Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 90336	2008-05-30 23:17:00	Digital Video Camera/Camcorder recommendations	Lizard (2409)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
674127	2008-05-30 23:17:00	Hi everyone, I'm thinking about buying a digital video camera or camcorder. As it's Queen's Birthday, I thought it might be a good time to take advantage of sales/finance options and get something on the cheap. The budget is around $500, so I'm not expecting anything too fancy, but obviously I want bang-for-buck. My planned uses aren't too ambitious either - I'm getting married in October, and we have someone who is prepared to record the wedding if we supply the camera, so that will be it's first major outing. It will also be brought along for the honeymoon, so it needs to be able to travel without too much fuss. Other than that, it's main use will be the occasional home movie. Can anyone recommend a good video camera that fits the bill?	Lizard (2409)
674128	2008-05-31 02:10:00	My personal preference is one that records to Tape - Eg MiniDV. Also I would choose a camera that recorded to High Definition. You have other options now of recording to DVD, Tape, Memory Stick, Hard Drive and combo Memory Stick & Hard Drive. Sony and Panasonic created the AVCHD format, however the software to edit this format is limited. Sony software can not edit Panasonic's AVCHD format, although they jointly created the format. Hard Drive cameras and Memory Stick's get full and have to be taken off to a computer. DVD Cameras you can just put in a new blank recordable DVD. Tape cameras you can keep the tapes as backup, they are a reliable backup media if kept in a good environment and from our Video club the members suggest a longer lasting media than a DVD.	Bantu (52)
674129	2008-05-31 10:43:00	Bantu speaks a lot of sense. The only thing that I would add to that is, don't buy a camera with the sole intention of having a camera that can do clever things. I recommend that you should have a camera with automatic light and automatic focus and should be able to switch both to manual as the automatics do not always do it right. Any clever things that you add to the picture while shooting cannot be changed. If you download to your PC, make a change (increase/decrease light or speed for example) and you don't like the result, you can undo it. Once recorded to tape the effect cannot be changed. My point is, don't waste money on a camera with clever effects. Create the effects on your PC as you have much more control over the final outcome. Buy a basic camera that captures the picture and enhance the result on your PC. With a good programme you can add or subtract music and sound effects as well as editing the picture. It can be good fun and very satisfying. If you need any ideas and any assistance, I will be very glad to help. Please feel free to ask.	Roscoe (6288)
674130	2008-05-31 22:18:00	Bantu speaks a lot of sense. The only thing that I would add to that is, don't buy a camera with the sole intention of having a camera that can do clever things. I recommend that you should have a camera with automatic light and automatic focus and should be able to switch both to manual as the automatics do not always do it right. Any clever things that you add to the picture while shooting cannot be changed. If you download to your PC, make a change (increase/decrease light or speed for example) and you don't like the result, you can undo it. Once recorded to tape the effect cannot be changed. My point is, don't waste money on a camera with clever effects. Create the effects on your PC as you have much more control over the final outcome. Buy a basic camera that captures the picture and enhance the result on your PC. With a good programme you can add or subtract music and sound effects as well as editing the picture. It can be good fun and very satisfying. If you need any ideas and any assistance, I will be very glad to help. Please feel free to ask. Thanks guys, Anyone want to chance a particular brand or model to look at?	Lizard (2409)
674131	2008-05-31 22:40:00	Personal preference. I have had about 6-7 Sony video cameras which have done very well and one JVC which was not great. Daughter's old school use Canon but they are forever breaking down, however they were used by a lot of kids so maybe they had rough treatment. Your budget is a lot lower than anything I would even consider looking at so a bit hard to advise on that score. As Roscoe said there are a lot of things on cameras you will never use. Some have Titling, that is useless as you can do that with software later and do it better. Digital Zoom is useless/ As opposed to Optical Zoom which is good. Some can do Photos as well as Video and store Photos to memory stick. However the photos are normally a lower Mega pixel than an average Digital Still camera. Sony NZ website is down at the moment but Sony AU works fine and we have mainly the same products. If you can get into a Sony shop - Silvia Park or Newmarket (If you are in Auckland) and have a play with what they have there then go buy somewhere cheaper. Panasonic seems ok from what I have heard from others at the Movie maker club.	Bantu (52)
