Looking for a camcorder..

[Art]

I'm looking for a camcorder. Looking to spend around $400. Any recommendations???

[ramirami]

check out the canon optura 400 series..should be available on the internet around $400 I think

[ecsw]

something like that?

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ycamCamcorders

[CMasten]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Art
I'm looking for a camcorder. Looking to spend around $400. Any recommendations??? [/QUOTE

If you need the lens to be better than say 3x than a camcorder is the fit, but if 3x will do take a look at the Casio EX-S600 camera. I have the EX--S500 and the MPEG4 that comes out of it is really nice, I get about an hour per 1 Gig SD card and its a straight shot into the computer for editing and then out to DVD for the finished product. Nice to have it in the still camera too boot.

[ecsw]

if u decide to go tapeless, then I will go with this...

JVC 30GB HD Camcoder

Personally I have Sony DSC-M1. DSC-M2 is out to replace M1.

What makes DSC-M1/M2 different is, 1GB not just take almost an hour of 640x480 @ 30fps MPEG4, but it's also in Stereo sound. EX-S500 is recording only mono sound I believe.

EX-P505 will be the one with Stereo sound.

But really, mini-DV still have a bit better quality than all the MPEG4 camera/camcoder. But it's just taking time when u want to conver them.

[CMasten]

That is true, the EX-S500 is just mono and it is on the front of the camera and pretty sensitive to wind noise but very good quality. The EX-S600 is the new 6 megapixel model and same retail 399.00 (or less) price, you can get the 500 (5 megapix) for low 300's all over, your under 400.00 with a 1 gig SD Card.

I have a TR81 Hi8mm and the picture quality is pretty comparable for my needs and the TIME savings is worth it all.. Tape (of any kind) is just not where its going, too many moving parts, its sequencial, wear and tear and power necessary to make it all work. If you need to shoot HD then your supply is more limited.

I find as I get older I want less to carry and the easier it is for me to edit and get over to a DVD for family and friends to watch the better, I am willing to give up some quality if its "good enough". I am quite pleased with the output from the final DVD to my HD set up for well under your budget of 400 bucks to aquire the video and i dont have to lug around a still and video camera any more. I am not stuck on the Casios (although I think highly of them) as much as the convenience factor.

[ecsw]

Originally posted by CMasten

I find as I get older I want less to carry and the easier it is for me to edit and get over to a DVD for family and friends to watch the better, I am willing to give up some quality if its "good enough". I am quite pleased with the output from the final DVD to my HD set up for well under your budget of 400 bucks to aquire the video and i dont have to lug around a still and video camera any more.

That's true too. I am getting older and that's why I have my DSC-M1 instead of getting both my camcoder and camera. But I really want to give the 30GB HD JVC camcorder a try when the price comes down. It's 30GB so I don't have to worry about downloading it for a long time. It will be ultimate of laziness.

[CMasten]

This does seem like a great way to go for a digital camcorder, 7 hours at 9mbps is great and its all in MPEG-2 so there is no re-encoding to get it over to DVD like our stills do.

For 600.00 this is a lot of camera.

[rocky]

He only wants to spend $400 though.

[CMasten]

yep.. but we didnt put a price on it so now he knows its 600.00 for 37.5 hours of storage with a better lens.

Looks like the JVC has its own propritary format .mod files that need to be converted so maybe you are better off shooting an hour to MPEG 4 and burning to DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...77415?n=502394

[ecsw]

hehehe.... that's why I said I will wait for the price to come down a bit before I buy the JVC.

That's also why I still point out a $399 Sony camcoder to begin with.

DVD camcoder is coming donw in price too.

[Art]

Originally posted by CMasten
This does seem like a great way to go for a digital camcorder, 7 hours at 9mbps is great and its all in MPEG-2 so there is no re-encoding to get it over to DVD like our stills do.

For 600.00 this is a lot of camera.

May have to come up a couple hundred..hehe....

my wife--> <---me

[ecsw]

Originally posted by Art

my wife--> <---me

lol.

I saw this JVC camcoder in person from Fry's Electronic. My wife loves it. The size of it is 1/3 or 1/2 of the new Sony Mini-DV camcoder. But since I was on a road trip and was planning on spending a lot of money elsewhere, she didn't allow me to buy it. Now I came back to Canada, it's like $200cdn more than US not to mention the tax in Canada is almost double.

[onu2002]

FWIW, I like my Panasonic PV-GS31. I think it was around $300. There's at least one higher model in the line.