Angry_Gumball Posted September 11, 2005 Posted September 11, 2005 Ok, before I start this topic, I apoligize if I missed and posted a duplicate topic in advance Anyway, I've been doing some thinking and with my new job and all I've been conisdering buying a DV camera for the kind of work I'm doing. Basically, I'd use it at theme parks (when I actually get a chance to visit), use it for other random fun moments, and also I do a lot of photography for church events and put the pics into a slide show as a memory of the particular event but I'm considering doing some involving video as well. So the question is, what kind of camera would you recommend considering my budget (looking at spending probably $350 max) Basically, I'm looking for a good 'all around' camera thats compact.
Meteornotes Posted September 11, 2005 Posted September 11, 2005 My recommendation for DV cameras is Sony. They seem to really hold up well to all sorts of abuse. I have no idea what you could get in the $350 range, as I have not priced cameras in forever, but I'd make sure it had a Firewire port... dt
CoasterFanatic Posted September 11, 2005 Posted September 11, 2005 You may want to try to beef up your budget just a little bit to make sure that you get something that isn't going to p*ss you off more than you enjoy using it. I purchased my camera from Broadway Photo (bwayphoto.com) and they are probably one of the cheapest shops anywhere. They are kind of a pain in the butt to deal with, but this tends to happen when you deal with the cheapest retailers. Make sure you read lots of reviews from places like epinions.com and cnet.com before commiting to a particular camera.
Angry_Gumball Posted September 12, 2005 Author Posted September 12, 2005 I was actually at Best Buy the other day (I think I want to avoid online for now as for such expensive items only because of shipping reasons) and I believe it was a Canon ZR something (forgot which model) for like $260. My friend had a ZR90 today videotaping us skimboarding and he says it's a nice camera. Any thoughts on Canon? I will do some research as well before 'jumping into the water.'
CoasterFanatic Posted September 12, 2005 Posted September 12, 2005 Canon is not quite as good as Sony in low light situations (but not many are). Even if you don't order online, make sure you price match with Best Buy. I am amazed how many people pay full price. If Sears actually carrys the item you want, you can get them to not only price match it, but also knock another 10% off!
robbalvey Posted September 12, 2005 Posted September 12, 2005 Personally I rank DV cameras (based on my own experiences and what I've heard from other people) as follows: 1. Sony 2. Cannon 3. Panasonic 4. JVC I've heard nothing but horror stories about JVC cameras breaking, falling apart, misaligned heads, etc. They might be fine for normal videotaping, but for roller coasters, thrill rides, or extreme sports, they can't take the abuse. I will also say that in years past (read 3-5 years ago) a Sony camera would last me at least 2 seasons. With the newer models, they aren't as sturdy and I seem to replace my DV cameras about every 6 months. But also keep in mind we are REALLY abusing these camers a LOT! My current DV camera has probably been on close to 200 rides in the past 6 months! The Sony camera still seems to deliver the highest quality picture, though, and aside from durability, that's the most important thing! --Robb "You can get a pretty good Sony DV camera for about $400 now." Alvey
Sir Clinksalot Posted September 12, 2005 Posted September 12, 2005 I have to agree with Robb on the JVC ... We got one almost 2 years ago. Although we didn't have any problems it never really satisfied us. Watched the video we took friday at DL and finally decided it was time for a new camera. Just ordered a Sony HC21 for $320. While it's not the newest model, I know it's a good camera and you can't beat the price. Hopefully we will have it before Saturday so I can use it before our trip.
DATman Posted September 12, 2005 Posted September 12, 2005 I just got a panasonic GS-something, and it is superb. Just so's you know
Sir Clinksalot Posted September 17, 2005 Posted September 17, 2005 Got our new camera today. I love it so far. Can't wait to try it out at SFMM tomorrow. Gregg "I just need to get some more batteries before our trip next week" C.
jarmor Posted September 17, 2005 Posted September 17, 2005 I have to agree with Robb on the JVC ... We got one almost 2 years ago. Although we didn't have any problems it never really satisfied us. Watched the video we took friday at DL and finally decided it was time for a new camera. Just ordered a Sony HC21 for $320. While it's not the newest model, I know it's a good camera and you can't beat the price. Hopefully we will have it before Saturday so I can use it before our trip. Its funny because im using a JVC camera to film all my videos and I have had nothing but positive results. The color realism is awesome, perfect in low light situations (doesnt even have a lamp but films like it was super bright), havent had a major problem w/ the camera, it has had its fair share of beatings since I got it in feburary and for the size of it takes them pretty well. At first I was skeptical about getting the camera but after playing around with it, I am absolutely glad I brought that camera instead of the other I was considering. Now my JVC is totally different from the ones that im sure the others on here have. Mines is a digital recorder that records straight to a 4 GB microdrive which makes transfering my footage a one step process being that my PC is equipted with a microdrive driver. And being that its digital the quality of the video is very similar to that of a professional type show! So with that said I have to say, its not about how much you wanna spend (paid like 1200.00 for mines) but what you want in a camera. You just cant put a price on good products! But I understand what you mean but remember, you get what you pay for! But do your homework and do some research! Jarvis "sooo glad I didnt get the camera that records straight to mini DVD's" Morant!
