need a new camcorder

[jrobie79]

looking for a new camcorder for my cross country drive this coming january. I havent looked at camcorders for over 3 years so I have no idea what is out there as far as specs go. I want something I can get onto my computer easily and is relatively cheap. Its gotta be cheap,I dont care about past year models, used, refurbished, any of that as long as it has a nice shot and is easy to get onto the computer.

any suggestions

[jrobie79]

anyone?

[Maluco]

pity post

you probably want the first and last links...

http://reviews.cnet.com/camcorder-buying-guide/

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-camcorders/

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-budget-camcorders/

[NOMAD]

Look for hard drive versions, anything that doesn't use a cassette or even dvd.

If you get one that has a good lens and a good pixel count it'll also be a good enough camera so might as well have the best of both worlds.

[Maluco]

Look for hard drive versions, anything that doesn't use a cassette or even dvd.

If you get one that has a good lens and a good pixel count it'll also be a good enough camera so might as well have the best of both worlds.

what's this cassette you speak of?

[Devil Inc]

hi8, vhs-c, minidv

[Maluco]

uh... I was just joking. I assumed they were all DVD or drives now.

[blunttech]

this is what i shoot with. forget that transfering to your computer crap. this goes directly to tape and you can pop it right in your VCR. these are starting to come down in price now too so expect some bargains out there.

[NINE31]

Look for a Sony or a Canon Hard Drive camcorder. Generally around 30gig but they are available in larger sizes. If you have some cash to spend, go for the High Definition version.

The hard drive ones are the newest media recording. The down fall to the Hard Drive camcorders is the transferring of the videos from the camcorder to the computer, can be a pain.

Don't bother trying to snap still photos with them unless they have at least a 3megapixel still photo capabilities. Most are under 1 mp!

[george graves]

I'd say, if you can't afford a 720p camera, don't bother and go with something cheap and tape based(mini DV).

[jrobie79]

was looking at miniDV, what is needed to put miniDV onto a computer? thanks for all the suggestions tho, been looking at those websites to make up my own mind

[george graves]

Firewire + software. (Or on a mac it might be called iLink) A few Sony camcorders let you transfer by USB, but I don't really like it.

The nice thing about tape is that you can fill up a tape and pop in another that you can find at any walmart or grocery store anywhere in the country(perfect for a road trip)

The reason I don't like solid state or Hard drive cameras is that when they are filled up, you need to run to your computer. That's like owning a digital still camera with out a memory card that you can't swap out.

If you are going standard def, Sony is what you want. One feature you should have on ANY camera is "Steady Shot". The tiny cameras are so light that your video will be really shaky - Steady Shot smooths it out. Shooting in 16:9 mode is nice too on a SD camera, even though it's not HD, it at least looks the part.

[jrobie79]

yeah i think i decided to get one with miniDV, its a lot cheaper and depending on how long this road trip is, i wont have my computer accessible to empty an HDD device. i cant afford hi-def so standard def it is (unless i get lucky at the casino this weekend) thanks agian

[george graves]

$300-$400 should get you a decent touch screen Sony SD Mini DV camera with a battery that will last ~2 hours of shooting. Pick up a padded case while your at it. It will protect it from throwing it around, but never "stack" anything on top of it. You can easily crush it.

[jrobie79]

thanks again mang