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What kind of Camcorder is the best?

What is the best kind of camcorder. Opinions please?

  • Hi, I want to get a camcorder. I realize that there is a few different kinds of media options now adays. I know there's one's that use the old tape type media, I don't want those because they are stopping making the tapes. From what I understand the hard drive ones only have a hard drive and once it fills up you have to store the videos on your computer in order to do more filming, correct?, and how about the kind that takes a memory card like SD. Do those work well? I would appreciate your experience and opinions on each type please. Thanks

  • Answer:

    Who said they were stopping the tapes? MiniDv remains popular with professionals, especially in the HDV format cameras, of which there are still several models from several makers. The tapes are very durable and provide an easy archive solution. In a consumer camcorder, you can not get a better data rate and image quality than HDV, but it does require a fire-wire connection and at least basic editing to get easily played video. Consumer HD camcorders using card memory are generally fair quality for a small screen. HD or dvd are rubbish. A non-camcorder option is the DSLR and can get pretty good video, especially for small screens. When you peel away other features, the big key to quality is the volume of data. Many will give a mega-BIT (not Byte) per second, others you will have to look at what they say a given memory card will hold and do a little basic math. Good - old SD miniDv gets 13 gigs/hour HD cams between $400-$2000 get 11 gigs/hour Cheaper HD can be anywhere between 4 and 8 gigs/hour Hard drive and DVD based are 2-4 gigs/hour A DSLR gets 20 gigs hour (those that can capture 1920 X 1080 HD), however there are other concerns.

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IMHO, the SD card camcorders are your best option and also the most popular format these days. My camcorder uses an SD card and with a 32 GB card I can get about 6 hours of filming at good quality. If that's not enough, you can always carry multiple cards. You are correct that you have to store the video on your computer if you want to re-use the card, although cutting them to DVD is simple and allows you to play it on the TV or store it. Another option is to get an external hard drive and dump your video on that. They are cheap and can hold a lot of video, and that way you wont fill up the disk on your computer.

Quentin

The best video images to be had come from a MiniDV tape camcorder. Every other storage media type camcorders interpolate the video, which means the video you transfer from this device; about 80% of the content of that file did not come from the lens assembly on the camcorder, but rather from electronic circuitry within the camcorder. This occurs because of the way every consumer level HD camcorders that does not use MiniDV tape media, takes video. You turn these on, press record and the camcorder takes one frame from the camcorder lens assembly, then makes 4 or 5 frames from the electronic circuitry within the camcorder then another frame from the lens and 4 or 5 frames not from the lens, this goes on and on throughout your whole video. This means do not a point a consumer level HD camcorders, that does not use MiniDV tape media, at any moving thing, as the resulting video will be mostly unwatchable. Then blend in the fact, these camcorders videos take pretty beefed up computer for editing and proper viewing. MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition.

Palladini

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