Need digital camcorder advice/ideas

[jmebonner]

Well, I bought a Sony mini 8 (non digital) in 2000 and it's since been through a marriage and a baby girl. It wants to kick back on every time you turn it off, so we have to remove the battery when not in use, which is a pain, especially when there's a "moment". I fixed it once, something with the ring connected to the switch, but don't really want to keep messing with it.

So, I'm in need of an upgrade. I'm looking to get the best bang for my buck.

Hoping for a camera with some longevity. I'd like to have digital, with firewire and all that, but am looking to stay in the $400-450 range. I could go a little more, but really don't want to unless it's a steal.

Who recommends what? We'll be heading to Chicago/St Louis area next week to visit parents / grandparents and would like to pick it up there, so any big retailers with good deals would be an option.

Thanks in advance!

[jmebonner]

anyone?

[rowe33]

I'd recommend checking out:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com

and looking through the message boards. There are a lot of reviews and personal experiences that should help you out. I opted for the Panasonic GS-70 and I really like what I've seen so far...

[Omega Man]

One thing you do not want into camcorder is a small CCD. The small cannons, ZR 40, ZR 45, ZR 60 all have very small CCD's 1/6 inch. The Panasonic PV-DV 53 has a one fourth inch chip and it produces a nice picture in low light ((your living room with 2 60 W light bulbs) whereas the cannons would produce a very distorted picture in this range. Sharp also make some good camcorders with one fourth inch CCD's for around $400. Be sure to check the features that you need. If you need an external microphone, most of these cheap ones won't accept one. If you want to convert your old analog tapes into a digital format, make sure it has analog to digital conversion capabilities.

[jmebonner]

Good stuff guys, thanks! I'm off to chi-town!

[dunbar]

I picked up the Sony DCR-TRV840 Digital-8 last spring (retail price was ~$900), I like it, but I have a few issues with it. That model is probably no longer available anywhere, but the issues remain valid for other cameras. Usually my wife uses the camera, but I just used it last weekend for a wedding reception, here is what I gleaned from it.


First, this cameras menuing system leaves a lot to be desired, putting 1/2 the functions on the On Screen Display, and the rest of the functions on 2 keypads. Intuitive is not it's middle name.


Second, the bundled software (Pixela) is totally whacked out. Cropping buttons are located in reverse locations, user cannot crop out a selection (you can only crop to save good segments), etc. No joy there. At least the software supports FireWire, and have I managed to live through editing a wedding reception. And it is free, being bundled with the camera and all.


Third, the tapes for my camera (Digital-8) are not available in as many places as Hi-8 tapes. Not totally scarce, but I fear I may have bought into yet another of the famous Sony niches: Memory Stick, MiniDisc, BetaMax, etc.


Fourth, camera claims for low light capability are quite misleading.
The claim that you can record in total darkness (for this camera) is based on Infra Red recording, but the owners manual is the only location where the 'Super Night Shot' feature is properly explained. The sales literature did not mention whatsoever that the Super Night Shot recordings are in monochrome.
Here is how this Super Night Shot feature works: anything below (IIRC) 5 Lux, you'll get no picture until you turn on the 'Super Night Shot' feature. This mode is simply one where the camera is providing illumination of the field of view, via built in InfraRed emitting Light Emitting Diodes (IR-LEDs) and this illuminates near field only.

When using the Super Night Shot mode, the camera produces monochromatic recordings (green and black, not even white and black)! Below the lower threshold (5 Lux, as I said: IIRC), you get monochrome.
Whoop-te-do, welcome (back) to the 1950s :-\ .


Fifth, Manual focus. Sony, on this camera, used a ring around the lens which ring does not move the lens directly. The ring tells electronics to move the lenses, so there is a nasty delay from you twist the ring and then the camera begins responding to your twist. That makes you twist further and faster to get the focus moving, which then puts the camera focus mechanism at its farthest extreme; by the time you get going faster, the camera has overshot the focus you wanted. Then you get to do it all in reverse. That focus mechanism takes practice, a LOT of practice to master; I hope the event is not critical!


Oh, and the price of the batteries is ridiculous - >$90 to buy the same InfoLithium battery which came with the camera; larger capacity versions exceeded $140 when I bought the camera.

Is that all I can find to comment on? No, but some of these issues are user adjustable, so until I know where to set them, I may have problems because of the learning curve (the focus issue might not be something I can adapt to, though - it performs pretty stupidly).

Ok, so why don't I sell it? Mostly because I can live with its' quirks, considering that it was free. Years ago, I had bought a Sears fullsize VHS camcorder (Hitachi rebadged) with it I bought a maintenance agreement. One day, the VHS camcorder viewfinder went white while recording. I took it in for service under the maintenance agreement, and parts were no longer available.
Sears hands me a slip of paper and says 'go get a replacement camera, of similar features' from the sales floor. My full size was capable of 3 lux, and the current products only offered either 'low light' at 5 Lux or 'Super Night Shot' (I grabbed the Super Night Shot because it was closer to my VHS camcorders' 3 Lux rating).

Advice: get a similar maintenance agreement and keep it paid up!!