Looking for camcorder suggestions...

[pittsburghmarc]

definately HD, needs to be compatible with iMovie '08 and preferably flash memory. Any suggestions?

 

[disneymarie]

Okay, going crazy with the updated camcorder and date stamping,

Last weekend I used ds's for work and the date time showed on veiwer, but did not burn on the DVD????? I have to have it on the video displaying for work.

Did the same thing on Thursday, I had a short video of damage to document and can not get a date stamp on it.

Without it the video is useless. What is up with this?


I FOUND IT! SUBBING.....
There is a S-Video cable that broadcast? on a more detailed signal. When you use the S-video cord, I need to buy instead of the standard A/V, plug in the Red and White plug, then the S-Video. If I do not want sound then only plug in the S-video plug.
Under the Menu setting-
Show others-"Playback-Set" Data Code,
to the output settings; Under GENERAL- the DISP Output Settings-
"V-Out/Panel"
Hit the three buttons----1 ok-2 (an arrow reversed) and 3 x button

So I guess I can find one at Radio Shack.
Oh, when I opened my new camera Wednesday, it had been previously opened and everything was thrown in haphazardly....

Tonight, dh returned it, made sure it was a sealed box.....Got it home, and NO BATTERY!
I have no luck....

 

[disneymarie]

Well I am confused. The s video is the cable cord with pins in it, that would go in the computer, but I still need a converter from the camcorder to that cord...

I did more searching, there are some software programs to convert the AVI , WMP. MPG2 or 4, windows media, movie files from the camcorder, I need to check what this model is recording in. I do not think it was mpg2?

But, that still does not get the video out on the menu set up to output to V-out.....

I do have a Dazzle somewhere from about 10 years ago that has a USB on it, the s- input and RCA input.
RCA cord is not going to decode the time date....

I have been you tubing the Dazzle to see the set up, but nothing for converting files?
Except the online free version of software. Maybe I can play with that and see if it converts, the date/time display.

 

[gvillemama]

My son is going to start playing t-ball this May and my old Sony Handcam hi8 needs to be replaced. I actually have lost the charger and I think I ought to just get a new camcorder.

BUT...I am not sure what I want/need. I honestly don't know how much I will use a camcorder...definitely some while he plays ball, probably a little on vacation, and if we have another baby definetely some then. My husband says he thinks we will use it more outside than inside (?). Our budget is around $400...could go higher if we needed to though. I just don't know what type we need.

I was looking on Best Buy's website and there is a Sony Handycam with an 80 gb hard drive. The reviews weren't great however, so that confused me even more. Are hard drive ones better than flash memory ones?

Also, I'm not the most tech-savvy person around, so I really need something with a certain ease of use

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks a ton.

 

[Ashmanarion]

It's probably not what you're looking for, but I recently received a FlipHD that has 120 gb on it and I love the camcorder. It is extremely simple to use and looks great. It may be what you want, but I would recommend taking a look at one.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

My son is going to start playing t-ball this May and my old Sony Handcam hi8 needs to be replaced. I actually have lost the charger and I think I ought to just get a new camcorder.

BUT...I am not sure what I want/need. I honestly don't know how much I will use a camcorder...definitely some while he plays ball, probably a little on vacation, and if we have another baby definetely some then. My husband says he thinks we will use it more outside than inside (?). Our budget is around $400...could go higher if we needed to though. I just don't know what type we need.

I was looking on Best Buy's website and there is a Sony Handycam with an 80 gb hard drive. The reviews weren't great however, so that confused me even more. Are hard drive ones better than flash memory ones?

Also, I'm not the most tech-savvy person around, so I really need something with a certain ease of use

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks a ton.

If there is one regret I have it is that I didn't shoot enough video of my son when he was growing up. I had an 8mm and it broke and I never replaced it because money was tight at the time. We moved and the few videos I have of him were lost. So shoot as much as you can now while he lets you. Once he's a teenager, he won't want you in his face with a camera trust me! That's partly why I bought a DSLR so I shoot photos of him from afar!
Spend some time researching what camera you will get. It's worth it's weight in gold to get the best quality camcorder you can afford or wait a bit and save to get a better one. That way you will get the most bang for your buck and hopefully not have to drop another $500+++ in a few years for another one. If it were me, I would get a Canon HV40. It uses mini DV which is not dead yet, records in HD and best yet, you do not have to know how to edit AVCHD video to use it or have to buy an 8 core computer in order to be able to handle the video processing.

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-Vixia-HV40-Camcorder-Review-37194.htm

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I'm planning a big family trip for this summer and it will be my nephews' and my neice's first trip. Thinking of all of the experiences that I'd love to capture and watch again and again, I'm thinking that I should maybe look into a camcorder. Now I just checked out the camcorder sticky here but some of those threads are almost two years old and I know how quickly electronics become obsolete.

