Q. I am looking to buy a camcorder because the one I had crapped out on me years ago but I am looking to update!!! Should I even buy a DV Camcorder? Is there anything better than that? Can I erase any part of the video using a mini-dvd while filming? Can I stop and record later like a CD-RW or would it save without being able to add to it???
Ahhhhhh so many questions!!!!!!!! : /
This is only for family purposes so it's not like I'm a video pro... I just want to know what's good out there! How many formats are there and which ones are most compatible with a DVD player or computer?
A. MiniDV camcorders are still the best quality video format out there in consumer camcorders. Better than DVD, hard drive, and flash memory.
Erasing parts of mini-DVD would depend on the exact DVD format being used. With DVD, once you "finalize" the disc, you cannot change its contents. Until then, you can still stop and record later.
On MiniDV tape, you can erase, stop, start, record, play back, do whatever you want, as long as you have the switch on the tape in the "record" position and not the record-protect position.
Keep in mind, as for video quality; there's a very good reason you don't see DVD and hard drive formats in any level of professional camcorder, but you still see MiniDV tape in cameras such as the Panasonic AG-HVX200, at about $5,000. It's all about quality and compatibility.
Of course, there are positives and negatives to any camcorder, depending on what your needs are. I like MiniDV because I edit video on my computer, and because I'm a video professional, so quality is very important to me.
EDIT: Well, where do you want to use it? Do you want to edit? What do you imagine yourself doing with your video? For starters, I recommend the guide here from B&H Photo & Video, a great store here in New York. Click the link to the buying guide at the far right:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/category/1820/Consumer_Video.html
This will tell you about formats, connections, all of that. It will be helpful.
You should also check out these sites:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com
http://www.cnet.com
They'll be helpful with their reviews. They'll point out things you might not think of otherwise (for example, I was looking at one camcorder until I learned that I could only connect it to my computer if I was plugged into an outlet, because the DV port was IN the battery compartment!).
As for which formats are out there, you mainly have MiniDV cassette, DVD, hard drive (HDD), and flash memory (SD cards, memory stick, and so forth). Each has its positives and negatives. All are digital formats; analog formats such as Hi8, VHS-C, and a couple of others have generally been pushed away by now.
As for compatibility, DVD is most compatible with a DVD player. With a computer, it depends. If you're editing, MiniDV is compatible with just about every editing program ever created. For DVD and hard-drive formats, you might have trouble getting editing programs to recognize them.
My advice is...when in doubt, go with MiniDV, for a few reasons:
-You start with higher-quality video than the rest.
-You also have more options. You don't have to worry about "clearing space" like you would with a hard-drive unit. When one tape fills up, just pop in another tape. Tape is cheap, especially from a place like B&H, where I typically get them for under $3 a tape. Get them from someplace like that, not from someplace that rips you off at $7 or $8 for those same tapes.
-You also don't have to worry about whether it'll be compatible with your editing software. It's compatible, end of story. You just have to have a "FireWire" port on your computer, either 4-pin, 6-pin, or 9-pin. Such ports are also known as "IEEE 1394," "i.Link," and "DV." They're all the same thing. If you computer does NOT have one, that's OK...FireWire cards are inexpensive these days, and relatively easy to install.
A few drawbacks for MiniDV - you can't just pop the tape into anything and play it back; you have to have the camera to play it back. When you're loading video to your computer, you have to do it at regular speed - an hour of video will take an hour to capture. Finally, it's tape, so there are still moving parts. Then again, if you take good care of your camera, that's not a big problem.
Overall, MiniDV tape is my choice. Quality is better than DVD and HDD, it's easy to store, it's compatible with everything, it's just overall the best for my purposes.
As for other things to look at, which apply to all types of cameras; how important is low-light performance to you? What about the need for a microphone jack, or will you just use sound from the camera itself? How about zoom, how much do you need? Some cameras do it better than others.
One word of advice about zoom - look only at the "optical" zoom, not the "digital" zoom. Optical zoom is real magnification, caused by actual movement of lens parts. Digital "zoom" is the camera taking a guess at how the video would look if it were magnified, but it makes the video look grainy, and you could do the same thing on your computer anyway. So yes, only optical zoom is important.
Finally, hate to complicate things any more, but what about high-definition? If you have HDTV, you might think about looking at some camcorders that shoot HD. Some flash-memory, HDD, and tape (HDV which is shot on MiniDV tape) camcorders do this. It's worth a look, unless you're nowhere near looking at any HDTV-related things for now.
If you have any other questions, ask away!
im looking for a good camcorder?
Q. I want a camcorder with a good resolution and lighting. At $100-150. I want to know if there is one that can upload directly to youtube since that would be far more convenient. I would prefer if you could tell me what store I could buy it. at. (Bestbuy or compusa)
A. You should create a camcorder buying guide, or list of what you are looking for and what you can afford. Do you want a 3d camcorder? A night vision camcorder? What are the camcorders reviews? Will you need extra camcorder batteries? What is the best pocket camcorder? There are numerous options available on camcorders that are on the market today, and it is imperative that you take the time to compare camcorders, otherwise how in the world would you know which one is best for you?
By our analysis, the 3 top notch camcorders are Panasonic HDC-SDT750, Canon Vixia HF G10 and Panasonic HDC-TM900.
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