Need camcorder advice

[ahurtt]

So my wife and I had our first child, a daughter, about 3 months ago back in April and we've been using our Canon SD450 digital camera to capture little bits and pieces of video footage. But soon she's going to be doing those momentous "first" things and the digital camera isn't going to cut it for making home movies. Our wedding anniversary is coming up on July 21st so I thought a great gift would be a real camcorder. I am not an expert with cameras or camcorders (never really owned my own personal camcorder before) but I am pretty proficient with computers and things electronic / digital in general since I work in the I.T. field. I also had mass communications broadcasting classes in school where we learned the basics of operating TV cameras and such so I'm not a total novice. But that was years ago. Here's what I want in a nutshell:

Something 5 pounds or less in weight (that should be plenty to work with right?) with very good quality in different shooting conditions and relative ease of use. I'd like to keep it about $1000 U.S. or less. I could probably learn to use a more complicated one but my wife will be using it too and she is not as technologically savy. So ideally the camera would have some slightly advanced features if I chose to use them but would be also easy to operate right out of the box. Quality of footage and audio is the key factor I think since the moments we will be capturing will be precious to us and sometimes "once in a lifetime" type events. So I turn to you - the AT Video community - to share with me your wealth of knowledge and advice. Thanks in advance! I'll happily answer any questions to further clarify my requirements. I also appreciate any links to your favorite websites about digital camcorder technologies, options, and the like where I can learn more.

 

[gsellis]

Try Camcorderinfo for reviews. The hot runners are the Panasonic 250/300/500 3CCD series and the Canon Optura 60 (CMOS). None of these are going to be as good at low light as any of the ENG cameras you might have run in to. But, they do include low light ratings there too (Birthday parties, no lighting - just like normal home video).

 

[c10000]

I also highly recommend the camcorderinfo.com web site mentioned in the post above. Read their reviews to narrow your choices down to a few models, then go to some stores to get a feel of them.

Some suggestions: After you have bought your camcorder, buy some cheap neutral filter or UV filter to cover the lens of your camcorder. Then, you can shoot real close and even let your kids touch your camcorder. At worst, they touch the filter, which can be cleaned or even replaced. The lens will be protected. Believe me, it'll be a lot of fun to shoot your kids real close.

You may also want to get a video editing software so that you can cut various pieces of video together to make a story. I would recommend Sony Vegas. The full version of Sony Vegas is quite expensive (>$300). But the cheaper (less capable) Sony Vegas Movie Studio costs only about $70. Again, you'll find a lot of info on video editing at camcorderinfo.com. That web site even has forums for you to post your questions.

 

[ahurtt]

Thanks gsellis and c10000. Lots of good information on that website. Anybody else got any input? I really like the quality of our Canon digital camera and Canon seems to enjoy a good reputation in the digital camera market. I am wondering if their quality and reputation carries over into the camcorder market. What do you guys think?

Also I'd like to know what people feel are the relative pros and cons of DVD camcorders vs. MiniDV camcorders. I know the obvious stuff such as being able to edit the footage in-camera with a dvd camcorder but what could be some other not-so-obvious things you might only realize from experience? Also, which kind of camera recording media costs more?

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: ahurtt
... Canon ... I am wondering if their quality and reputation carries over into the camcorder market. What do you guys think?

The pro cameras are great, such as the GL2, XL2, H1. I have a pro and consumer Sony, so no direct experience.

Also I'd like to know what people feel are the relative pros and cons of DVD camcorders vs. MiniDV camcorders. I know the obvious stuff such as being able to edit the footage in-camera with a dvd camcorder but what could be some other not-so-obvious things you might only realize from experience? Also, which kind of camera recording media costs more?

DVD is MPEG-2 and post edits are harder. Some MiniDVs are bottom feeders, making tripod use a bit complicated (bottom feeder - tape inserts from the bottom). HDD cameras = no secondary storage of video. You delete it from the HDD, it could be gone forever. Some DVD cameras require the disc to be finalized before it can be viewed elsewhere. That would mean not being able to change media until complete. I think it takes minutes and not seconds to do. As for media, the cheap DV tapes are $3.50 each and the better tier are about $5.