Quality upright camcorders?

whiskywhisky

Hi

I quite like the look and convenience of the smaller upright camcorders (i.e. Sanyo Xacti), however to me they seem to be lacking in specification (i.e Optical zoom). Is anyone aware of any smaller type camcorders that are HD and have a high Optical Zoom.

Secondly as a first time camcorder buyer, anything else I should look for? I am not putting to much emphasis on storage, as either hard drive or "card" will do the job. any other tips?

spakkker

The pocket cams don't have optical zoom and are poor if not good light ...but they are very convenient.
I like the ability to take stills and prefer replacable batteries , not built in.
I have minohd and zx1 which only cost £40 each and maybe are not what you want but if you did buy/borrow a cheapie cam you would be able to suss out what you do want/need and what you don't.
Plenty of reviews on youtube.

Edit - you can store video on pc/laptop and play back to tv via hdmi or vga if tv has these ,or use the supplied cables to playback to tv using the cam itself
HD tv is only 720p/1080i - not full 1080p

whiskywhisky

So if I wanted a upright therefore is nothing great on the market? and I should look for a larger camera is wanting a good spec?

Marty999

Hi whiskywhisky - did you decide on a camcorder? I have been looking at the Panasonic HX-DC1 which is currently £139 at Currys. It records in full HD, it has a 5x optical zoom and a removable rechargeable battery. You have to charge the battery while it is attached to the camcorder but you can always carry a spare. Do any MSE members have one and if so, what do you think of it?

santer_2

John Lewis have a 2 year guarantee with a £35 option for 3 years

http://www.johnlewis.com/231212784/Product.aspx