Which Camcorder to Buy

[Bird]

I have an old Olympus D460 Zoom digital camera for still photos. It's old but still serves my purposes. However, several years ago, I sold my Super 8 movie camera:laughing:, so I don't have any way to make moving pictures. I know almost nothing at all about camcorders or video cameras, but want one of some kind. I just want to be able to make decent videos, both indoors and outdoors, which can be transferred to this computer.

Naturally, I don't want to spend a lot of money. So what do I look for? Brands? Features? Things to avoid?

 

[brin]

Bird,

I bought one of the old VCR tape video cameras when they first came out , then I bought one of the mini- DV video cameras when they came out...The VCR camera was great since after you shot your video you could immediately take the tape out and play in your VCR ..

The mini DV camera was a pain..had to convert it to a movie on the computer and then to DVD...

The new cameras they have now...well, I have been studying them..they have Hard drives and that would be nice..just plug into the computer and make a dvd...but they are pricey...they have another smaller video camera with a memory card of up to an hour or more which is more than enough and you plug it into your computer and make a dvd and they only cost from $99.00 to $149.00 for the ones I have seen and fit in your shirt pocket...I don't know which way to go ...I hope some others chime in with ideas..I like the inexpensive and small one...for the little bit of video I would do...

 

[Bird]

Bird,

I bought one of the old VCR tape video cameras when they first came out , then I bought one of the mini- DV video cameras when they came out...The VCR camera was great since after you shot your video you could immediately take the tape out and play in your VCR ..

The mini DV camera was a pain..had to convert it to a movie on the computer and then to DVD...

The new cameras they have now...well, I have been studying them..they have Hard drives and that would be nice..just plug into the computer and make a dvd...but they are pricey...they have another smaller video camera with a memory card of up to an hour or more which is more than enough and you plug it into your computer and make a dvd and they only cost from $99.00 to $149.00 for the ones I have seen and fit in your shirt pocket...I don't know which way to go ...I hope some others chime in with ideas..I like the inexpensive and small one...for the little bit of video I would do...

Bob, I used to have one of the mini-DV cameras, but it came with an adapter, to I could take the mini- cartridge out, put in the adapter and play if on my regular DVR machine.

I went and looked at a few cameras this afternoon at Walmart and Best Buy. I guess I'm a little partial to Nikon because a Nikon was my first (actually only) 35 mm film camera and I have little Nikon binoculars. Anyway, the Nikon S8100, S9100, L120, and P500 all looked pretty good, but since I really didn't know what I was doing . . . well, you know how that goes.

 

[brin]

Bob, I used to have one of the mini-DV cameras, but it came with an adapter, to I could take the mini- cartridge out, put in the adapter and play if on my regular DVR machine.

I went and looked at a few cameras this afternoon at Walmart and Best Buy. I guess I'm a little partial to Nikon because a Nikon was my first (actually only) 35 mm film camera and I have little Nikon binoculars. Anyway, the Nikon S8100, S9100, L120, and P500 all looked pretty good, but since I really didn't know what I was doing . . . well, you know how that goes.

Bird,

Those look great but I already have a digital camera for stills and some short videos...I put a link below of one on Wal Mart...just a small Hard Drive video camera and the price is right...I have no idea how good it is...but I would not be shooting Hollywood movies anyway...See what you think..

Walmart.com: Flip UltraHD U260 Black Video Camera with 2" LCD and 1 Hour Recording Time (3rd Generation newest Model): Camcorders

 

[Bird]

Bob, I haven't ruled anything in or out yet, but that Flip camera in your link looks like the most logical thing for me to buy. However, I'm not always logical:laughing:; been doing a lot of reading and right now I'm leaning toward the Nikon L120, although as I said, no decision yet.

 

[2manyrocks]

you should check the reviews on Canon video cameras before you buy. If you get one with a SDHC card as the recording media, you can just plug the camera into your pc via USB cable and it will load on your pc. Even with a fairly fast PC, it's going to take some time if you have recorded in HD or near HD quality because of the size of the files.

 

[Western]

Bird, we used an 8mm (borrowed from my mother). Only thing I don't like about them is you need the recorder to use for playback. They come with the proper connection wire for a T.V.

After I returned the camera I figured I could find an "adapter" to play the 8mm in my VCR. I finally found out there is no such adapter. Bummer, so now I have to use moms to view, get them put on DVD or likely just buy one at some point too.

 

[jinman]

Bird, I think your L120 is a fine camera for both stills and movies. The 21x optical magnification will allow you to really "reach out and touch" things at a substantial distance. Our 10x optical zoom Canon is good, but 21x would be great. You'll probably have to use a tripod for those long shots though. Things get shaky in a hurry at long zoom ranges.

Let me tell you what I would not get. I have a Sony Handycam DCR-DVD108 with 40x zoom. It recourds directly to a mini-DVD. Each DVD is 30 min per side and you can flip them if they are double-sided discs. When you complete a recording, the DVD can be finalized and is ready to play, but if you want .avi, .wmv, or some other format, you have to load and convert the video. I'd much rather have my video on a SDHC card. DVDs are nice for rentals and viewing movies, but they are certainly not my preferred format for editing or distribution. They certainly don't work well for posting video to the web. This video camcorder was a gift from my daughter and a swell gift, but not something I would have purchased for myself.

