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Mini DV camcorder question.

Optical zoom! Optical image stabilization!

Fvck the rest. Those are the most important. There's goodies like low light capabilities, high pixel count, large CCD/CMOS size, etc. But nothing will improve your shots more than quality optics.

Avoid like the plague anything that says "200x Digital Zoom" or "Digital Image Stabilization", unless there are also optical versions of the same...
 
For the best video quality in a budget camcorder go with the Sony TRV22. Only 10X optical zoom, but it works for me, and you can always get a telephoto lens.

I just got this one last week and am extremely happy with it. Even more importantly I taped a wedding and everyone couldn't believe the quality. Of course some people are easier to impress than others...

I bought mine from Best Buy. I found a 10% off coupon for Target.com at techbargains.com then Best Buy pricematched since Target didn't have it in store. $630 + tax.

Pretty good stuff for researching here.
 
I have the next model up from the TRV22, the TRV33. It does widescreen video and a couple other things the TRV22 can't. But like the 22, the quality is really nice! Can't complain about the Sony Camcorders and DigiCams!
 
After much research I chose the Optura 20 over the Sony TRV-38. It can be found pretty cheap on the web, DO NOT BUY AT BEST BUY!
 
The Optura 20 ahs better Still images (1.33MP compared to 1MP, it does make a difference), The video quality is better (in my opinion), and it can be found much cheaper online than the Sony.
 
I prefer Canon models because I feel they are more durable than the Sony models. I've taken my Canon everywhere and have even dropped it in a couple of cases. When I dropped my Sony, it shattered into a million pieces.

I do like the quality of Sony products, but right now I'm a Canon person myself.
 
Originally posted by: filmmaker
I prefer Canon models because I feel they are more durable than the Sony models. I've taken my Canon everywhere and have even dropped it in a couple of cases. When I dropped my Sony, it shattered into a million pieces.

I do like the quality of Sony products, but right now I'm a Canon person myself.
Click to expand...

Hey,
Having experienced both, Sony often offers a cleaner, more "clinical" look while canon offers a warmer image quality.. I've had high end sony's and high end canons (trv900 and xl1 respectively) and they're both great cameras.. Pros tend to prefer sony's because their cleaner image can be tweaked more during post.. Xl1s have very warm/natural colors but they're not used much by professionals (the big pro camera right now's the vx2000 or the pd150 by sony).. Of course, this doesn't translate 100% to the retail market.. Sony's advantage is that it's low light capability is unmatched in the retail market.. The canon zr line and their optura are great cameras (esp. the optura) but suffer in low light situations.. As far as durability goes.. I HOPE that you don't drop your camera.. My trv900 has been through a lot and still works like a charm.. Ditto with the canon (though I sold it).. Both companies are in a totally different league than the JVCs and SAMSUNGS of the world (though samsung's cameras tend to be better than JVCs' RCA made piece of sh1ts.. Yes, RCA makes most of JVCs cameras)..
 
Both companies are in a totally different league than the JVCs and SAMSUNGS of the world (though samsung's cameras tend to be better than JVCs' RCA made piece of sh1ts.. Yes, RCA makes most of JVCs cameras)..
Click to expand...

My JVC camera works wonders. I've never had a problem with it.
 
Originally posted by: filmmaker
Both companies are in a totally different league than the JVCs and SAMSUNGS of the world (though samsung's cameras tend to be better than JVCs' RCA made piece of sh1ts.. Yes, RCA makes most of JVCs cameras)..
Click to expand...

My JVC camera works wonders. I've never had a problem with it.
Click to expand...

Is it a mid-to-high end JVC or low end? Their low end cameras are crap (made by RCA).. Their cameras in the 800 and up range are fairly good (with their high end stuff being excellent)
 
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212<brBoth companies are in a totally different league than the JVCs and SAMSUNGS of the world (though samsung's cameras tend to be better than JVCs' RCA made piece of sh1ts.. Yes, RCA makes most of JVCs cameras)..
Click to expand...

I think your backward on this in a number of ways. To the best of my knowledge, RCA video equipment has been made by JVC for years. The first video camera I bought (in the mid 1980's) was an RCA and it was made by JVC. I think JVC also made Zenith equipment. JVC has a long history and was the developer and license holder of the VHS format. I've had a JVC digital camera for about 5 years and it's been trouble free. If I was buying a new one, I'd have to have a real good reason to get anything but a JVC.



