Help - Video Camera Recommendation

[Greg B]

Hi folks

A friend of mine is after a video camera for a forthcoming overseas trip.

Her budget is around $1,000 and she wants to record to DVD.

Any suggestions thoughts ideas?

Thnaks in anticipation

[Glen]

Ted's sell a D70 with video mode

[Greg B]

Ted's sell a D70 with video mode

I should have thought of that, thanks Glen!!!

[Hudo]

Hi Greg,

Avoid video camera's that shoot to DVD (disc). Why? Short storage (time) space and editing is a nightmare. If she plans not to edit just play back on a DVD player a record of her travels then fair enough. If she plans to travel with a laptop with reasonable HHD storage space then many camera's with built in hard drives are today are emerging. Otherwise stick with the Mini DV format and either a Canon, Sony or Panasonic camera. Personally I use and recommend Panasonic. A 3CCD camera would be nice if it fits the budget and one with a 12~16 optical zoom. Don't get sucked into digital zoom x 400 stuff, you'll never use it.

Again if she wants good footage to edit at a later stage try and also get a good mic to sit in the hot shoe of the camera. Most inbuilt camera mic are CRAP II! Recently we put a Rode on camera shot gun mic ($199.00) to the test on a documentary project as opposed to our Sennhieser ME66 shot Gun ($1100.00) and it worked great.

Good Shopping.....

Mark

[Aussie Dave]

Hi Greg,
I agree with Hudo.
I have a Canon miniDV camera (a couple of years old now) and it mates fantastically to the PC for editing and burning to DVD.

If one was so inclined, you could also purchase something like the Panasonic DMR-EH55 DVR, which has an inbuilt HDD and DVD burner (mainly used for recording TV shows), but also has a DV input. You simply plug your camera into the unit, play the tape through the camera & record the footage onto the HDD, then burn it to DVD. Very simple....and possible without the use of a PC.

If going via PC, it's worthwhile looking out for a camera with a Firewire output, not just a DV output, as Firewire is a faster transfer.

[Hudo]

Another piece of worthy advise is do not no matter how good a deal buy a video camera that has USB connection only. Only transfer to PC via the iLink (Sony Speak), Firewire IEEE1394 and or DV link port (all the same). I listen to two US Pod and video pod casts being Video Maker and the DV show. They do a lot of consumer and prosumerc amera reviews and a consitent message is steer clear of USB ports. Just too slow.

I have not been in the $1000 camera market for some time so I have no recommendations. I have trialed the low end JVC HD camera's and I was not impressed with the quality. Have spare $10K and the new HD camera's have spunk but unless you editing equipment supports HD and you have HD monitors then you'll find a 3CDD camera will serve you very well.

Mark

[Mal]

I agree with most of what has been said.
My recommendation is that she get
1) Mini DV
2) Make sure the camera has an audio input as well as head set jack
3) Firewire / 1394 output.

[Greg B]

Thank you all.

I have talked her out of DVD, she is looking at a $600 ish sony DV with IEEE1394...

http://www.camerastore.com.au/Sony+Hand ... etails.htm

for those who are interested .

Thanks again

[gstark]

Not a Sony!

She'll be sorry ....

[Geoff]

Gary,
I'm far from a Sony advocate but I thought they made decent video cams etc. I thought that's what a lot of the broadcasting companies used when 'on location'?

[gstark]

Geoff,

Their commercial struff is a far cry from their consumer stuff.

The more I see how lousy their consumer grade gear is, the more determined I am to make my household a Sony-Free zone. I think our less than 2-years-lod cellphones will be the last ever piece of trheir shit that I will buy. I cannot even recharge my phone anymore, because the gold contacts on the base have worn too thin to make a reliable contact.

Their conformance with bluetooth standards is more like a couple of tin cans joined by string ...

[Mal]

Gary,
I'm far from a Sony advocate but I thought they made decent video cams etc. I thought that's what a lot of the broadcasting companies used when 'on location'?

Geoff, most of the gear that we use at "Aunty" is Sony (with Canon lens)
The pro gear is awesome, rugged, reliable and produces fantasitic results. My personal experience is that this does not cross over to the domestic gear. I have had two Sony domestic cameras, both are now kids toys!
Looking into the kids toybox they have some expensive toys! Around $8K of video equipment and $6K of laptop computers!

[hart]

Gary,
I'm far from a Sony advocate but I thought they made decent video cams etc.

I had no complaints of my Sony DCR-HC30e - sold it recently on ebay, as new basically (only used it to film 5 or 6 events/holidays/etc - then got bored).

Cheers

Leigh

[rookie2]

once again this forum comes to the rescue!

We need a new family friendly camcorder for our trip OS in April - our trusty old VHSC Panasonic has died recently after years of loyal service

It seems like most people here are in the miniDV camp rather than the DVD or HDD...correct?

I'm leaning towards the panasonic NV GS 300 (around $1K) but am aware a couple of new models are due out at start of March so that allows more time to research and procrastinate...and maybe even further price drops??

naturally my Panasonic DVDR is one model below the one with firewire (NOW I know what he was talking about!!) - ditto my PC, so it looks like putting up with the USB 2.0 connection til I upgrade the PC mid year.

