mini DV camcorder help needed

[TheGoofster]

OK, let me start by saying that I love photography, especially SLR cameras, and I am very familiar with most aspects of that format.
Let me also say that the last experience I have had with camcorders is when I used to sell VHS, VHS-C, and 8MM camcorders about 10 years ago.
So, now I am interested in looking into a newer type of camcorder, and from what I hear everybody talking about, the mini DV seems like a very good option (if you believe there is a better option, please feel free to share that as well) The problem is that I know next to nothing about them. I went over to Amazon to look at prices and they range from 140.00 to 300.00 (not counting the really expensive ones). So I guess my question is, what is the difference between them. What features should I consider important when trying to choose one. I've been out of the tech. retail field long enough so that I don't know if one brand is worth the extra money over another.
Price is an issue, so obviously I would want to save as much as possible, but not if the product just isn't that good (in that case I would be willing to pay a little bit more). Also, I really don't know just how much I will actually be using it. I have never owned a camcorder, simply because the size made it very inconvienant to lug around, but as I can see these new ones are quite a bit smaller. So let's assume that I will be using it like the average person (not all the time, but for special events and vacations.)
Also, if you could, a word about transfering the video, connecting to a DVD player, connecting to my PC, etc...
Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Some things to consider when comparing camcorders include optical zoom range (does it go wide enough and does it zoom in enough), quality of the lens, size, comfort in your hand, low light performance, sensor size/number/quality, microphone quality, and battery life. There are probably others that I'm forgetting.

Some things that I would ignore (although others may have different opinions) are still photo capability and in camera video effects.



Mini DV has several positive aspects. The recording media (mini-dv tapes) is a relatively good archival media. The recording format (DV) is reasonably good for editing.



With a mini-DV camcorder, you'll want to hook it up to your computer via a Firewire connector. Obviously, you'll need to have a Firewire port on your PC and you might have to buy the cable as some camcorders don't come with them. You'll need video editing software, but there are plenty of reasonably good packages for well under $100.



I think that it is important to edit your video before burning it onto a DVD and sharing it. No one is good enough to continuously shoot good video. I recommend that you edit the video to keep just the interesting parts, do a voice-over narration as part of your editing process, and even consider adding a musical background track. It's all pretty easy with modern computers and video editors and it makes your videos so much more enjoyable.



When you shoot video, don’t zoom in or out while shooting. OK, occasionally this is warranted, but almost everyone way over does this. Next time you watch a TV show or movie, see how often the pros zoom. Shoot on a tripod when you can. Let the action move around the screen rather than chasing the action with your video camera. Make all of your shots last for at least 10 seconds and try to get a little footage before and after the action to make your editing easier.

 

[TheGoofster]

OK, let me see if I've got this right. If I decided to go with a mini DV camcorder, in order to be able to make my own DVD's I would need:

1) A firewire connection on my computer (I'm not sure, but I think I have it)
2) A firewire cable to connect the camcorder to the computer (which might or might not come with the camcorder depending on which one you buy)
3) Software to edit the video after transfering it. (which I assume doesn't come with the camcorder, or at least not very good software)
4) A DVD Burner to burn the DVD after I'm done editing it (which I also don't have - I have a DVD player, not burner)

But the advantages of a Mini DV over a DVD camcorder are (I believe):
1) better quality recording
2) more and better editing options
3) longer tape lenghts (up to 1 hour as opposed to 20 minutes)

Whereas the main advantage of a DVD camcorder is the ability to finish recording the video, finalize it on your camcorder (which takes about 20 minutes) and then take it out and play it on many (supposedly) stand alone DVD players and computers.

OK, now what am I missing? What else do I need to know when comparing the two. I know there are many features to take into consideration, but I believe these are features that can be found on both mini DV's and DVD camcorders.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

1) better quality recording

Your summary is basically correct. Mini-DV is better quality than DVD (MPEG2), although the optics of the video camera and the sensor are probably more important. It's sort of like saying that RAW is better than JPG. I'd rather shoot JPG on a Canon 5D than RAW on an old Canon D60.

2) more and better editing options

Many editors will work with both, but DVD (MPEG2) is much harder to work with. It is more highly compressed and the compression spans across multiple frames. Because of that, the computer has a lot more work to do. It does, however, take up much less space on your computer while you are editing.

If you think that you are the sort of person that will never bother to edit at all, it's hard to beat the convenience of shooting in your final presentation format. I have to stress, though, that asking anyone other than yourself to watch unedited video is just plain cruel. Steven Spielberg probably can't shoot an hour of camcorder footage without needing to do a lot of cutting.

One other important difference is that the DVD's that you record on will degrade much sooner than the mini-DV tapes. So the tapes are better for archiving.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

One other thing to consider is high-def. If you've started watching HD broadcasts on a relatively large screen, it gets really hard to watch standard def. Getting a standard def video camera now is buying into a dying format.

Unfortunately, HD camcorders are hideously expensive (starting around $1,000 for something decent). Editing the footage is extremely computer intensive. There are two competing recording formats. There isn't a convenient way to distribute the footage to family and friends.

I think you're doing the right thing by buying a relatively inexpensive SD camcorder, just do it knowing that you'll probably want to replace it with an HD camcorder in a few years. This isn't the time to buy a top end camcorder that you plan to use for the next decade.