Best camcorder for High school football under the lights?

Q. I am going to be filming my sons HIgh School Football games under the lights at night. I have a Sony 8mm camcorder but want something more HD. We of course will be making game films from it and need good detail and zoom, good quality under low light. I know there are tons out there, any suggestions?

A. Since the game will be played under the field lights, that is not "low light". You should use the white balance control, but any decent consumer cam will get acceptable video of the game play. Crowd shots will probably be grainey.

What is your budget?

Because of fast action on the field, low compression video is strongly recommended. For consumer cams, that means miniDV tape - which means your computer MUST have an available firewire port because that is the only way the camcorder will connect and get the high definition video into the computer. Suggested camcorders include Canon HV40 and Sony HDR-HC1.

If there is no firewire port on the computer and one cannot be added then second choice is flash memory. File capture can use USB, but your computer must be very robust and th video editor must deal with MOD or MTS files. Check the Canon HF S100 or Sony HDR CX500 series.

No DVD based.

A computer with lots of RAM and pretty fast CPU...

Since hard disc drive camcorders have known issues with vibration and it is known that loud crowds and marching bands can also cause high vibration levels, HDD camcorders are not on the short list.

You will also need a video editor that can deal with the video captured by the camcorder you select. And at least a monopod or tripod. If you zoom in on the action, there is no way the captured image will be steady.

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How to transfer video from 8mm Sony Camcorder to Sony laptop that has usb ports only?

Q. I have a Sony 8mm tapes Camcorder with DV, and S video cable outlets ... how can I transfer the recordings to my Sony VAIO Laptop which does not have the firewire jack, usb ports only?

Thanks for your help.

A. Pinnacle Dazzle...

Or install a Firewire port
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4098172?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

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How can I watch my 8mm tapes if my camcorder is broken?

Q. I have a Sony 8mm (Not hi8 or digital8) camcorder and tons of 8mm tapes I recorded several years ago. I was wondering if there was some type of playback device offered when you can't use the broken recorder. I would like to do this without having to buy another recorder since I just want to play them to record them onto DVD.

A. There are only 2 options for you.

Convert the tapes to dvd / vcd using a professional.
Caution: the clarity will not be good. Actually worse if you watch on a HD TV.

Buy a dazzle or similar device which connects to
a computer. You can connect your camcorder video out to
this device and record all your tapes to a DVD/ CD.
Any computer with a video capture card can also do this.
I copied all my tapes to a usb disk as a backup using a
older version of dazzle usb adapter.

Thanks.

Original Question

What is the best 8mm camcorder that I should buy?

Q. I am looking for an 8mm camcorder as I have a really hard time finding them. I have looked in many shops for an 8mm camcorder, but it seems like no one has an 8mm camcorder.

I believe the net is the best place for me to be looking for an 8mm camcorder and I know that a lot of people in here are experts in finding this kind of stuff.

So where can I find an 8mm camcorder that is just awesome and which one would you recommend?

Thanks

A. I would go for the Sony CCD-TR818 (check link below). My friend who is a camcorder lover always talks about this one, and I believe he also has it.

From the reviews I have read about it, it is supposed to be great. Great quality, very easy to use and simply everything you need in an 8mm camcorder. Good Luck!!

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How to transfer video from 8mm Sony Camcorder to Sony laptop that has usb ports only?

Q. I have a Sony 8mm tapes Camcorder with DV, and S video cable outlets ... how can I transfer the recordings to my Sony VAIO Laptop which does not have the firewire jack, usb ports only?

Thanks for your help.

A. Pinnacle Dazzle...

Or install a Firewire port
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4098172?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Original Question

Need Filter Program or Software for 8mm Camcorder Video Footage?

Q. I have a Sony 8mm camcorder. I recorded some outdoor footage. I uploaded it to my computer however, the scenes are a little grainy and a bit pixilated. What "free" software or program can I use to sharpen and add some clarity to the footage. (10) points to the person that gives me good info that works. Thank You!

A. There's not a lot you can do about it.
Make sure your watching it at the captured resolution as making it a larger dimension will make it look worse.

The pixelation should only occur after encoding the original footage, try increasing the encoders bitrate to improve quality.

You could see if you need some deinterlacing to improve it - http://www.100fps.com/ explains a bit

Getting more "Detail" from an image is something they only do in movies.

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Need Filter Program or Software for 8mm Camcorder Video Footage?

Q. I have a Sony 8mm camcorder. I recorded some outdoor footage. I uploaded it to my computer however, the scenes are a little grainy and a bit pixilated. What "free" software or program can I use to sharpen and add some clarity to the footage. (10) points to the person that gives me good info that works. Thank You!

A. There's not a lot you can do about it.
Make sure your watching it at the captured resolution as making it a larger dimension will make it look worse.

The pixelation should only occur after encoding the original footage, try increasing the encoders bitrate to improve quality.

You could see if you need some deinterlacing to improve it - http://www.100fps.com/ explains a bit

Getting more "Detail" from an image is something they only do in movies.

Original Question

I need to get a still photo from a dazzle capturing device I bought today. How do I do that?

Q. I have a dazzle to burn DVD's from a Sony 8mm HI8 camcorder. It's mostly surveillance videos. I also need a still photo for the report that goes to the client. The CD burning went fine, but I can't find anything about still photos. I need help ASAP!

A. I am assuming that your photos are in your camcorder.

1. To get those photos connect your camcorder to your computer directly via a USB or a Firewire cable you received with your camcorder.
2. Once connected, set the camcorder setting to camera or photo.
3. Go to My Computer.
4. Your camera should be listed in it as an Sony Memory Stick.
5. Double Click on it.
6. You should be able to see all the folders on your memory stick including your photos.
7. Copy the photos to where you want to from there.

J

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