Digital camcorder - HELP!

Aaahhgg!

I've got a baby growing like a weed here, and my (once) trusty Sony 8mm camcorder just gave up the ghost. I've been out of the loop too long to make a quick, informed decision on which way to jump at this point. Does anybody have a good comparison site for digital 'corders? I so want a random acess machine (no tape) but I'm not willing to spend the money on the first gen ones. So I'd rather get a relatively cheap one now, and deal with the "ultimate" one later, as time and cash permit.

Do any of these things take stills directly onto Compact Flash cards? I have tons of memory in that configuration, and would love to be able to use it instead of Sony's Memory Stick, etc.

All help is appreciated!

In terms of brands, as far as I know the choice comes down to Sony, Panasonic, JVC or Canon. These are the major ones I think, but none of them use compact flash cards in their camcorders - with the exception of Sony I think they all use SD multimedia cards (the really tiny ones)

Not sure what the market is like in the US, but here you can get a 'basic' bottom of the range digital video camera for about US$700-800.

Graham

Yeah, that's about the range here too. Except I've seen a sub $500 JVC digital at Costco. I'm gonna check that one out.

And I've found the same thing as you regarding the memory configuration. Wouldn't it be great (for the consumer, I mean) if we had a frigging STANDARD on this stuff? I already have three different memory hogs that require different media. Grrr.

Thanks Graham.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:
Wouldn't it be great (for the consumer, I mean) if we had a frigging STANDARD on this stuff? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ahh, but we do have standards. Its just that there are a few more of them than would be convenient..

Unfortunately when I first got a digital camera, I went for what seemed to be the best to me - smart media, which is much more compact than compact flash. I stayed with it for my second digital camera, and MP3 player. But compact flash has become more common, and only a few manufacturers still use smart media.. Quite annoying.

Good luck in your quest. I just got a new digital video camera at the end of last year, on the prompting of my fiance (imagine my shock at having her suggest we get another piece of consumer electronics. Normally I have to try hard to justify all the gadgets I get myself..)
After much comparison and shopping around, we decided on a Canon. The US version is here. I quite like it. The only feature I would have liked in addition is the night shot capability which Sony ones have. But I don't really have much real need for it, so I'm not too concerned.

Graham

That's a nice looking rig. Do you favor the vertical layout? I'm still in a toss-up over the horizontal (traditional) layout vs the vertical. I like the 1.3 mpixel still capability too. I'll look into that one for sure.

If somebody would develop some adapters so that all media would work with every device, I'd be stylin'. I have several electronic units that don't have to be streamlined, so I could hang an adapter cord off of it, and plug in whatever memory I had. Man, would that be great. I seriously see no need for anything more compact than Compact Flash (for now, anyway) and like the extra durability of it. But regardless, I'd be happiest if there was just the ONE frigging standard!

- Darell

I wanted something as compact and light as possible. Canon have a smaller one, but the picture woulnd't have been as good. JVC have some really tiny ones that still use the standard mini-DV tapes.
I went for useability - ie, location of controls and ease of use. The Canon one 'fits' very well, and the controls are in fairly natural(if thats the right word) positions - no strained fingers or thumb when changing settings or zooming etc. I found that the Sony ones required much more concentration to locate and reach the controls.

Graham

Edit: One thing, don't expect too much from the still picture capability in the camera, using flash memory cards. When I was looking at these I found it helpful to keep in mind that these are mainly designed as a video camera first, and still camera second. I almost never use the still mode, I find it better to use a proper digital still camera rather than fiddling with the still mode on the video camera (which is lower quality anyway)

Graham

The site says something about 100 "lx" as the lowest light to operate in. I have no idea what the translates too. My camera is from the old school, and was rated at four LUX. Basically, it is TERRIBLE when used in doors. Even with the lights on. It is grainy and just terrible. I need to have something that will work well with indoor ambient light. I don't need it to work in the dark, but I need it to work well in low light, certainly.

Thanks for the great mini-review. Nothing like having somebody else do the leg-work for you!

Minimum light is 3lux in low light mode, according to specs. Recommended is 100lux.
I've used it indoors lots with no special lighting, and it works great.
The JVC ones have a pretty good low light mode which apparently go down to 1lux, but still give a decent colour picture.

Graham

The only thing I know about low light figures is that they measured them one way in the early days of camcorders, and they now measure them another way. No idea what it all means now for real-world situations. But if yours works well enough indoors, that good enough for me.

- Darell

Darell funny you should ask about this. My wife just asked me to get a digital vid camera last week so I have been scouring the net for info. dvspot.com has some good info, I think I am going to get the canon ZR40 ($525). It is really the bottom of the line dv cameras from canon, but I am told canon and sony have the best looking images. canon seems to be quite a bit cheaper then the cheapest Sony dv ($750). I did look long and hard a digital 8's, but they are so much larger then the dv format. 3 or 4 lux is pretty standard for minimums. I also am going to get the fire wire x-fer card, since my wife really wants it just to get movies to the computer. She really like our digital still camera, and wants something similar in vid. So I think I am ordering one later this week.

Hey, thanks for the info, Brock. See if the place you're ordering from will make a deal on two...

Let me know when you find the best price too, and that'll make up for all the flashlight purchases you've forced me into.

I'll go check it out now...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brock:
... My wife just asked me to get a digital vid camera ...
So I think I am ordering one later this week.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Brock always does what his wife tells him to do.

Maybe she'll *make* you buy some other toys as well Brock ??

lightlover

Really, the only thing I can find to NOT like about the cheaper Canons is that there is no real "still" mode. As far as I can tell, they just roll tape on a digitized still. I'd like at least a megapixel of still capability on some sort of fixed media.

Jahn, you're a bad boy.... get back behind the counter and keep those drinks coming!

Well since I have a 5 meg pix camera I don't need the stills part. I think the ZR45 and 50 both add the stills part, of course they save the images to some funny media, not CF, I think multimedia cards. I also am getting a firewire card, the Soundblaster Audigy. Then I also get 5.1 sound along with firewire.

Jahn, shhhhhhh

Well, I've got a 3.3 Mpixel camera as well, but there are times when I don't want to schlep both along, and having some sort of decent "snapshot" cabability is always a must.

Yup, I'll go firewire here too. Recordable DVD just needs to come down in price, and I'll be set.

Darell

Did you receive my email

TB -

Nope. Didn't see it. Others have had problems with my email lately too

Keep trying: [email protected], and it'll get here eventually I'm sure. You can PM me probably too...

What's up? Got a great deal for me I hope!

darell
it's 8:30, check again

Got it that time. Thanks!

OK, new poll: Where's your favorite place to buy comsumer tech goodies like a DV?

Bought yours yet Brock? I keep forgetting about this project until my daughter doesn something cute like sliding head-first down the cork-screw slide at the park, and ending up in a sand-encrusted heap at the bottom.