camera vs. camcorder

[happy2bme34]

We are going to WDW for the first time in July and I want to bring both camera and camcorder but I don't want to keep up with both. Any sugestions? I was thinking about only bringing one but which one? Thanks!!!

 

[sequoia]

that question seems to get asked a lot and i don't know that there is really an easy answer. personally, if you have kids i think you should take both. easy for me to say, i have no kids! but seriously, the reason i say that is because i love to watch old home videos, esp now that i'm at the ripe old age of 30 and my family is scattered all over the place. to watch a video of me at 8 cracks me up!

of course, some digital camcorders have the ability to take still shots. i know nothing about that, but if that's the case with yours maybe that's all you need.

if you don't have kids, then we are in similiar shoes. i've been trying to figure out the same question, and am leaning towards just taking my trusty digital camera. recently, after watching someone else's home movie, i vowed never to make anyone watch MY home movies again! that would be reason #1 for not taking the camcorder. #2- what a headache to carry both around, plus all the necesary attachments (batteries & charger). Reason #3? Creating digital photo slideshows as a VCD is a great alternative to long home movies.

but all that's just my opinion. good luck and have fun!

 

[mochabean]

On past trips I have always just taken my camera and been quite happy. However this past Dec we took our 6-month-old DD and I took a video camera also. Boy am I glad I did! She loved the characters and capturing all her interactions with them on video is priceless. The still shots I took of her with the characters just don't compare.

With the small size of digital cameras and MiniDV camcorders, I was able to fit both into a standard camera case. So that is something to consider.

Typically the still pictures taken by digital camcorders are not very good and will not produce prints that even come close to what you can get out of a $100 digital camera. Most camcorders take still shots at less than 1 megapixel, some newer ones can do 1 megapixel. Even cheap digital cameras are at least 3 megapixels nowadays.

 

[Coach Rick]

I have video's from the last 12 years of visits to WDW, and am I glad I do. I also have a ton of still pics from the same time frame. They are special in their own way. Recently I bought a new Panasonic DV palmcorder. The video from this unit is amazing. The colors, and sound is just incredible, and it was small enough to put in a waste pack case, and with battery only weighs in at 1 lb. To boot it does shoot pretty good stills on a memory card at 2.3 megapixels. Not quite the quality I get from my Sony digital camera, but still pretty good for quick pics. My 14 yo DS was in charge of my digital camera this past trip, and he did an excellent job of capturing lots of good pics for me, and it really gave him a sense of what is important on vacations. He did such a great job in fact, we bought him his own digital for Christmas.

With Digital Video, it is really easy to plug into a computer to edit. I recently finished editing the 9 hours of video I shot in August, and put 2 hours on a DVD, and gave it to mom and dad, along with my sister, all of whom came with us, and they loved it. My dad shared it with a coworker, who just likes family value, and he asked for a copy. I included allot of unbelievable shows also.

The short of it, don't short change yourself, take both. You'll never get another first trip to the shrine we call Walt Disney World.

 

[happy2bme34]

Thank yall sooo much I think I will be taking both. That is a great idea, I think I might let my 14 DD be in charge of the digital camera. I have enough time before our trip in July to teach her to use it. Thanks again!!!

 

[smoochie]

I dread taking both, but when we return my two DDS watch the video over and over again. I guess I dont have a choice

 

[luvtinkerbell]

hi yes you do need to take both its nice looking back over the camcorder footage but you cant beat some stills hope this helps

 

[Weluvdisny]

Our first trip I took both video camera and 35mm. I loved them both and wouldn't be able to give up either one.

It works out great if you have someone to help you! My DH shot the video on the second trip and it was great. I was able to concentrate on just one thing w/o having to decide if I should tape something or snap a pic.

 

[daisylove]

I do not know if you would be interested in this but my DH gave me an Aiptek V 3100 camera. It took 3 mega pixel pictures and digital video. Here is the link to the newest one called Pocket DV5300 . it is a 5mega pixil and also does video. http://www.aiptek.com/
My 3100 was amazing. We justtook it in december and it takes great picturesand video. The 3100 does not have a light but the 4100 and 5300 seems to. It is tinyand I put in a 512 mb copact flas so I had something like 4 hours of video and 800 picture potential. I loved it. I will probably be moving up to the 5300 by our summer trip but you may want to try it out. They seel them at Target near us if you would want tolook at it. Good luck!

