DVD Camcorder/Digital Camera

Off Topic
1

I’m looking for advice on a DVD camcorder that also can be used as a good digital camera.

We recently bought another $100 digital camera that also acts as a video recorder, but we’re sick of these cheep ass pieces of garbage.

The first one we got broke from dropping it. It wasn’t too bad, but still cheap. The one we bought to replace it can’t take a decent picture no matter what the lighting, and there’s no option to have a light when making videos.

I’m looking to spend around $500-$600. We won’t turn down a good deal, as long as it’s good quality, but we’re really sick of the poor quality we’ve been getting.

If a good DVD recorder can’t be found at that price, I’d take recommendations for a good digital video camcorder/camera too.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

With a quick search so far, we’re looking at this one:

2

Funny you metnion this question, I was just asking this to a friend a few minutes ago.

She said I should go with:

Im about to get one myself, I’ll let you know how it turns out.

3

My wife picked up a little Sony camcorder. It takes those digital tapes (I think thats what their called)and normal camera memory sticks. She paid around $600 canadian last year for it. Its quit small & the quality is top notch. Makes great home videos, and has easy to use digital editing software. I can’t remember what the model is though.

4

Hmm, after looking at some reviews of DVD camcorders, it looks like mini DV camcorders are more functional as far as editing, and even have the ability to be burnt to DVD with good quality if one has a DVD burner.

Has anyone esle found this to be true?

Maybe DVD camcorders are only best at shooting movies that you only want to watch on DVDs, and not so great for digital pics and editing???

5

[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:
Hmm, after looking at some reviews of DVD camcorders, it looks like mini DV camcorders are more functional as far as editing, and even have the ability to be burnt to DVD with good quality if one has a DVD burner.

Has anyone esle found this to be true?[/quote]

Yes.

I haven’t tried a DVD camcorder, but I have a DV camera and the picture quality is great.

A DV tape also contains a lot more information than a DVD. I’d guess that the video is precompressed to fit on the DVD. Problem with that is that mpeg compression is lossy, so you lose information.

A DV tape contains an ungodly amount of information; there is some compression involved but a lot less than with mpeg, so you have more detail to work with.

You can eventually convert the DV video to whatever encoding you wish to put it on the web or on DVD.

6

Thanks for the replies.

So far it’s down to a mini-DV or a hard drive camcorder.

The hard drive that I’m looking at is here:

I already found the same one a little cheaper on ebay.

7

Mini DV and nothing else.

Hard drive recording is there yet and steer clear away from them.

8

Another thing, do not buy camcorders off Ebay. If there is an issue with it it will cost you the price of it to get it fixed since the company will not accept it under warranty since it was not bought in store.

Here are two to choose from in the same price rand as the Hard Drive one you were looking at.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7602659&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat91400050050&id=1130982552719

9

Circuit City has the ones I suggested for cheaper than Best Buy. Sale probably ends tomorrow though.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-Handycam-Camcorder-DCR-HC36/sem/rpsm/oid/144138/catOid/-13063/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Canon-Camcorder-ELURA-100/sem/rpsm/oid/144926/catOid/-13063/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Get Best Buy to price match them if you want.

10


Thanks PGA.

Well, looking at all of these camcorders got my wife all excited (not in that way, I don’t think…).

Well, after looking at hard drive camcorders that were around $600, then seeing the miniDV camcorders for close to $400 (after tax), she talked herself (and me apparently) into getting one TONIGHT.

So, thanks to all the replies recommending miniDV camcorders, and for the links posted by PGA…I went with the Canon Elura 100.

I probably should have slept on it, and waited a day to make the decision though.

11

Where’s the fun in thinking about it first (j/k).

How does it work?

12

[quote]Canadianrigpig wrote:
Where’s the fun in thinking about it first (j/k).

How does it work? [/quote]

The videos and pics look good so far. I can’t upload the video to my computer yet because my computer doesn’t have the port necessary for it.

I even bought the cable, then when I got home I found out I didn’t have the port.

I’m thinking about just putting one in, but we’re also going to be getting a new computer soon (this one was bought in early 2001!).

I love having a remote, and being able to write over what I just recorded if I want to.

I’ll have to play with the software for a while to say how much I like the editing abilities,

13

Canon are really good and so are Sony. Buy one that uses DV-tape. They will give you alot better picture than one that is direct to DVD. With a digital you can download it to Adobe Premiere or if that’s too expensive you can pick up Adobe Photoshop/Premiere Elements for about $134. Don’t expect a good quality “picture” from a video camera. I have a Canon Digital Rebel SLR for taking digital pictures and a Sony for videos.

14

Okay, I just returned that camcorder and we decided to get a good digital camera now, for around the same price (actually, a little bit more).

We ended up exchanging it for a Sony Cyber-shot, 7.2 mega-pixel digital camera (Model: DSC-H5/B).

After playing with it for a little while, we’re definitely glad we got this instead.

The pictures are much, much, much better quality, and even the video looks better (even though you can’t record as long).

The video quality was kind of fuzzy, and we were expecting more out of the other camcorder.

We’ll probably get a nice one later on when we can afford it, and we won’t care if it take still pics or not this time.

They didn’t charge us the 15% restocking fee, and the camera we exchanged was an open box item with a $60 gift card that we used on the 1 Gig memory card, and carrying case.

Thanks for all the advice.