This question comes up quite a bit on this board about camcorders and what to buy especially on a budget..
Lots of different opinions and I have answered a few on the same question here..but
Budget is one thing, and yes we all have to stick to one, but in camcorders you really do get what you pay ( up to a point) in the consumer or prosumer lines. If the professional lines of video then everything changes..
The price ranges in the US and Canada are so different (who knows why) that any recommedation for price is difficult so I will for features instead..
Tape vrs MiniDVD vrs HDD vrs solid state..this one all depends on how much you can shell out in money at first...with tape,miniDVD and solid state ones you are always reaching into your pocket for media..yes the media is in some cases reusable, but really - how many of us actually edit the stuff...with a HDD no more media to buy, but you have to edit out or you wil quickly fill up the drive. Tape and miniDVD being the older format ( in some cases going out - but not in professional) are certaily cheaper for renewables. Solid State ones that use CF cards etc depend on the cost of the cards, are also cheaper to buy initially because of no moving parts inside..HDD the most expensive because the 2.5 inch HDD inside are ridiculously expensive for no real good reason.
SD vrs HD ( standard def vrs HIgh def) well, SD is again last years tech, whereas HD is the shiny new penny...however with that shiny new penny comes increased demands in computer horsepower just to edit the silly stuff...most core2 or quad core procs with at least 2 G or memory and decent size HD ( sata preferably) should be able to handle the HD media..but is that in your budget as well??? and don;t even go down the bluray path...
features cut out to save money..this is one that personally is a stone in my shoe....more and more camcoders are dumping eye level viewfinders for the stupid LCD screens...LCD screens suck power like crazy ( ie buy two batteries..more profit) and you can't see squat in high light..sure for low and high level shots they are great..but really..most of the new solid state camcorders no longer have eye level viewfinders..
No manual focus or it is hidden or you can't assign the macro to a external knob..another bright move from the camcorder companies...autofocus works okay with still images, but with moving images, the camcorder constantly hunts for focus (especially at night)..that is what all professional camcorders ALWAYS have manual focus rings..to get one I could assign to an external adjustment knob I had to buy a high end Sony..grrrr....
Read as many reviews as possible - and get the most camcorder you can for you budget..if you have to go a bit more to get a necessary feature - then do it...
