Cam Corder Or No???????????

[a texas aggie]

I am debating on whether I should bring in a cam corder into the parks. I would like to record the sights and things like my boys getting their haircut and the interaction with characters(Don't worry I don't plan on being on that hogs the characters with prolonging the video shoots. HA!). Is it worth it to lug it around? How would I keep it from getting wet on certain rides? My cam corder is not one of the super tiny ones but not large either.....just medium sized.

Any thoughts?

 

[cmonroe]

a texas aggie,

The last time I brought my family, I took over 400 pictures on a digital camera and only about 1/2 hour of video. The pictures were great, but what I ending finding was that I was unable to capture as many moments as I would have liked to of my daughter. Therefore, this trip I am taking more video and less pictures. I still have an analog camcorder, so I will be importing it onto my pc, editing and saving copies for family members.

It sounds as though I have a similar size camcorder as you. What I do is take a large ziplock back and make a tiny hole in one of the corners. When I'm getting ready to go on a wet ride, I feed the camera through the regular opening in the bag and feed the strap through the little hole. That way I can still wear the camera while keeping it 99% dry. When I'm finished the zip lock bag can be folded really small to fit in a bag or a pocket.

Hope that helps.

 

[sif]

Just returned from WDW (MGM, MK, AK). Brought my digital camera and my analog (Hi8) camcorder. What I found is that I only used the camcorder to tape the parade, when we were sitting in one place watching it go by. The rest of the time, it was too inconvenient to have it out all the time, and too difficult to get ready spontaneously. However, I kept my digital camera in a small camera case attached to my belt. It was always there in easy reach, and I took about 200 pictures in 3+ days.

I didn't have the concern about keeping the camcorder dry, because our little kids didn't want to go on any wet rides. When walking around the park, we just kept the camcorder in the bottom of the baby's stroller. Occasionally, we would bring the camcorder along with us in a restaurant, for example, so it didn't get swiped, but as I said, I didn't use it much.

All said, I would bring it again next time, if only to tape the parade. We just got back yesterday and my 5 year old is dying to watch to Stars and Motor Cars Parade again!

Enjoy!

 

[shatzjsl]

We went to Six Flags a couple of weeks ago so I packed my "WDW" back pack to see how I could handle it. I included the camcorder and decided that I will not be taking it with me to WDW. At the end of the day it was very heavy even though it weighs very little. It is one of the medium ones also. The kind that uses the small tapes. I think I filmed about 1/2 hour. Took pictures mostly.

 

[daystar]

Hi,
We went to WDW for Christmas 2003.....We took our digital camcord, digital camera and 35m camera....We only use our camcord for about an hour if that, for the first day....It becomes to bulky to carry around the parks, i have found....Where the camera's can be easily tucked away in a back pack or fanny pack....Our camcord is one of those new ones which is small but still wasn't small enough......Then i was always worried about losing it.....I just find it a big hassle and so much more convienent to use a camera whether it's digital or not......

 

[Amirah95]

My husband just bought us a camcorder last month and we are taking it with us in October...it would have been nice to video record Fantasmic because the pictures, although they were great, it didn't capture the magic and trying to explain it to my extended family and friends...it didn't work.

Flat out, some moments need to be on video and some on pictures.

We took about 1000 pictures on our digital camera between the resort and the four major Disney parks...whoa!

 

[linda_pizzuro]

I would highly recommend bringing your camcorder. We have been going about twice a year since 1997 (for the 25 Anniversary). We always use about 4 - 5 hours of tape - and we are usually there for 5 - 6 days. Just last week we rewatched our 1997 trip. At the time my boyfriends son was 9 and it great to see how young he was at the time compared to now. We also got some great video of IllumiNations (which has now changed), the MK 25 Remember the Magic Parade (which they no longer do) and the Tapstry of Nations Parade (which is no longer in Epcot). I am sorry we never taped some other shows that are longer there but I do have some tape of COP (which is not always open). Things change in Disney and I am glad I have a tape of some memorable moments that we can never see again.
Linda

 

[Sunkissed]

Thanks for all the insight! I stumbled onto this thread b/c I was saving up to buy a digi cam for our upcoming trip...Now, I'm not so sure, as everyone has such a split opinion. Maybe I will just buy a digi still camera instead. Something to think about!

 

[thelittlemermaid]

My husband bought me a new camcorder for Christmas. I wanted to upgrade from the one I had so I could put the movies on my computer. My old one is almost 8 years old.