 

[Bird]

Thanks, Jim. I already have a good tripod; just haven't used it in awhile.

As I mentioned earlier, a lot of purchases are more emotional than logical. Before I bought my current Olympus digital camera, I first ordered a Sony direct from Sony. When it came, the flash did not work. And by the time I managed to get it sent back and get a refund, I had tired of dealing wiht those folks, and I decided I would probably never own a Sony product.

Now I figure logically, they make some good stuff, but I've still never owned a Sony product, and never even consider them when shopping.:laughing:

 

[EddieWalker]

I wanted a video camera and after looking around, realized that a decent point and shoot camera does everything a video camer does, but also takes amazing pictures. My Canon SX30is had a 35 power optical zoom, Image Stabilizer, tons of features and can take hours of video. It is the SDHC format, so there is no tape or disk. Just a card the same size as a SDS card, but capable of holding 32 gigs of memory. I have a 16 gig card in mine and don't think I will ever be able to fill it up.

The video quality is very good. It's easy to use and simple to download onto my computer. There are cables to watch right on the TV also.

What really makes it an amazing camera is how simple and easy it is to take really great pictures. It's a point and shoot camera, so it's all there and you never have to change lenses. While a pro will get better pics then I will, I don't think any hobby photographer can do much better, and after the are done fumbling around changing lenses, or working with the limits of the lense they have on their camera, I'm taking macro to zoom pics of objects miles away. My moon pics are clear and detailed!!!! My scenery pics are great, and I'm able to get some quick shots on wildlife because it's such an easy camera to operate.

The less you have to carry around, the more likely you are to carry it, and the more likely you are to use it.

Eddie

 

[Bird]

Yep, Eddie, you do make some good pictures.

 

[aczlan]

My Canon SX30is had a 35 power optical zoom, Image Stabilizer, tons of features and can take hours of video. It is the SDHC format, so there is no tape or disk. Just a card the same size as a SDS card, but capable of holding 32 gigs of memory. I have a 16 gig card in mine and don't think I will ever be able to fill it up.

We have had similar experiences with our Canon A1100IS.

The less you have to carry around, the more likely you are to carry it, and the more likely you are to use it

That has been our experience as well. We have an older Canon DSLR with several lenses and it is great for some things (like shooting pictures from the top of the stands at the demo derby), but it is too big and inconvenient to take everywhere. The little camera gets at least 5x the use that the big one gets and will take better pictures in many situations (indoors or low light).

The little camera also takes pretty good video (better than the and it is stored as a digital file right on the SD card (which makes it much easier to use to make movies of Zoe (our 2yo) which we try to do a couple of times per year).

Aaron Z

 

[Bartcephus]

I agree, the easier it is to carry the better the chances of using/having it when you want/need it. When I went to get a digital camera, one of my concerns was batteries. I wanted one that uses standard AA or AAA batteries so when I went on backpacking trips etc, all I had to carry was spare AA or AAA batteries for my GPS, Camera, mini-mag light etc. Size had to be a little bigger, but the standardization of the batteries made it a winner with me.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have been a HUGE supporter of cameras that use AA batteries. I've been around the world, and know how hard it is to find a specialty battery in some places. Everyone has AA batteries!!!!

This was the biggest hold up on me when upgrading to the Canon SX30. It uses a lithium ion battery. After reading the reviews, and priceing extra batteries, I went for it and bought the camera. Two things surprised me. The litium ion battery lasts forever on a charge. I can't say for sure, but my guess is that I get as many pics out of it as I did with three sets of Duracell batteries. I also found that Duracell is by far the best brand out there after wasting money on other brands.

I have an extra Canon brand battery that stays in my charger. If I go away, I bring it and the charger with me, but so far, have never had to use the second battery. It's just in my pocket for piece of mind. I can take pictures all night, with and without the flash, and never run out of power. It's really a very good battery!!!

The reviews of other brands, and cheaper batteries where not very good on Amazon, so I spent the extra for Canon.

Eddie

 

[troutsqueezer]

Nobody is mentioning the quality of the video and how that plays into what you intend to do with it as well as how much computing power you have at your disposal.

Do you want to make DVD's, Blu Ray (highest quality), YouTube? Different camera and computing requirements for each, to say nothing of the movie making programs themselves. The proper camera for Blu Ray should be full HD 1080P. Those don't cost much these days, maybe around $250. The Flip camera does not shoot full HD and it is going out of business since Cisco dropped it.

If YouTube videos are your goal, the camera can be of less resolution and you don't need much of a computer to handle it.

If you plan on watching the videos on your new large 1080p flat screen, cheaper cameras and processing equipment show their limitations.

I wouldn't go into it blind. There is a lot to research from a number of different angles. Most learn what they can and can't do after they spend the money and I'd venture to say that many of them are disappointed when their videos come out rather fuzzy.

This might not be the right forum for this query.

 

[Bird]

I have been a HUGE supporter of cameras that use AA batteries. I've been around the world, and know how hard it is to find a specialty battery in some places. Everyone has AA batteries!!!!

