Camcorder help

[jockey]

Hi guys I have posted this on the photography board too!

I am in the market for a new camcorder but just dont know what to buy! I have looked at the HDR-SR1 AVC HD 30GB Handycam by Sony but do I really need High definition? Sony seem to be the only company producing a High Definition HDD model.


Should I just go with a HDD type only? At the moment I am using a JVC mini DV, will I notice a difference in quality with a HDD? TIA

 

[wickesy]

I use a JVC GZ-MG36EK HDD camcorder. I wouldn't say I have necessarily noticed a difference in quality from my old Mini DV camcorder but it is certainly nice not to have to worry about carrying tapes or DVDs around.

All I need to take is my camcorder and I have got 10 hours recording time available at fine quality or 7 hours at top quality. I can't see me taking that much footage in two weeks so there are no worries about the fact that I have nowhere to transfer the recordings onto while I am away.

The problem with going with High Definition is that if you want to transfer the recordings onto DVD you will need a High Def capable DVD player to play them back on or you will be losing the quality anyway.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I have tyhe Sony HC-HDR1 camera, have had it now for three years. Before that I had a Sony TRV900E Mini DV camera.

I can confirm that played through the right equipment the picture quality in HD is far superior to the SD picture. The quality of the SD picture is also better than the TRV900 E (but that could be down to the age of the 900E)

The HD cameras can either tape in HD or Sd onto the same mini Dv tape. If you tape in HD then you can at the moment convert down to SD for DVD burning but you have a pristeen copy for when you eventually have a 1080i HD or Blu ray recorder or for watching direct through your HD ready Plasma or LCD

 

[Tron[ADS]]

If you can afford it, you might as well go HD now I guess, although I would look at how much recording time you can get on 30Gb. Compressed HD should be around 2Gb for an hour at 720P, so if it works out much lower, it will mean unacceptable compression ratios, and if so, you might as well fall back to MiniDV, which , although lower resolution, is uncompressed.
Whatever you do though, don't be tempted by Mini DVD camcorders as the compression ratio is quite high on them, and the quality is way short of the uncompressed MiniDV you can get for around the same price.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I agree Tron,
Mini DV is the best format for recording onto. My sony records onto this format in either SD or HD 1080i quality (I only now record HD on the tapes as I reduce the quality by using Sony Vegas 7 to make a normal DVD copy for friends/Families use) whilst keeping best quality when Blu ray recorders come down in price

 

[jockey]

Thanks for all the info guys, I will now look at mini DV models with HD. I am sure I will be back soon with more questions!