My particulars:
- I must admit to being pretty much electronics ignorant. I know how to aim, push a "start" button, and can eventually figure out how to watch was has already been recorded. Editing? Maybe my teen can teach me!

- Budget is pretty tight. I don't need all the bells and whistles (I wouldn't know how to use them anyway). Just looking for a decent picture & sound, easy-to-handle media, and easy to handle unit.

I'd really appreciate recommendations!

 

[diaman]

Hello,
I currently have a Mini-DV camcorder and was thinking about upgrading to High Def SD format camcorder for our trip. When I've edited mini-dv based home movies and transferred them to DVD for playback, the quality is never near the original and really blurry. We play them on a HDTV so I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

I am considering buying a Hi-Def SD format camcorder as I see places like Best Buy don't even sell the mini-dv camcorders anymore. Will a Hi-Def camcorder be that much clearer and better on DVD once we transfer it over? I just got a Canon digital camera. Just for kicks, I used the video mode which is suppose to record in 720p. I hooked it directly to the TV and the video just seems bad with so many blocks of pixels and jagged edges. Will a Hi-Def camcorder produce the same result? I would buy one to test it, but don't want to deal with the restocking fee. Any input or advice would be appreciated. TIA!

 

[DisneyDetective]

I've been looking at trading my standard def camcorder for a HD def version due to the SONY offer. i'm used to transfering/write my video files onto DVD-RWs, do you need 'special' discs and/or writers due to the HD format?

Thank You

 

[Experiment_626]

We are in the market for a new camcorder. Budget of around $700 is pretty firm, maybe with a just a little leeway to go higher, but I'd say no more than $800, even if a $900 model will sing us to sleep while it mows the lawn and trains the dog. It has to be full HD, although I'm not sure that 1080-60p is all that important over 1080-30p or whatever.

What is important to me are things like overall picture quality, low-light performance, battery life and memory capacity. I'm not sure whether I want one with a hard drive or just flash memory.

Here are the three I'm currently looking at as top contenders --

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-HF-M30-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275451929&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-HDC...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275452015&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HDR-XR35...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275452064&sr=1-1

Recommendations? Opinions? Questions or issues I perhaps haven't considered? Really good comparable models I might have missed? I did check the sticky at the top of the page, but the recommendations there are two years out-of-date ...

 

[islandtimect]

Need to buy a camcorder by Friday. The most important features for me are very good video in low light and optical zoom of at least 35 optical zoom. Got conflicting reviews from 2 different websites on JVC Everio GZ-MG670. One said great in low light, the other said poor. Help, we leave for vacation in a few days! Want to pay $300-$500.

 

[Broncobilly83]

OK, for our upcoming honeymoon, we would like to take a nice, small camcorder with us to WDW to film all the neat parades, shows, etc.

I would prefer not to spend an arm and a leg as the trip already cost that, LOL, and I would like to be able to swap out memory cards so I am able to have enough time since we will not be near a PC to upload until we get home.

Everyone I know is raving about that Flip, but it has a built in memory with only 2 hours and no ability to add a card for more time, as least from what I have read. Any thoughts?

 

[rtphokie]

OK, for our upcoming honeymoon, we would like to take a nice, small camcorder with us to WDW to film all the neat parades, shows, etc.

I would prefer not to spend an arm and a leg as the trip already cost that, LOL, and I would like to be able to swap out memory cards so I am able to have enough time since we will not be near a PC to upload until we get home.

Everyone I know is raving about that Flip, but it has a built in memory with only 2 hours and no ability to add a card for more time, as least from what I have read. Any thoughts?

I've got a Flip and love it. It stays in my camera bag and I find myself using Video instead of just still photos more and more because of it. Its super easy to use and the quality is very good. The capacity doesn't bother me too much because at this point I've got a laptop with me on vacation anyway. I used to avoid that but find that I want to go ahead and download my photos and videos and organize them in the hotel room that night anyway.

I just finished shooting a video at work for internal use using my Flip and the quality came out great, I'm especially impressed with the audio quality. Not all small camcorders have decent microphones or produce noticeable stereo imaging.

The downside beyond the limited recording time is it's size actually. It can be a bit difficult to hold still compared to a larger, heaver camera. Finding something solid to lean against usually solves this for me. Also a small collapsible mono-pod is a nice thing to have to get steadier videos.

I shot this mostly on a tripod and edited a bit to include multiple shots and some stills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSifhD7LbRQ&feature=channel (Port Canaveral, FL)

This was completely handheld, raw straight from the camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNO5K-nhuZg (Disney Studios "backlot" tour)



Disclaimer, I work for the parent company of Flip but have nothing to do with Flip beyond that.

 

[DawnM]

You might look at the Kodak Playsport. It is very similar to the FLip in size, but allows memory cards and has a larger viewfinder screen.

http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-PlaySpo...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1278017390&sr=8-1

And it is waterproof.


