Digital Camcorder?

[foodfightr]

Dell has a deal on the zr600 from Cannon but I don't know how easy it is to get the video from mini dv format to the PC... Basically, my main concern is getting it on the PC without much work and it has to be a pretty good quality camcorder.

Photos don't matter AT ALL I'll never use it to take a single photo. Video is what counts.

 

[PurdueRy]

They have USB, you will need a program that can capture the video. I don't know the specifics beyond that

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

If you are doing full motion video, don't transfer with USB. It looks like ass. Use firewire. I have a Sony DV camcorder; can't remember the model right now. Also, highly consider getting a external mounted microphone. Greatly increases the quality of the audio, and camera movements don't sound like actions of high being.

EDIT: Now I remember. I have something like a TRV33... Damn good camcorder, and I've had it for a while now.

 

[vegetation]

Firewire has been the standard for video transfer for years now, it's not an issue.

 

[foodfightr]

so record to minidv and transfer with firewire... cool?

Im definately better off this way than with a regular digital camera and a memory card?

 

[vegetation]

Originally posted by: foodfightr
so record to minidv and transfer with firewire... cool?

Im definately better off this way than with a regular digital camera and a memory card?

I take it you mean by the newer digi cams that can do 640x480 (or higher) 30fps captures, such as the Canon S2. Keep in mind that a digi cam can only store data to a solid state medium which usually tops out at 4gb these days. That's about 30 mins of continuous filming, at most, because the camera will overheat and autoshutdown before that, as they are not meant for the continual operation compared to a real camcorder. Digi cam quality is awesome with 640x480 (non-hd camcorders top out at 720x480), but usually are lackluster in low lighting situations -- this means practically all indoor shooting. I personally prefer taking only my Canon S1 camera on vacation because 100% of my shots will be outdoors and I only want to video record snippets of, say, a couple minutes per shot. Otherwise, for ANY kind of indoor shooting (i.e. birthdays, parties, get togethers, porn, etc) you really want to have a camcorder instead.

 

[foodfightr]

Originally posted by: vegetation

Originally posted by: foodfightr
so record to minidv and transfer with firewire... cool?

Im definately better off this way than with a regular digital camera and a memory card?

I take it you mean by the newer digi cams that can do 640x480 (or higher) 30fps captures, such as the Canon S2. Keep in mind that a digi cam can only store data to a solid state medium which usually tops out at 4gb these days. That's about 30 mins of continuous filming, at most, because the camera will overheat and autoshutdown before that, as they are not meant for the continual operation compared to a real camcorder. Digi cam quality is awesome with 640x480 (non-hd camcorders top out at 720x480), but usually are lackluster in low lighting situations -- this means practically all indoor shooting. I personally prefer taking only my Canon S1 camera on vacation because 100% of my shots will be outdoors and I only want to video record snippets of, say, a couple minutes per shot. Otherwise, for ANY kind of indoor shooting (i.e. birthdays, parties, get togethers, porn, etc) you really want to have a camcorder instead.

You hit it dead on man, thanks. Ordered the Canon ZR600.

 

[kevinf2090]

and movie maker 2 is a good program imo to capture video