My old Olympus uses 4 AA batteries. I got 4 Maxell MiMH batteries and a Maxell charger when I bought that Olympus 10 years ago last January. A short time later, I went back and bought a set of 4 Rayovac Ultra batteries. Those 10 year old rechargeable batteries still work just fine. I'm not sure how I did it, but I broke my charger last month, so I bought a new Energiser charger that came with 4 AA MiMH batteries. And yesterday I found an unopened package of 4 AA Rayovac Ultra batteries in the closet; can't remember where they came from.:laughing: So, yes, I have only considered cameras that use 4 AA batteries, since I'm overstocked on rechargeable AA batteries.:laughing: Son-in-law says the ones that only use 2 AA batteries run the batteries down too fast.

 

[Bird]

Nobody is mentioning the quality of the video and how that plays into what you intend to do with it as well as how much computing power you have at your disposal.

Do you want to make DVD's, Blu Ray (highest quality), YouTube? Different camera and computing requirements for each, to say nothing of the movie making programs themselves. The proper camera for Blu Ray should be full HD 1080P. Those don't cost much these days, maybe around $250. The Flip camera does not shoot full HD and it is going out of business since Cisco dropped it.

If YouTube videos are your goal, the camera can be of less resolution and you don't need much of a computer to handle it.

If you plan on watching the videos on your new large 1080p flat screen, cheaper cameras and processing equipment show their limitations.

I wouldn't go into it blind. There is a lot to research from a number of different angles. Most learn what they can and can't do after they spend the money and I'd venture to say that many of them are disappointed when their videos come out rather fuzzy.

This might not be the right forum for this query.

It's the right forum for me, 'cause I'm trying to learn. My old Olympus is only 3x zoom and 1.3 megapixels, but it usually serves my purpose for still photos. So you might say my primary interest is in a camera that will take moving pictures/movies/videos or whatever the right term is.

Now, as for what kind of videos . . . well, I don't know. I have a VCR tape that I made some years back at my wife's parents' home in West Virginia. I walked around outside and inside "narrating" as I went; sort of an inventory/memory thing. Her parents died some years ago and that house was sold, but we wouldn't want to get rid of that cassette even though I consider myself to be a lousy photographer. I'd like to do something similar with a video inventory of our property. Who knows? I might someday want to send something to Americas Funniest Home Videos:laughing: although I'd consider that to be a remote likelihood at best.

In other words, I know I want moving video capability, with sound, but beyond that . . . well, I wish I knew.

As for computing power . . . I'm not very knowledgeable there, either. I'm using a HP desktop AMD Athlon 64 x 2 Dual Core processor, 32 bit operating system, 3 GB memory, 456 GB drive C with 418 GB free, an internal and an external CD/DVD/RW so I think I've got enough.

But I'm sure willing to read any recommendations.

 

[jinman]

If you have a big photo shoot coming like at a wedding, get yourself four lithium batteries and you'll have plenty of power for the whole thing. We use and love lithium batteries for their up to 7x power. Unfortunately, they can't be recharged, but if you have a long shoot and don't want to change batteries, they are just the ticket.

 

[troutsqueezer]

It's the right forum for me, 'cause I'm trying to learn. My old Olympus is only 3x zoom and 1.3 megapixels, but it usually serves my purpose for still photos. So you might say my primary interest is in a camera that will take moving pictures/movies/videos or whatever the right term is.

Now, as for what kind of videos . . . well, I don't know. I have a VCR tape that I made some years back at my wife's parents' home in West Virginia. I walked around outside and inside "narrating" as I went; sort of an inventory/memory thing. Her parents died some years ago and that house was sold, but we wouldn't want to get rid of that cassette even though I consider myself to be a lousy photographer. I'd like to do something similar with a video inventory of our property. Who knows? I might someday want to send something to Americas Funniest Home Videos:laughing: although I'd consider that to be a remote likelihood at best.

In other words, I know I want moving video capability, with sound, but beyond that . . . well, I wish I knew.

As for computing power . . . I'm not very knowledgeable there, either. I'm using a HP desktop AMD Athlon 64 x 2 Dual Core processor, 32 bit operating system, 3 GB memory, 456 GB drive C with 418 GB free, an internal and an external CD/DVD/RW so I think I've got enough.

But I'm sure willing to read any recommendations.

In that case, this forum is just right for you. No disrespect intended.

-T

 

[KennyG]

Since this thread is still going, I thought I would weigh back in. I recently got a Canon Vixia M400 and am completely blown away. The secret is that it has a lens that is near pro quality and it has a sensor that is just about 2 megapixels. That doesn't sound like much when you can easily buy 10 and 12 megapixel still cameras, but the sensor is exactly HD resolution (1080 x 1920). As a result, the large pixels are very sensitive to lower light.

I've taken night videos of football games and a demolition derby and they look as good as anything you'll see on a HD newscast. I've got a projection media room with a 10 foot diagonal screen and the videos are excellent.

Based on what I've learned, for the best video look for a large sensor (1/3 inch instead of 1/4 or 1/5 inch) and actual HD resolution on the sensor pixels.