I found some useful comparison info at http://www.cnet.com.au/camcorders/camcorders/0,239035915,240061716,00.htm

great info all..thanks

rookie2

[Greg B]

Gary, I know your well held views on Sony stuff.

And I certainly have some major issues with Sony's attitude towards their consumers and the public at large.

Having said that, I have a Sony video cam which works a treat, a couple of excellent large Sony TVs, 2 Sony VCRs, Sony DVD players, several small Sony radios and some other crap, and I would have to say that all of those items have worked flawlessly. One smaller 12" sony tv has been working now since 1985.

(Edit - I just remembered - both of the vcr remotes failed. I did buy another sony remote for $2 from a bin at JB, and it has functioned perfectly, but those first two were crap)

[gstark]

Greg,

How many of your Sony items have been acquired within the last six or so years?

I can honestly say that I have seen a major degradation in their quality within that timeframe: I too have a Sony VCR and some other, older, Sony gear that is quite good, but their current build quality is worse than simply appalling, and their attitude towards their customers, and their pricing regime, leaves more than just a lot to be desired. Bottom line, no consumer appliance should be rendered unusable due to poor build quality or componentry just 18 or so months after purchase, yet that is exactly the case with the last four of my Sony acquisitions, one of which was a $2000 plus laptop!

[jberth1]

I have a Sony Digital video recorder from about 6 years ago and it's still going strong - about the only Sony thing I've ever owned which has continued to work for any period of time.

I've had 3 Sony CD players which have all died of their own accord for various reasons just outside the warranty period. Friends have had Sony DVD players die, and a mate who had one of the early Sony BIG screen Plasma screens (it cost him $11,000) also had it die on him just outside the 12 month warranty. A repair quote of $8000 has put him off Sony for life (although Sony did come to the party with a reduced price replacement unit). Hmmmm, the more I think...another mate had a big screen CRT Sony unit fail, and was quoted several thousand to replace the main board...Sony seemed to get around their reliability issues by combining with Ericsson for their phones at least...

Panasonic video cameras get great reviews from the Australian Consumers Association in the $1000 category - any cheap video camera will still just be a cheap video camera....

Cheers

Justin

[gstark]

Justin,

Sony seemed to get around their reliability issues by combining with Ericsson for their phones at least...

Not quite.

In the late 90's, while living in Dallas, I had a Sony cellphone, and it was great. Probably the best one I've owned - good clear reception, worked well as a phone ... better perhaps than even some of the early Motorolas that I've had.

Since returning to Oz, we've had Ericssons, which were ok, and the most recent ones we've had are Sony Ericsson, and they are absolutely the worst ever. The word "trash" does not do them justice, they are so bad.

[Hudo]

Hi, The Panasonic NV GS 300 is a great camera. I have not personally used it but speaking with owners of this camera they are very happy with it.

In the video part of our business we use 4 Panasonic video camera's. One is a basic single CCD camera used as the primary tape deck on the editing suite and 3 in field camera's. These are hot your $100K camera's they are prosumer however and they have served us well over the past 5 years. For me batteries are all interchangable and 3rd party batteries are available where for Sony they are not as Sony implant a coded chip into the battery.

Not a Sony basher as the editing suites amp, mini disk, CD and tape deck is all Sony components and again served us well.

Mark

[rookie2]

Thanks Hudo

I am borrowing a NV GS 500 for a few days to check out its handling, images, ease of use for editing etc. From what I've read, the 300 model is only lacking a few small things compared to the 500 that shouldnt be of much concern to us. the $$ dollars saved buying a 300 will be well used on extra battery, tapes etc.


Do you recommend any particular third party batteries of the long life variety?

all going well I should have a GS 300 sometime in March. BTW I too own some Sony gear that has served me well over the years but most of the camcorder reviews keep coming up with the Panasonics as best buys for my needs.



cheers

R2

[Hudo]

Hi R2,

Looking at the third party batts we have they are of the Digitor brand, made in Japan. They seem to have worked well over the years. Our smallest 3CCD cam is the 350A which was replaced by the MX500. It's a little larger and was slightly better spec'd. The down side is a bottom load tape cassette which is bad when on a tripod. However in the early days before the other 2 larger cams we know have I fitted a external HD recorder, 2 x XLR inputs via a bolt to the bottom of the cam device for ext. wireless mics and a L shape cam bracket to help give the additional hot shoe mount as well as stability for hand holding. A nice little camera.

Mark

[Greg B]

Greg,

How many of your Sony items have been acquired within the last six or so years?

I can honestly say that I have seen a major degradation in their quality within that timeframe: I too have a Sony VCR and some other, older, Sony gear that is quite good, but their current build quality is worse than simply appalling, and their attitude towards their customers, and their pricing regime, leaves more than just a lot to be desired. Bottom line, no consumer appliance should be rendered unusable due to poor build quality or componentry just 18 or so months after purchase, yet that is exactly the case with the last four of my Sony acquisitions, one of which was a $2000 plus laptop!

Our very large widescreen CRT TV is only a couple of years old, so I really hope you are wrong about that. I don't think they are made any more, or tyhey won't be for long. I weighs an incredible amount, so is at least junkie proof.

Other items vary, but there are several purchased in the last five years.

Time will tell.