The digital camera thread got me thinking...

[lovemybabies]

...that for Christmas I think I may want a video camera of some sort. My digital camera has a video feature, but the quality is terrible and it will only record for 60 seconds. I love taking videos of the cats, but I'm pretty limited in what I can do.

Any recommendations for video cameras/camcorders?

 

[willie'slove]

Hey, thats the big thing I want for Christmas, too!!!! What a coincidence!

 

[lovemybabies]

Yeah, I have no idea where to start! I've never owned one before, and neither have my parents.

 

[willie'slove]

Oh, my parents both own them, but my mom's is sooooo old and confusing! I my dad usually doesn't let me take his outside of the house, so I really want my own. I don't need it to be anything expencive, just something farely nice!

 

[lovemybabies]

Anyone??

 

[persi & alley]

There are "regular" cameras like the Canon GS7 that takes 4 hours of movies That is what I use. They are not cheap but you did not mention price.

 

[watchcaddy]

If you have the budget and want to future proof your investment. Look in Sony's HD camcorders and Canon's HD camcorders. If you already have a HDTV, this will be a great because everything is in HD, clear, crisp and you can see every wrinkle on the face

. And you don't have a HDTV and thinking of getting one, this will make use of your HDTV. I don't have the exact model handy, just log onto their site and you will find them.

 

[lovemybabies]

I'm looking mostly to use it with a computer...to upload videos and whatnot. A friend recommended looking into Sony Handycams. Anyone know about these?

 

[beckiboo]

We just purchased the computer software to be able to download our vidos off the camera, and be able to watch them on a dvd on tv. But my little camera doesn't take the greatest videos, either. And although it will go over 60 seconds, I would love a better video camera.

I'd suggest start going to Best Buy and Circuit City, and have the salesperson show you the features. Then start a thread about the specific cameras you are interested in, to see if anyone has experience with them. I love the new ones that record straight to dvd.

 

[lovemybabies]

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

We just purchased the computer software to be able to download our vidos off the camera, and be able to watch them on a dvd on tv. But my little camera doesn't take the greatest videos, either. And although it will go over 60 seconds, I would love a better video camera.

I'd suggest start going to Best Buy and Circuit City, and have the salesperson show you the features. Then start a thread about the specific cameras you are interested in, to see if anyone has experience with them. I love the new ones that record straight to dvd.

That's a great idea! I'm definitely going to do that...they can probably tell me what features to look for for what I want to do

Thanks!

 

[colin]

There are three types of media that video cameras record to: Mini DV, DVD, and now Hard Drives. IMO, the best choice at this time is Mini DV. This records up to 2 hours at best quality as an .avi format. This is the best to use for editing. DVD is nice for the ease of taking it out of the camera and playing right away, but this records as an MPEG2 which is VERY hard to edit. The Hard Drive camcorders, record as MPEG2 or MPEG4. What happens if you're on vacation? Do you need a way to save the video to make more room for more?

I have two camcorders, a really small JVC MiniDV (remember the camera in American Beauty?). However, this one has no external mic input, no manual focus, no way to add lenses, and for the videos I'm making, I need this.

Within 6 months, I had a second camera. This one has the things missing from the first as well as more manual controls. One thing to keep in mind. High Definition camcorders are not cheap or small. They need huge amounts of hard drive space for the files you upload. You'll also find that most "consumer" editing programs can't handle these files natively.

Check out this site, it's pretty good for beginners to learn a bit more about camcorders. http://www.camcorderinfo.com/

Frankly, I'd consider one of the Panasonic 3CCD camcorders.