 

[Amirah95]

When we have a fireworks show (like Fantasy in the Sky) or a show (like Fantasmic) we know we are going to see and can video tape then we take the camcorder along. We usually have to lug it around (it's small, not a problem) because we don't leave the parks once we get there. Good luck with which ever decision you make!

 

[mochabean]

That Aiptek combo device is more like a still camera that can shoot video, although you should get good stills the video will be less than VHS quality. If you are thinking about making DVDs when you get home, I think the video quality of it would be sub-par. But for someone who wants a still camera and occasionally shoots video, it sounds good!

 

[daisylove]

Actually the aiptek does shoot vhs quality. Check out the web site above. i can attest that the quality is amazing. I was doubtful at first too but even Wishes came out great.

 

[dpuck1998]

If you MUST only take one I would take the still. However, I always bring both. We use the still the most, but the few videos we take really are priceless.

 

[turnerx5]

If you have a digital camera, buy a bigger memory card and do both. Most digital cameras from the past 3 years will take decent movies as well as still photos. Are the movies as good as a Camcorder? For most, no, but some recent digital cameras take high resolution movies which certainly rival or exceed the quality of analog 8 mm tapes. A good example is the Canon S1. It takes remarkably nice movies. You just need a big (512mb or 1 gb) card to hold them.

Hope this helps, Tx5

 

[Coach Rick]

If you have a digital camera, buy a bigger memory card and do both. Most digital cameras from the past 3 years will take decent movies as well as still photos. Are the movies as good as a Camcorder? For most, no, but some recent digital cameras take high resolution movies which certainly rival or exceed the quality of analog 8 mm tapes. A good example is the Canon S1. It takes remarkably nice movies. You just need a big (512mb or 1 gb) card to hold them.

Hope this helps, Tx5

I don't mean to turn this into a debate, but when I did my video editing from my past trip, it took 95 gig to store 8 hours of video. Of course that is digital quality, with incredible color of the 3CCD chips. I am sure the quality of those digi cams is ok, but if you plan on producing DVD's to share with family you won't be very happy with the results. 1 GB will net you about 20 minutes of "low" resolution video. My digital camera puts the pics on a CD, and is a very high end digital, but the video quality on the "MP4" format leaves a bit to be desired. (IMO) Bottom line, when I bought my new digital video camera I bought one with a memory card for low res stills (2.3 MP). I did this knowing the video was the most important reason for buying the video camera, and what ever I get out of the stills is just a bonus. If you use this method of thinking and decide which is more important to you then you can't go wrong. Of course the OP was asking if they should take both camera's, not buy something new. Again, I am not trying to debate, just shed some light on a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

 

[SaraMc]

I once took my SLR 35MM camera and my old camcorder. I dont have kids and it was a pain. Both of them were really big and Heavy. This time we are just bringing our Digital Camera. The problem with the Camcorder I found is yes you can get lots of great things that still shots may not capture but you may also get things you really dont want. Right in the middle of the MK 3pm parade All you can hear is this child getting yelled at by her parent because she didnt want to watch the parade.

I was worried about filling my media card with photo's but I checked with the Camera shop in the Magic Kingdom and you can get your media cards burned onto a CD at all 4 theme parks. Of course I wonder if it really is possible for me to take 1000 shots of one park before getting a CD burned.


Hope my 2 cents helped

 

[turnerx5]

Coach:

You've made some very good points. That said, many people do not want to lug around a camcorder in WDW (unless it's one of the new models which aren't much bigger than an SLR). My suggestion is for those who want to travel light, but want to catch 3 or 4 special moments as live footage. The newer digital cameras have movie resolutions which look fine on standard definition TV sets - I've turned several high resolution digicam movies into 30 second clips on a home made DVD, and they look just fine.

If you want to take lots of footage, you are absolutely right, you need a camcorder.

Tx5

 

[Coach Rick]

Coach:

many people do not want to lug around a camcorder in WDW (unless it's one of the new models which aren't much bigger than an SLR). My suggestion is for those who want to travel light, but want to catch 3 or 4 special moments as live footage. The newer digital cameras have movie resolutions which look fine on standard definition TV sets - I've turned several high resolution digicam movies into 30 second clips on a home made DVD, and they look just fine.

If you want to take lots of footage, you are absolutely right, you need a camcorder.

Tx5

Point taken. Yes, that's exaclty what I did. My DV camcorder is smaller than my digital camera, and fits nicely into a waste pack at just about 1 pound. Of course convience, and quality comes at a price, and not everyone is serious like me about their video. Sure is nice when the temp outside our home is in the single digits to kick back, and put our August trip on the TV, and laugh, and enjoy all over again.