Digital camcorder - Idiot proof advice sought

[TT-Kira]

I am looking all over the web for a digital camcorder but am getting really confused as to what I 'need' & what is available at the price I can pay! Could someone in plain English or French tell me what I need to have some fun with a small camera that I can conceal, easily download & enjoy ... I'm not a professional! My current skills with all this involve my Pentax K100D camera which I love.

Looking at spending no more than 300euros ... I travel by foot/bush taxi and need something that is 'small & compact' and fell in love with Sanyo's Xacti CA6 & the more expensive CA65 ... one is splashproof & the other waterproof but having spoken to a guy in a shop yesterday he told me to steer clear, the quality isn't that good. There was a Canon M101 (?) on sale for 249 and a better version (don't have the actual details to hand) that was a little smaller for 329.

But exactly what I am getting I don't know people talk about HD and the need for this card &/or that card, facility of downloading etc and I'm all confused!

Please straighten it all out for me!!! Thanks

Kira

[Walkabout]

If you look at the end of the link below you will find some review sites for digital video cameras.

Steve's Digicams - Digital Camcorders & Video Capture

I think that it is a confusing subject, because there is so much more to consider than there is with still photography - hence I have never dipped my toes into using video and I just take those short versions that still cameras can do = the equivalent of a holiday snap!

The last time I looked at the subject in a bit of detail, I got sucked into wanting ever better technology and that technology is developing all of the time of course.
But, in the end you will get what you pay for.

Good luck,

[pieter]

Hi

Have just been looking at camcorders myself. From what I have gathered the main decision you have to make first is whether to go with tape or miniDVD/harddisk.

MiniDVD or harddisk have one big disadvantage and that is that you need a much more powerful PC to edit your footing because they compress the video. So editing involves compressing and decompressing. The miniDVDs have the advantage that you can play them straight out of the camcorder in a DVD player.

The tape ones are much easier to edit, and actually seem to have the edge in quality (if only slightly). When I looked at enthousiasts websites for advice, they all tended to lean towards tape. It might seem more old fashioned, but has some significant advantages (and is cheaper as well).

Once that decision is made just look for tests online our in mags for cameras in your price range. Budget in a larger/extra battery as well, as they tend to be quite small.

Hope this helps,

Pieter

[TT-Kira]

Thanks to both of you ... this was the first problem I'd heard about - the HD/Minidisk thing & I didn't understand it but you've put it in plain English!

Any other idea or recommended types to buy?!

Kira

[danward79]

What about MiniDV tapes? What is the gen with those?

I am clueless about camcorders and have just started looking myself, so have been interested in the comments on this thread

[edteamslr]

Got myself a Canon MVI630 for GBP100 off ebay. It records onto MiniDV which gives you 60mins normal or 90mins on the longplay (don't bother). They are less shockproof than the Solidstate\memory stick recorders (think microchips not DVDs or Tape) but better than harddisks\DVD and a more-than-adequate, tried-and-tested technology for any traveller. Batteries were about GBP5 from 7Dayshop (great for rechargeable batteries and SD cards).

I've taken 20 tapes with me, one for each country, and here in Mauritania I notice they are about GBP5 for a tape which didn't seem too bad if you really needed more tapes than you can carry.

I do have a helmet cam too from RFSolutions. A nifty 520line Sony job which is excellent and gives great results and runs on 8xAA or a 12V line from my charging socket even on the go and remains stuck to my helmet at all times.

Don't be put off MiniDV. It is a great format. Easy to edit on a computer and survives life in the field as other formats just aren't quite there yet in my mind.

Laters Ed

[danward79]

Hi Ed,

OT - But we are based in Brighton & Hove too!

[pieter]

Originally Posted by danward79

What about MiniDV tapes? What is the gen with those?

I am clueless about camcorders and have just started looking myself, so have been interested in the comments on this thread

Yes, I was referring to MiniDV tapes above. Just called them tape because I couldn't think of the correct term :-)

[Walkabout]

It sounds like the consensus is for miniDV tape so far and steer away from later generation recording media, for now at least.

Are there any views about the number of CCDs (charged couple devices I believe!) to have in the camera? When I last looked at this subject a lot of cameras had just one that recorded all colours - the higher specification products have 3, one each for red/green/blue and this is "better".