Any ways, the one he bought me I can go back and forward from taking videos to taking still pictures by the flip of a switch. That way I don't have to worry about having to take a camcorder or a digtal camera with me and lugging them around. Thank goodness, because my old digtal camera is very testy and sometimes refuses to take a picture. Plus the memory card that is in my camcorder can hold alot more pictures then what my regular digtal camera can.

So you might want to look into one of them. I'm not sure how much it costs, but my camcorder is a Canon ZR-70.

Ronna

 

[Sunkissed]

The cam I'm looking at does have still capability, however, the resolution is only 1 megapixel. Is yours the same? Thanks!

 

[thelittlemermaid]

I looked in my owner's manual and what I found under "Selecting the Image and Quality size" {in case someone has this type of camcorder also} says that you can choose between
1024 X 768 pixals and 640 X 480 pixals

Hope that helps!

Ronna

 

[Sunkissed]

Thank you...I will have to take a better look at your model when I get out to the store! Thanks again

 

[thelittlemermaid]

Your very welcome!!!

I just hope I helped. When it comes to talking about pixals and things like that, I get lost. LOL!!! All I know is it takes excellent pictures.

The only thing about this camcorder that disappointed me was, it doesn't have a built in light which was one thing I really wanted.

Guess you can't have it all!!! LOL!!!

Ronna

 

[dulluth]

I know it's a hassle to bring the camcorder along, and I have always taken way more stills that video, but I think there is value in bringing it. We have video of my son's reaction to characters, some ride stuff, parade stuff, and our ride in the front of the monorail. I agree with the other poster who said it was nice to look back and see how young they were, and so on. In one of our videos, my son still couldn't say his "r's", so we have him asking the conductor if it was fun to "dwive a monowail". Too cute, and priceless! (Even if you don't carry it always)

 

[mep319]

That is still less than 1 mp...if you are printing you really need at least a 3 mp....I have the same model camcorder and fine it is not that good of quality. You really still need a seperate camera.

 

[My2Girls66]

We bought a new Sony MiniDv for our trip. It weighs only 13oz and is 4"x3"x2"and was no hassle for hubby to carry around
He does the video- I do the stills(35mm and sometimes digital).
Fits nicely in a small fannypack- we stuck it in a quart size ziplock on Splash Mt to keep it dry. It was a great investment. We stopped bringing our older 8mm on our last few trips because it was too bulky to carry all day. Now I don't have video footage of DL in 2002 or our 2000 or 2001 WDW trips
This one is a piece of cake to carry and use. It does take digital photos but at 1mp- its not worth it. I carry a camera or 2.
Even though we don't watch the video- actually DVD's of our trips very often- its nice to have them. I'd bring it. Invest in the MiniDv if you can.

 

[saymama]

I have to second the idea of the digital camera with movie capabilites. I decided that it was too much to carry the extra camcorder around. Didn't even use it last time. So I bought an extra memory stick to have so I can take video and still have room for still pics. MIL is bringing her laptop so that at the end of the day, I can download everything and start with a fresh stick the next morning. I currently have a 128mb. Just ordered a 512mb from ebay and paid 130.00 with shipping and insurance. It should be here anyday. I really wanted the 1mb memory stick, but that one was about 280.00. Not bad since it retails for 500.oo but dh said no. According to my book, I can take 21 mins of video on the 512mb at the highest resolution. in email mode, I can do over 300 mins. I've never done email mode, so I don't know the quaility of it.

By the way, I have a 3.2 sony cyber-shot. It has great quality pics and it a wonderful camera.

 

[missypatt811]

We took our cam corder with us and took about an hour worth of video tape through our whole vacation. The parks have lockers at the rides that you get really wet on, that you can store your stuff if you need to. Our camera bag is actually a soft pack lunch box and is water proof. So that is another idea. Hope this helped!~Missy

 

[pjlla]

Just my .02 cents..... ON our first family trip two years ago, we brought both digital camera and regular camcorder. We used both extensively (6-7+ hrs of video). But when it comes time to "look back" what do you think we do?? Mostly we look at the photos. We do, sometimes, watch the video, but we took waaaaay too much video! This time around we took 1400 digital photos, but probably only about 1 - 2 hours of video. Which we have not even watched yet!! (Trip was in January!). Next time around we hope to be the owners of a digital video camera, a very small one. We will still take video, but much more selectively than on our first trip. But I cannot imagine being completely without it.........................P

 

[pjlla]

Originally posted by missypatt811
We took our cam corder with us and took about an hour worth of video tape through our whole vacation. The parks have lockers at the rides that you get really wet on, that you can store your stuff if you need to.

They do??? I don't think so. I think the only lockers at the parks are near the entrance to each park. Maybe I am mistaken, but I've never seen/heard about lockers NEAR the rides.....................P