674132	2008-05-31 23:57:00	I agree with all that Roscoe and Bantu have said. My experience is only with Sony equipment and I am currently using a HC3 hidef camcorder. I might mention that sound is important if you want to do a wedding. Most of the time you cannot get close enough to record good sound during the ceremony. Therefor a external mike, preferably with a long cord to run up to the bridal party is essential. First wedding I did was relying on the camera mic. and it was pretty poor. Sony now have dedicated hot shoes and mostly no secondary mic input.. bummer Two alternatives. A wireless mike for a Sony camcorder, (expensive) or this way that I have been told of, but never tried... using a Sony HiMD recorder, run seperately and adding the audio file to the video before editing. Takes a bit of mucking around to sync it when you are compiling the video/audio and you are best to use PCM recording so as to able to lay the WAV file on the secondary sound track. (I must try this sometime, as I have a HiMD player) Hope this helps with the wedding thingy Ken :banana	kenj (9738)
674133	2008-06-01 01:50:00	I have got extra bits for my camcorders over the years but as with most technology each time I get a new one the older add-ons don't fit anymore. My current one I have 2 extra biggest size batteries, a wide angle lens, tele lens, external microphone fits on the shoe and a light that fits on the shoe. A lot of extra expense but it all gets used. A wireless mic would be great though.	Bantu (52)
674134	2008-06-01 01:57:00	Very true about the mics, Ken. You can't rely on the camera mic for a wedding. While the mic is not quite useless, it is of no use for a wedding unless you can have the camera - and therefore the mic - under their noses and some people object to that! With the camera some distance from the main participants, you loose the intimacy. The sound is quite indistinct and turning the volume up - if you can - simply increases the background noise as well. The only answer is to have a mic as close as possible. A wireless mic is a great idea if you can, but it is expensive. Borrow one? I would recommend a mic on a stand and a cord to your camera. Ask the vicar, or whoever takes the service, if you can do so and make certain that they carry out all the talking parts right by the mic. Please understand - the camera mic is useless for recording the sound at a wedding. I can't stress that strongly enough. I have used Sony gear for many years and have no had dramas. Whatever you decide, make certain that you have plenty of battery power. You are severely restricted if you are hooked up to the mains. I would also suggest that you do not use a tripod - it restricts your movements. That, of course, makes it difficult to stop the camera shaking. So lean against something to stop that. You need to use both hands. Try not to use the screen, but look through the viewfinder. That does two things: The screen eats batteries and looking through the viewfinder puts the camera in contact with your head which should be resting against something solid, which in turn keeps the camera still. If you keep your shot as wide as you can - which possibly means moving closer to your subject - you can keep camera shake to a minimum. The tighter you pull in with the zoom, the more your camera shake is magnified. It can look pretty awful! Hope that helps. Any more questions, please ask.	Roscoe (6288)
674135	2008-06-01 02:03:00	Thank goodness Video Cameras have come a long way since my Wedding in 1984 when video cameras came with a huge battery pack with a shoulder strap you carried on your back and the camera itself was not dis-similar in size to a TV camera. The Video of my wedding is like a horror movie due to lack of light in the majority of it. The Minister turned down the lights at the last minute as did the owner of the restaurant where the reception was held. This was in spite of us telling both we required maximum lighting. Audio was great so I guess they got that right in the early cameras.	Bantu (52)
674136	2008-06-01 05:25:00	The Video of my wedding is like a horror movie due to lack of light in the majority of it . Our wedding was like a horror movie as well . . . One of those dreams where you know something terrible is about to happen and you can't move . It gets replayed every day . . . :crying :crying (nah, I jest . SWMBO and I have our 40th anniversary this year . Great lass!!) Ken	kenj (9738)
1 2 3