I have just ordered one for my son and it should arrive later this week.

Dawn

 

[jsmjovi]

We have a FLIP and we love it! It is so easy to use.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

I have a Kodak Playsport & really like it.
Was $129. on sale at Sears.
I love the little size & I was shocked at how good the videos are.
I even took some from the airplane & was impressed.
I wanted little & handy as I want it for trips & to take grandkiddos photos & it is awesome for that.
Those big ones stay in the closet but I can put this one in my pocket & I used it both at Phoenix & then when we went to Yellowstone & Mt. Rushmore. And they turned out good.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I have a Flip MinoHD, a Kodak Zi8 (the NON-waterproof version of the PlaySport), and a PlaySport in the "small camcorder" arena. I have owned each one of these since the day each one was released (literally). Let me give you my take for what it's worth.

Bottom line. You can't beat the Playsport for overall vacation flexibility. You can't beat the Zi8 for features and versatility. If you want a microphone input for an external mic, the Zi8 is the only real viable thing out there, IMHO, and I've owned most of them at some point in time. The Zi8 is also on sale at Kodak.com right now for only $130.

I kept the MinoHD simply because it was my first "mini" and I like the size of it. It was a great little camcorder "in its day" but its day has long since past. It can't hold a candle to the Kodaks. Sorry. I still stick it in my pocket for something small sometimes at Disney but I rarely even keep it charged anymore for day-to-day use.

The Playsport takes 5meg stills (16:9, albeit) too. I think my Zi8 does too but it's charging right now and I really don't remember.

Both Kodaks shoot standard def too (640x480), if that interests you, and fit a LOT more on a card that way. The Mino HDs don't even do that and neither does most of the like competition. 720 only on those guys (C'mon Cisco! Get in the game).

PlaySport. Waterproof to 10 feet. Largely dustproot though not "guaranteed" for the same. Just over 2 hours at 720p(30) on an 8G card and mine runs just over an hour on a full charge. Fits NICELY in a pocket. $149 at your local larger BBs or Targets(SPIT!). Could go on sale any day now. I've been expecting it anytime. I see someone found one on sale at Sears above for $129. Missed that but I expect we'll be seeing this more often now since it's a few months old now and the early adopters have theirs now.

http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/PLAYSPORT_Video_Camera/productID.169976100

Editing with these pocket cams and burning DVD's/HD DVD's presents a whole new set of challenges. If you're interested in doing a lot of post-editing, you'll need 3rd party software and a strong PC. If you want me to get into all that, I can, but I will refrain unless you really want to know. For posting to YouTube and FB, the software is included with all the above cameras.

Edit: Can't believe I forgot this because this is HUGE. These cameras shake in your hands no matter how "good" you are and therefore your video is "SHAKEY". BAD! The Kodaks have electronic image stabilization. It's not the greatest in the world but is SURE beats nothing. The Minos have NO image stabilization and you can tell in your videos. Unless you will always lug around a tripod or a monopod, yet another reason to go for the Kodak.

 

[Shutterbug]

I also have the Zi8 and do enjoy it for what it is, a small, light, low price HD digital camcorder that I can fit in my camera bag along with my DSLR.
Dont get one of these small pocket camcorders and expect awesome results or good sharp quality when "zoomed" If you approach this as "I want something small and light that will let me take some nice vids", I think you will be pleased.

The one thing that the Kodaks have going for them is the 60 Frame Per Second option which definitely helps in capturing fast motion.

The Zi8 also offers a Macro mode, the Playsport does not have this option.

Go to you Youtube and search "Zi8 at autocross test" I posted a small test I did using the 720/60.

As far as editing if you have a Mac, Imovie has no problem editing the movies and saving them in different sizes for emailing or posting online.

As I mentioned, the zoom quality is not that great and thats because its digital as opposed to optical. The quality degrades as you zoom in.
I almost never zoom in in order to keep the quality.

As the PP mentioned video can be shaky. To overcome this I use both hands to hold it with my elbows against my body to stabilize it. It helps alot.
There is electronic stabilization but it drains the battery quickly. I try not to use it.
Its still a good idea to have a second battery charged to use as a standby just in case.

I know I am sounding critical of the camera but overall I really like it.
The Zi8 was on sale at Best Buy for $129 this week I believe and for $129 its a great camera. Just dont expect $799 results out of it and you will be happy

 

[topdog]

I guess I am a little behind on camcorder technology. Does any one know where I can still get film for it??

 

[csummerlin55]

I need suggestions. I want a camcorder that would mainly be used for WDW. I want something that has good low-light quality for shows like Festival of the Lion King or Little Mermaid as well as night parades and Christmas festivites. I also want to have something that has a decent zoom since we never know how close we will be to what we are taping. I don't care that it's not as convenient as a flip but want to stay around $300 or less. I'm thinking internal memory is good??

Thanks for the help!!