digital camcorder

scotnan

Hi

Looking to buy one basically for taking home video of family etc to download onto laptop, transfer onto a disc and send abroad so can anyone recommend one please?

Also does it work like a dig camera in that I just need a memory card or do I need to buy tapes?

Don't know a thing about them so any help would be appreciated.
Pricewise, hoping not to spend much over £300 if that's possible.


Thanks

f1charlie

There's a page here with some information:

http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/co_3407-digital-camcorders-guide-choose-the-best-digital-camcorder.html


I'm a bit out of touch with current camcorders, but I think you would be looking for a miniDV with a firewire connection (or USB 2.0 might be fast enough too) or for connecting to your computer.

miniDV is tape. I don't think the ones that just take a memory card are very good quality.

Something like these:

http://www.cameras2u.com/products/index.cfm?upperprice=300&lowerprice=200&node=171

Charlie

scotnan

Thanks for that.

So the tape doesn't have anything to do with downloading it onto the laptop then? Presumably you get software with them and you connect it to the laptop in the same way that you do with the dig cameras?

Poppycat

Yes MiniDV is generally better Quality than mpeg (memory type cameras) although I was impressed with my Friends Sanyo camera that had a 4mega pixel camera in it for snaps.

I use my MiniDV JVC which has usb2 and firewire builtin into our pc I can aslo write back to tape if I wish but generally write to DVD using software like Ulead Videostudio

You can control the MinDV from pc using software is preety good but I must admit the sound on mine is far to sensitive and I have to use filters in software to remove wind/motor noise, it sounds like a howling gail when in reality it was a fine day.

albertross_2

You usually need a firewire input on the pc/laptop, rather than usb. If you don't have one, an under the telly DVD recorder with firewire input is far easier imo, and has other uses..

scotnan

ok what's a firewire please? lol told u I didn't know anything about them.

scotnan

ok scrap that, just read through all the info that f1charlie posted on the Kelko link.

How do I find out if my laptop has one please?

albertross_2

it will have a port like this:

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=firewire&hl=en

they look similar to usb, but slightly different shape.

Poppycat

I found out that you get better support with software if it has firewire output the MiniDV. Of course you also need a firewire port or a pci firewire card on the pc too, some pc's have it built in. Although USB 2 is meant to be faster in therory to transfer video, firewire seems to be quicker from what I found out.

scotnan

ooh I'm getting excited now cos it looks like I've got one. It's not on the side with the USB ports but at the back. It's tiny and has a symbol above it with a dot in the middle and three line coming out from the dot - kinda looks like the radiation sign lol will that be it?

This has been so helfpful thank you so much

Poppycat

If you get a MIniDV and wont to use firewire assuming both pc and MinDV have it make sure you get the right firewire cable, sorry to sound technically but you can get 4,5,6 pin cable I think.

My Minidv to pc uses a different firewire cable than to miniDV and DVD recorder. I got my cables from here

They have quick delivery I got a cable for a amp to pc and it came day next day

More infor on firewire here