Good camcorder ffor less than $300

[wfz]

What camcorder would you recommend at that price range or a little higher?

Uses and requirements:
1. interview, training, mostly indoor shooting
2. allows external MIC if possible
3. good low-light quality
4. expandable storage.
5. the more options the better
6. HD resolution if possible

I'm looking for something better than flip video.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Kaido]

First thing, right off the bat - you're not going to get good low-light for that price. Even more expensive cameras mostly stink at low-light. However...

What you might consider is getting a Flip Video-style camera that allows for external mic input & storage expansion, so you can at least beef up the mic and add more room for recording as needed. Some of the newer handhelds advertise improved low-light performance as well, such as the Kodak Playtouch and Zoom Q3HD. I'd definitely check out the Zoom Q3HD, here's a sample video:

http://vimeo.com/15533387

The onboard mics are amazing and it does pretty dang good in dark conditions. It has some dark-condition options such as "Concert Lighting" which do a LOT better than the other handhelds I've seen. Here are some more sample videos:

http://soundmakesthemovie.com/artists

It's right up your price alley, too - $300 out the door. It also includes a Line Input jack to allow for external mics, so if you want to use something like a Rode VideoMic or a clip-on lav mic, you can do that too. You can put up to a 32GB SDHC card in the Q3HD, so you have plenty of room for expansion. The only downside I see is that it doesn't have image stabilization like some of the newer handhelds. My sister has a Kodak Zi6 and I have a Kodak Zx3; mine has image stabilization and hers doesn't, and there is a noticeable difference in shakiness. From the Zoom sample videos, it doesn't look too bad though. If you can use a tripod, you're all set. Also, no optical zoom (digital only).

 

[wfz]

Thank you for your advice. I checked Zoom out and found a few reviews. Sound quality is great, but will the following be concerns? no auto focus? Will it go out of focus when panning? How long can it last with the batteries? Also with 2GB of storage, how long it can record at highest quality to medium quality?


Thanks for the help.

Zoom Q3H
Pros Excellent audio quality. Strong video quality. Multiple audio recording options. External microphone input. Headphone jack. Mini-HDMI out.
Cons Expensive. No autofocus. No macro mode. No still image capture. Only 2GB of internal storage. Only part of display is viewable while recording video. No rechargeable lithium ion batteries.
Bottom Line The $299 Q3HD Hand Video Recorder's video quality doesn't measure up to its competitors, but it delivers superior stereo audio control and quality for those who need it.