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Best Mini DV Camera?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 4644
  • Start date Start date
D

Deleted member 4644

My little brother wants to buy a Mini DV camcorder for the holidays. We dont want to spend more than ~400 if we can avoid it. I want something that will hook up easily to a computer with a cheap firewire card and non-expensive video software.

Have any ideas? Brands? Specific models?

Also, when is best to buy? How much could we save if we wait till the day after Christmas?
 
I've been looking around, and the cannon ZR40 can be had for just under $400, and is quite value for the money.
 
Yup. I like my ZR40. ZR45 adds a memory card for stills. I transfer with a Pinnacle firewaure card and Pinnacle Studio software (Pinnacle Studio DV package).
 
"Best Mini DV Camera"? $400 won't get you the "best" miniDV camera. Your title is very misleading. The most you can hope for would be an entry level camera. The Canon that was already mentioned is a good choice. This may be enough for you. But to get the "best" MiniDV, you will need to spend over $2000, perhaps much more.
 
The JVC GRDVL120u may also fit your needs. It can be had online for around 350.00. I am also trying to find a camera I like in that price range. I have tested the JVC and it seems nice. I have read a lot about the ZR40, and I can't quite remember the specifics, but I have read about a few bad things about it. The one that most notably comes to mind is that if you are recording in a quiet room, you can easily pick up the mototr whine from the camera on the recording.
 
I got the ZR45 for $400 bucks...well, my dad did. Nice lil camcorder, only complain is that the mechanism itself is pretty loud. The 18x zoom is a nice feature also.
 
Can anyone tell me if someone makes a product that would fit in a drive bay or connect to your computer. That allows you to read Mini DV tapes without having to use the camera?
 
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