Jew Posted September 17, 2005 Posted September 17, 2005 ^Yeah...but you're camera records mpeg-2 video! No offense to you, but I definitely would not recommend any camera that records in an mpeg-2 format. Simply put, mpeg-2 is a delivery format (it's the format used for DVD's) that isn't ideal as a recording format. I would recommend any Sony or Canon DV camera. Both produce great day time/well lit shots, both are built well, and Sony will get you better low light performance.
jarmor Posted September 17, 2005 Posted September 17, 2005 Im confused...why would it not be a good thing to record in a high quality DVD format? And also when editing, you have the choice to format it in any quality you want, from mpeg-1 to quicktime to avi...it just records in the highest quality. I kinda dont see the "bad side" of this... Im quite impressed and when I show folks my DVD's and show them what I used to make it, they are always in semi shock that such a small piece of equipment made such a professional looking DVD...
Jew Posted September 18, 2005 Posted September 18, 2005 ^Without getting all technical...When you "format" your video to a codec that *IS* a native editing format (like AVI)...you're actually losing quality since you have to recompress already compressed footage. Basically, Mpeg-2 is a way to make higher quality codecs (scanned film can take up to like a gig for every second of footage!) fit on a DVD and still look decent. It's not meant to be the recording codec to start with.
Curt Posted October 10, 2005 Posted October 10, 2005 I am very happy with my Cannon ZR300. I like that it comes with a small but effective 0.6X wide angel lens.
Hurricane Posted October 10, 2005 Posted October 10, 2005 I have a Mustek DV 5200 it has MP3 Player, Mpeg 4 recording, 4X optical Zoom ect. You can get them on Ebay for 150 dollars. They are real good cameras. (IT SURVIVED A SLC SO THEY ARE STRONG!)
Dr Freeze Posted October 12, 2005 Posted October 12, 2005 just don't buy Sony's MV format. They advertise it as a "Micro" version of DV. It isn't compatible with DVD editing programs except Sony's Movie Shaker (which sucks). I recomend Sony's DCR PC350
Angry_Gumball Posted December 16, 2005 Author Posted December 16, 2005 Sorry to bump the topic but I finally decided on a DV camera the other day and purchased it tonight. I got the Canon ZR200. I have yet to test it out as I don't have tapes and Best Buy's tapes were expensive (compared to Wal Mart). Any recommendations on a video capture card? At work, we use the Pinnacle PCI capture card/software bundle but I'm not sure if there's better/cheaper ones out there. Is ATI's All in Wonder anygood?
CoasterFanatic Posted December 16, 2005 Posted December 16, 2005 Any FireWire card will work. The magic is in the software.
Angry_Gumball Posted December 16, 2005 Author Posted December 16, 2005 So all I need is the DV/Firewire cable? And is Pinnacle any good for the capturing software?
CoasterFanatic Posted December 16, 2005 Posted December 16, 2005 Pinnacle is fine. You will need a Firewire Cable and Card unless your computer already has IEEE 1394 (FireWire) slot. Most (except newer Sonys and Apples) don't.
pagemaster_b Posted December 17, 2005 Posted December 17, 2005 I have Pinnacle Studios 9.0, and I have found it to be simple enough to not be overwhelming and still have plenty of options for editing. The only problem I have with it is when songs on the music track bleeds into other projects. (i.e. the current project has the right name of the audio track, but when it's played, it plays a different audio track from a different editing project.) I'm not sure why it's doing that, but it is sure annoying. For tapes, the cheapest place to get them is Costco or Sam's Club. It's hell of a lot cheaper to buy a bunch at one time. I don't use my video camera (or my photo camera) often, but when I do, I burn through a lot of tape and pictures. Also, I recommend you don't use your memory card to shoot video. The quality of the video is not as good when compared to tape. Oh, and make sure you have extra batteries and a charger. Too much theme park and not enough battery life is a deadly sin.
Angry_Gumball Posted December 17, 2005 Author Posted December 17, 2005 I recorded some stuff last nite on my memory card, just messing around. I still have yet to get some dv tapes and really check it out.
slick Posted December 17, 2005 Posted December 17, 2005 I have a Mustek DV 5200 it has MP3 Player, Mpeg 4 recording, 4X optical Zoom ect. You can get them on Ebay for 150 dollars. They are real good cameras. (IT SURVIVED A SLC SO THEY ARE STRONG!) LOL. Dude, those things suck. They have 4 digital zoom, not optical. 8) I agree with just about most people here in terms of what cameras work and well, what don't. Having gone literally days behind a camera at a time, you can't go wrong with a Sony of any sort. Whether it be DV or a Beta Cam. Yeah, if you're doing any uploading what so ever, you'll want a firewire connection, or two if you've got a high end camera and forgot to get an XLR attachment, but other than that, if you're starting out and want something easy, try Pinnacle or better yet Ulead Video Studio. It's easy and simple. Otherwise, grab Premiere Pro or Vegas and stick some nice plugins onto it. That should get you fired up quickly. (Non-suss that is.)
benzo41190 Posted December 18, 2005 Posted December 18, 2005 I use a Panasonic Mini DV and it is pretty good. Pros- Cons _______________________________________________________ -very durable -it is a little fatter than sony modles -Good Footage -its sometimes gets a little blury when filming at night -can use "wide angle" lenses -has a little fisheye effect when using a wide angle lense -fire wire port -battery sticks out the back
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