How do the ones I listed a few postings up rate? I figured that they would be better than the mobile phone sized ones. Am I thinking that rightly or wrongly?

timbim_2

If you're shooting handheld, anything that's palmable is much better than not. For handheld shooting (or any other mode, for that matter) I'd keep well away from the flip style ones. Their lenses are tiny, and in even slightly low light conditions, they'll get stupidly grainy and unusable. Those Panasonic ones look all right, but to me certainly, nothing special. Sound pickup from one of those will be suspect, especially if you're filming from the back of the auditorium.

If I were you, I'd try to band up with some other parents, and maybe the school, to get a better model, such as the a1, which will certainly provide better results for all, if you produce a DVD of the play at the end.

minimoneysaver

Is the Sony any better? I like your idea timbim, but I don't know any of the other parents and it'll be nice to have a camera to record my daughter doing all of the quirky things that she does, lol.

timbim_2

The Sony a1 is better by a country mile than any of the others mentioned so far, mainly because it's pitched at the (semi-)professional market. It uses better components all the way through, and as such produces much better images with much better sound. Just a suggestion.

minimoneysaver

I know, but i really can't afford it. My ex has cut off maintenance and I still need to buy xmas pressies etc. There just isn't the money there.

timbim_2

Sorry to hear it. You may want to look for second hand camera, as it will get you much more camera for your money. In fact, an A1 can be cheaper than you would think, although I appreciate that that's still more than you're willing to pay. You could also look at getting a small and convenient camera for home use, and hire a decent one for plays etc. You can hire a canon XL2, a fantastic camera to hire (perhaps not to own) for only £75 per day. Produce fantastic footage, and you could sell DVD's afterwards to cover costs, and then donate the rest to charity or the like..

minimoneysaver

I'm sorry timbim, but I'm not in the market for an A1 camera. I need something that I can sling into my handbag to capture those lovely moments with my daughter. She is only four! We are on our own on a budget.

BillScarab

This is what I'm planning to get for Christmas.

Panasonic SD10

It's HD, 16x optical Zoom and absolutely tiny.

Wind noise may be an issue for outdoor filming but you really have to decide how seriously you want to take things. For me it will be fine, I've used older DV camcorders with built in mics and it's never been too much of an issue for the sort of things I want to video.