 
Originally posted by: KenGr
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212<brBoth companies are in a totally different league than the JVCs and SAMSUNGS of the world (though samsung's cameras tend to be better than JVCs' RCA made piece of sh1ts.. Yes, RCA makes most of JVCs cameras)..
Click to expand...

I think your backward on this in a number of ways. To the best of my knowledge, RCA video equipment has been made by JVC for years. The first video camera I bought (in the mid 1980's) was an RCA and it was made by JVC. I think JVC also made Zenith equipment. JVC has a long history and was the developer and license holder of the VHS format. I've had a JVC digital camera for about 5 years and it's been trouble free. If I was buying a new one, I'd have to have a real good reason to get anything but a JVC.
Click to expand...

Please head over to both amazon.com and cnet.com to read user reviews of JVC camcorders (not their great prosumer cameras- their low end cameras).. Read the comments and then tell me what you think..
 
Canon cameras record at 29.96fps instead of 29.97fps. It'll play right in Media Player, but once you drop it into Premiere or some editing software, the audio becomes unsynced after about 6 minutes. Once you hit about 45 minutes, the audio is about 1 second off from the video. Canon has yet to admit this flaw in most of their cameras (Even the GL-2 and XL1 lines). You can read about this MAJOR flaw by doing a search in google.
 
Great info guys, keep it coming. I'm looking for a decent mini-DV camera as well.

Seems optics are indeed very important - gotta get the image to the CCD first, then worry about the rest.
 
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
Originally posted by: filmmaker
I prefer Canon models because I feel they are more durable than the Sony models. I've taken my Canon everywhere and have even dropped it in a couple of cases. When I dropped my Sony, it shattered into a million pieces.

I do like the quality of Sony products, but right now I'm a Canon person myself.
Click to expand...

Hey,
Having experienced both, Sony often offers a cleaner, more "clinical" look while canon offers a warmer image quality.. I've had high end sony's and high end canons (trv900 and xl1 respectively) and they're both great cameras.. Pros tend to prefer sony's because their cleaner image can be tweaked more during post.. Xl1s have very warm/natural colors but they're not used much by professionals (the big pro camera right now's the vx2000 or the pd150 by sony).. Of course, this doesn't translate 100% to the retail market.. Sony's advantage is that it's low light capability is unmatched in the retail market.. The canon zr line and their optura are great cameras (esp. the optura) but suffer in low light situations.. As far as durability goes.. I HOPE that you don't drop your camera.. My trv900 has been through a lot and still works like a charm.. Ditto with the canon (though I sold it).. Both companies are in a totally different league than the JVCs and SAMSUNGS of the world (though samsung's cameras tend to be better than JVCs' RCA made piece of sh1ts.. Yes, RCA makes most of JVCs cameras)..
Click to expand...

The prosumer market is pretty split between the XL-1 and PD-150/VX2000. If you have the budget for the lenses the XL-1's ability to change lenses gives it a distinct edge.


Night201,

You are right and you are wrong. Canon cameras record video at 29.97 (if they didn't the video wouldn't play back correctly), but the audio clock isn't 48kh. It's like 48.06kh or something like that. AFAIK the GL-2 and XL-1s series of cameras have fixed that issue (or at least lessend it to the point that people think it's fixed). Although older, and lower, models will still have it.


Lethal

 
Originally posted by: LethalWolfe
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
The prosumer market is pretty split between the XL-1 and PD-150/VX2000. If you have the budget for the lenses the XL-1's ability to change lenses gives it a distinct edge.
Lethal
Click to expand...

Well, college productions seem to favor the xl1 but professional studios (I know, why aren't they using film?? they can afford it) tend to use either the vx2000/pd150 or the sony hi-def camera (900w or something).. The xl1 is a fine camera but I've heard that it's just not as tweakable in post as the sony offerings (this is from a larger article I read by the Orphanage - a group of ILM techs that formed a dv-post production company). My next camera may be either the gl2 or a vx2000.. They are both excellent cameras at very fair prices.. The XL1 looks great on video but once blown up to 35mm it loses it's edge (check out "Full Frontal" for an example)
Click to expand...
 
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