Camcorders... help please!

Bow_01

Hi,

Sorry if this question has been asked before! Did search but couldn't see anything quite right.

I'm looking to get a camcorder which will shoot films but be able to easily transfer it to the computer where I can edit it. However, I have no idea which camcorders can or can't do this. I also want one with optical zoom.

However, I am not fussed about the size but just want to spend as little as possible... hence why I am here!

Any advice will be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Bow_01

BigBouncyBall

any modern camcorder will transfer footage to a computer to edit.

I would normally point people to a non-big-name brand where electronics are concerned, however with video cameras i make an exception and advise people to go with the top makes - that means Sony or Panasonic, or at a stretch, Canon. Avoid the JVCs and Sanyos in this market. I say this because i believe another £50-80 spent on a camera that will give you pleasing results is much better than spending £150 on something that is no good and as a result will gather dust.

There are many features to think about:

What quality of recording are you after; standard defintion vs high def
(do you have a high def tv that will make the most of a high def camera?? If not then, well, it's obvious which choice you should make)

How do you want to capture footage; old fashioned tape, DVD or hard drive

for top quality you're still looking at tape, for ease of edit you're looking at hard drive (don't really consider DVD capturing)

sound quality - will you want to attach a better quality mic for sound recording??

i've probably confused you so i'll just recommend a few good ones to look at!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-DCR-HC27-Handycam-Mini-Camcorder/dp/B000MK0TMM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1196896000&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-DCR-SR32-Drive-Camcorder-Screen/dp/B000N20YRE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1196896000&sr=1-4

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127422

think more about what you are looking for in the camera and i'll try to recommend something more specific

HTH

Bow_01

Thanks so much for all the helpful information!

Would you recommend a make like Samsung or not? I'll probably go for a big name brand as would like a good result!

Ideally, I would like a standard definition one, preferably on hard drive if that is easier to edit as new to all of this! Any sound quality should be fine, though preferably a reasonably quality but shouldn't need to attach a mike.

I looked at the links you recommended and from your comment I think I would like the Hard Drive so is there any others of this type you could recommend?

Thanks again!

Bow_01

BigBouncyBall

Hard disk drive camcorders are more expensive than miniDV tape camcorders however you can pick up a decent HDD-corder for around £300.

In this market, Panasonic and Canon seem to be the front runners, Sony are the leaders in miniDV IMHO. I would probably avoid Samsung, to be honest, however it is completely your decision. I'm sure it would be ok, i'm just talking from a rather snobish point of view - i use professional grade camcorders at work and we would never consider anything outside of Sony or perhaps Panasonic for cameras because we need the very highest quality.

Having said that, for personal use, i would be happy about using something other than Sony if it had good reviews.

I think you should go down to dixons (or whatever they call it these days) and test few out and seeing how they fit your hand, their weight, whether they fit into your budget, what accessories they'll throw in etc - be specific about what you want: Hard disk, Std Definition etc and see what they can offer you.

shown73

I would be interested in BigBouncyBall's opinion of the 3ccd cameras. As you know they are few and far between, but on the face of it, they should be superior, I would have thought. Not cheap, of course, but quality seldom is.

donnajunkie

if you want to save money then a mini dv is the one to go for. my experience of jvc and samsung has been good so i wouldnt agree with previous posters regarding those 2 brands.
here are some links to look at, there is a jvc, samsung , sony and a hitachi. i have only put links to camcorders at comet because i knew they have some good prices at the moment.

http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=380709

http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=384194

http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=377660

and finally heres a dvd camcorder at a good price.

http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=381616&tab=specification

BigBouncyBall

while i don't know the whole ins and outs of the 3CCD mechanism, i know it basically means the camera picks up red, green and blue light separately.

You have two options if you want to go down this route on choosing a (high quality) camera. Either you go for a 3CCD camera (which actually has less 'pixels') or go for a 1MP single CCD which picks up a lot more pixels but has to process them into RGB = increased power/complexity.

It's kind of like the whole megapixel wars in stills cameras, where manufacturers say "it's not how many megapixels you have but what you do with them that counts..." - 3CCD gives out less megapixels, but does a lot better job at putting them all together to produce quality images, where as a 1MP CCD sensor will pick up loads of pixels, but can't do as much with them as it doesn't have all the pieces of the jigsaw - it still produces very pretty pictures though!

All in all you'll want to be looking at a 3CCD camera if you want broadcast quality DV/HDV. However for very good quality 1MP CCD cameras are usually fine for most purposes.

I don't know about prices/models etc as it changes all the time and when you're looking at this end of the market, it's not just what sensor you have that matters; there are dozens of other features to consider. However all things considered, a 3CCD will produce some stunning footage!! (and would be my choice )

shown73

Thanks, interesting thoughts. I think that JVC do a 3ccd camera, without looking. Called Everio, or somesuch, if memory serves, and I don't think that it is much more expensive than any other. I did look it up, but a while ago. Seem to remember that it had glowing write-ups, but if it's so good, why doesn't everyone do it, I wonder.

donnajunkie

someone i work with bought this camcorder today. it is canon dvd and it is only £149.

http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=399531

deelip

BigBouncyBall wrote: »

while i don't know the whole ins and outs of the 3CCD mechanism, i know it basically means the camera picks up red, green and blue light separately.

You have two options if you want to go down this route on choosing a (high quality) camera. Either you go for a 3CCD camera (which actually has less 'pixels') or go for a 1MP single CCD which picks up a lot more pixels but has to process them into RGB = increased power/complexity.

It's kind of like the whole megapixel wars in stills cameras, where manufacturers say "it's not how many megapixels you have but what you do with them that counts..." - 3CCD gives out less megapixels, but does a lot better job at putting them all together to produce quality images, where as a 1MP CCD sensor will pick up loads of pixels, but can't do as much with them as it doesn't have all the pieces of the jigsaw - it still produces very pretty pictures though!

All in all you'll want to be looking at a 3CCD camera if you want broadcast quality DV/HDV. However for very good quality 1MP CCD cameras are usually fine for most purposes.

I don't know about prices/models etc as it changes all the time and when you're looking at this end of the market, it's not just what sensor you have that matters; there are dozens of other features to consider. However all things considered, a 3CCD will produce some stunning footage!! (and would be my choice )

Hey thank you very much for the explanation about mega pixel value. I was wondering why my 2 mega pixel SE camera phone takes a lot better photos than my friends nokia phone with same mega pixel value. I now at least understand the idea.

terrierlady

the jvc everio is a night mare to download movies from thats why they do their own dvd burning docking station, we found it difficult plus friends also found it difficult to operate the small slider which switches movie to still is also hard to operate ....