Digital Camcorder advice please

[tushypat]

My wonderful DH is buying me a digital camcorder for Christmas (he'd better be quick!) and I'm looking for some advice please. I usually avoid this forum due to my being a complete novice on all things techy so if people could use simple words I'd be grateful!

I dug up an older thread about digital camcorders and Nut was talking about his Sony DCR HC40. This sounds like a good camera but is it still one of the best or has something come along since that does better? Would I be better off looking for a camcorder that records onto a DVD or stick to the little tapes? How would I get what I've recorded on the tape to a DVD? Our PC is a Sony Vaio and thought if I got a Sony Camcorder things would be easier to move from one to the other. (Are you getting an idea of how little I know about these things now!!!)

My brother said something to me about these things and one of the words he used was 'zoom'. Please explain!

If anyone can help with any advice I'd be eternally grateful! Please feel free to copy and paste this entire post into a 'thick to clever translator' if you need to!

PS The main purpose of the camcorder would be for filming the children at concerts, parties etc so no need for an all singing all dancing model!

[Keith]

Sir Nutty and I spent ages chatting about camcorders when he was buying his and the Sony really seemed like an excellent model. I'll leave him to reply with his review since he's actually used it ;-) but from what I can see, it's still the model I'd buy if I were you.

So.. short version is... ask for the Sony DCR HC40 :)

Longer version.... eventually we'll probably all be recording onto some kind of dvd/memory rather than tape. It's nice to be able to just record direct onto a dvd and then shove it in the player but right now I *STILL* insist that the quality isn't upto the standard of tape camcorders such as the HC40. I know some people disagree and I know other people say the convenience is worth the quality loss but not to me.

Assuming you've read and thought ok, I'll stick to tape.. then yep you need to get the images off the tape and onto a dvd. Assuming you have a dvd writer on your sony (if you don't you can get a simple plug in one) and a firewire port (called ilink sometimes on sonys), then you just attach the camcorder to the sony and you'll be able to pull the video onto your computer, edit it etc and then save it onto dvds that you can play on most dvd players. It's easier than it sounds, you just need to take it step by step the first time.

Zoom... DV tape digital camcorders have got to the point where they're all REALLY good quality and offer similar features so they've started to try and outdo each other on zoom. So a larger X zoom should in theory make objects a long way away appear larger on screen which saves you from having to run to get close to the thing you're taping :) there's optical zoom which is *PROPER* zoom which really does make things seem closer without much loss in quality... it'll be something like 10x or 20x. A larger OPTICAL zoom is a good thing. Then there's digital zoom which is marketing rubbish and will be something like 200x or 400x. That's just made to sucker people into buying a model that says 400x rather than the 200x.. you'll never want to use digital zoom, it'll make your images all jagged and pixelly.

For concerts, you may be sitting a way back and the hall may be quite dark so what you want is a small, capable DV camcorder with decent optical zoom and good low light capability. The canon camcorders tend to have a bit better zoom than the sony but they're known for recording more unwanted motor noise on tape which can be distracting especially on school concerts etc where the actual sound you're recording can be quite low.

I'd stick with that sony as long as Mr. Nutty is still happy with his :)

[arcamalpha2003]

Good advice keith.

Thing is a lot of peeps are suckered in by the digital zoom mullarkey, when optical zoom is the real issue.
I have a now older jvc model, dv camera, which I am very pleased with, obviously now there are cams out there that run circles around mine, but for now I am quite happy.
Recently bought a panasonic dvd recorder which I am chuffed with, recently collated all the Max and Paddy episodes onto one dvd-r disc which can be played on other machines.
Just hope there isnt a bobby reading these posts, but aside from that, just like a dvd you'd buy in the shops in about 6 months time!
I have cleverly edited out the adverts too! :thumbs:
Ding-dang-do

Bill.

[ukwdwnut]

the thing that i dint like about the dvd c/corders is the record time only 30mins no good at all, also you cant edit them once on the dvd, you can get them onto pc then edit and back onto another dvd, but that is defeating the object of having the dvd corder unless you always use the dvd-rw.

claire i would still go for the dv tapes its a very good media and more versatile than a dvd and record times are longer, but not as long as the hi8 version.

the camera i got is excellent and has a very good quality picture, although the optical zoom is the only downfall with the sony cameras, i think jve doa 16x optical, but i still prefer sony as the lenses are from what i know much better, the dcr hc40 is an excellent camera and you could not do much better i think :D so go for it i would still buy this model if i was in the market for one :D

the editing s/w i have is real good for what it is if you overrun the clip which you will do anyway, unless you have reflexes at the micron level :lol: you can start and sop the clip where you want with jog shuttle and put all your clips together using some brill effects and then burn to dvd. if you dont have a dvd burner they are only £45 for a very fast dual layer 16x and a doodle to install :D

also does not matter what pc/laptop you have its still the same to connect, although it helps if you have a fast one for the rendering and conversion faze and a big hard drive :D

if you need to know more claire you have my number or pm me,
digital zoom is c**p i've turned mine off so arcam and keith are right never use it, when it get upto over 100x zoom you cannot make out what you are shooting anyway, its atrocious :tut: :tut:

[GraciesMom]

I need to stop reading these threads, I am getting even more confused which I did not think was possible :blush:

I have noticed that the camcorders in the $1500-$3000 price range seem to have only about 12x optical zoom. Is there a reason why? Don't get too technical please :blush: Are they not any better than the ones in the $300-$700 range with the 20x optical zoom? I just assumed that the more expensive ones would be better :unsure:

Do I have any inkling about what I am talking about? :blush:

[ukwdwnut]

I need to stop reading these threads, I am getting even more confused which I did not think was possible :blush:

I have noticed that the camcorders in the $1500-$3000 price range seem to have only about 12x optical zoom. Is there a reason why? Don't get too technical please :blush: Are they not any better than the ones in the $300-$700 range with the 20x optical zoom? I just assumed that the more expensive ones would be better :unsure:

Do I have any inkling about what I am talking about? :blush:

give me some model numbers GM and i'll take a look for ya :D

[GraciesMom]

You are a doll! I will post them later, have it narrowed down to about 6. I have to leave to go see the in-laws :afraid: so....if you never hear from me again...Thanks

[ukwdwnut]

You are a doll! I will post them later, have it narrowed down to about 6. I have to leave to go see the in-laws :afraid: so....if you never hear from me again...Thanks

no probs :D

so if your not back by, when? we'll send out the search parties and the dogs :lol:

[tushypat]

Thanks to you both for your replies. We have decided to go for the one Mike has. Will let you know how we get on with it.

[ukwdwnut]

Thanks to you both for your replies. We have decided to go for the one Mike has. Will let you know how we get on with it.


got a pm from gracies mom this afternoon, had a look at the three she had in mind and i said the sony hc40 which was not on her shortlist was the best apart from a great big clunky professional camera which cost $2500, dont know if she made a mistake in listing that one tho :lol: she has gone to buy the sony one too, so thats 3, anyone else :wink: :lol:

[Keith]

Well I still haven't bought mine! I'm really tempted by the 40 though.

[ukwdwnut]

they will be out of production by the time you make your mind up keith, you've been saying that for 6 months :lol: :lol:

[Keith]

thats so true <G> thing is, if I'm honest, I'm very much more of a still photography person so the only time I really get to use a camcorder is at Disney.. so I could put it off till the next trip. hmmm

[ukwdwnut]

no point in buying one then :D