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I know it's a relatively new piece of consumer hardware, but maybe someone out there has one, and maybe others are considering buying one.
If I don't get a good response I'll widen it to the minitape camcorders as well. I meant to do one of these in December, but forgot.
Fire away consumers!
Edit: Thread changed from DVD Camcorders to MiniDV camcorders based on human's expertise. Unless we have a contrary opinion, this will remain a MiniDV review thread.
The word to describe the DVD camcorder target audience is "clueless". Get MiniDV. It is the standard. There are hundreds of MiniDV camcorders, and only a few DVD/MiniDisc/MicroMV/whatever camcorders. Do not get Hi8 or Digital8 as they are lower quality. And I can't believe they still sell VHS-C... For the same prices you can get a bottom level MiniDV.
Assuming you don't want to spend over $800, I recommend one from the Canon ZR series or Sony Handicam.
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Ok. I'll start. At work we have a Canon ZR-30. Can't get that model anymore though. It is nice. But then the LCD went bad, but I think that is because a coworker left it plugged in charging while in the camera bag, so I think it overheated. Then the cassette deck quit closing. So we sent it in and got both fixed. Then it started eating tapes. We've had it a few years and used it a lot. It served it's purpose well..
Then we bought a Canon Optura. So far so good. The newer stuff has lots better/cooler features and the quality is juts plain better. It is a more expensive camcorder too.
I've only used a model from the current ZR series once, and was sad that it didn't have an external mic boot for the mic that I had from the ZR-30. It seemed "cheaper" than the ZR-30 too.
Canon is noted for their quality lenses, as they are a big lens company. Sony uses quality lenses as well and often are the first with the newest features.
I can't remember the brand (JVC?) but I saw one guys camcorder and it recorded everything in stripes. Totally useless. I later learned that the head was just dirty and if he had cleaned it, it would have been ok.
I've used Sony's, and they are nice.
You probably don't care for reviews of the $2000+ camcorders. I'll just say, if you are REALLY serious about camcorders, get an HDV model from Sony or Canon (probably not the Canon as the target audience for that is actually professionals, like people who film weddings or amature filmmakers).
Posts: 1209 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I own the Sony vx2000; it's a several-years-old high-end mini-DV camera. At the time I bought it, the two top cameras were it and the Canon XL-1. My research told me that the Canon XL-1 had a little more versatility - especially in terms of sound recording -- but that the vx2000 had a sharper, cleaner image and would be better for shooting at night... Which is what I wanted.
I figured I would shoot seperate sound on DAT so I sacrificed sound for picture quality.
I now feel that this was a mistake. Although the Sony cameras are great, Canon is geared more toward professional use.
(The XL-1 has been used to make theatrically-released feature films by guys like Mike Figgis, Spike Lee, and Steven Soderbergh)..
Although the Sony DOES have a slightly sharper picture.... If you get a Canon product you will have a versatility and a series of choices that you wouldn't get with a Sony product.
At the time I made my purchase (which was, I think, back at the end of 2001) the Canon GL-1 (hope I'm remembering that correctly) was an affordable alternative.
This is all by memory, but I'm guessing future generations of the Sony and Canon cameras (the current models) probably follow the same kinds of trends.
I don't know anything about HDV.
I do know that Michael Mann has switched to making his films in High-def digital video ('Collateral', 'Miami Vice') but I don't know what equipment he uses. I suspect it's something other than the George Lucas/ Robert Rodriguez stuff because it looks a lot grittier...
But you know what? It also occurs to me at this point that those things are probably in the realm of a hundred grand or more.
So... Okay, that was just me rambling.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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We have an XL-1 here at work (another department), and besides being able to tweak the settings far more than other camcorders, I actually perfer my new Optura over the XL-1. Now, if we had an XL-2, or the new XL-H1... (one can dream)
HDV is 1440 x 1080i or 760p. DV is 640x480 (or something like that). I've heard it said that many makeup artists have to learn new techniques because it isn't good enough for HDV. That is, with HDV, you can see facial pores.
Posts: 1209 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I'm bringing this thread back in the hopes that we can get a couple more hits on it.
And because I want to get a camcorder in the next month before friends come home from college. I plan to use it just for home video type stuff, friends out bowling or at the beach, that kind of thing. I DO want to be able to upload it onto my laptop, to edit it (cut out the stuff I don't want basically) and then burn it onto DVDs that will play in any DVD player. And I don't really want to spend much more than $400 if possible.
Any suggestions? (James!!!)
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I've got a Sony TRV-80, and it seriously rocks once you figure out how to work the ridiculously fussy zoom. Don't bother with HDV yet; it's not a mature tech for amateurs right now, and you'll probably find it more of a hassle than its worth. Honestly, resolution at this level is FAR less important than basic things like stabilization and color.
The TRV series -- I believe there are TRV-30s, 60s, etc. -- is a fantastic line of camcorders. Most of them have huge, bright LCDs (mine is a touchscreen, which is both a good and a bad thing), all have excellent internal mics (with noise suppression) and stabilizers, and their battery life is average to good. Many versions take stills, but taking still pictures with a camcorder (especially on Sonys, which still cling to the useless Memory Stick) is TEH STOOPID.
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