Best Video Camera for Sports 2013: 2014-03-23

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Which digital camera?

M K

I am looking to purchase a digital camera, which will be used to photograph youth sporting events and posted on our league website. I am looking to spend around $200, and I am looking for the camera to be able to take clear action shots from a relatively close range. I would also like the ability to record video as well. Reviews seem all over the place for the ones I have checked out (Nikon Coolpix, Kodak Easyshare, etc...).

Any suggestions would be of huge help!

Thank you.

Answer
When purchasing any electronic device on a budget it is important to shop around and do as much research as possible this way you ensure you get not only the best quality product but also the best price.

Personally I recommend taking a look at the following digital camera models

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Camera - http://electronicsreviews4u.com/budget-digital-cameras/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-w530-14-1-mp-digital-camera

Nikon COOLPIX L24 14 MP Digital Camera - http://electronicsreviews4u.com/budget-digital-cameras/nikon-coolpix-l24-14-mp-digital-camera

If neither of these cameras meet your needs etc you might find something you like out of this selection of budget point and shoot digital camera reviews, I have also found that all reviews from this site are written in easy to understand terms and most importantly always gets straight to the important points

Selection of Budget Digital Camera Reviews - http://electronicsreviews4u.com/budget-digital-cameras/blog

I hope this helps you with your purchase and good luck :)

Where can I get a decent digital video camera for under $50?

Simon

I'm looking for a decent digital video camera for under $50, cause I ain't made of money.. Any ideas??

Answer
HD camcorders interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi processor computer with the big Graphics and sound cards that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files a HD camcorder produces.

Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.

MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video.

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm

See if you can find a used on of these -

http://www.canon.ca/inetCA/products?m=gp&pid=1017#_030

What is the best camcorder to buy for under 3,000 dollars?

Sneetchie1

Some specifications include:

Being able to handle low-light areas really well. (like at night when there is virtually no light but moonlight)

Being able to supposrt good boom mics

Having a good battery life so that I don't have to run in to my house and charge it every 2 hours. ( i want one with like a battery life of 10 hours at the time, or more, if possible)

Having a huge memory (80+ Gigs?)

The highest of resolutions (we make movies for youtube and want our videos to be crystal clear, even after youtube screws them up)

the ability to not record the noise of me shifting the camera a little or zooming in. that gets really annoying.

Along with the low light capability, Night Vision would be awesome!

Does not glare.

Has a great Zoom and great mic.

Records in Youtube Format

Thanks!

Answer
Interesting list of requirements.

The low light requirements you list mean LARGE lens and LARGE imaging chips. Plan on 72mm diameter or larger lens and 1/3" or larger imaging chips - either 3CCD or 3CMOS. Under a bright full moon will be very challenging. Less than that will be near impossible at your budget range.

Any camcorder with a mic jack can support "good boom mics". This just means you need mics that use an XLR connector. Even a consumer camcorder with a 1/8" mic jack can use an XLR mic by adding an XLR adapter (check juicedLink or BeachTek).

Need more portable power? Get high capacity rechargeable batteries from the camcorder manufacturer. The extra battery I got for my Sony HDR-FX1 goes for nearly 6 hours of shooting - so in your case, just get two.

Since there are no prosumer or pro grade camcorders using an internal hard disc drive, that leaves flash memory or miniDV tape - or an external drive from Focus Enhancements... unless you get a Sony camcorder in which case Sony has an available optional external drive for their pro-grade miniDV tape camcorders. The external drives connect to the camcorder's DV port with a firewire cable. With flash memory or miniDV tape, just take out the full tape or memory card and put in a blank.

My YouTube videos are clear - you may not be using the correct compression. If your YouTube uploads are not clear, there is something else happenning that is not the camera's fault.

The zoom motor noise will go away when you use an external mic. Your touching the camera and having the built-in or camera mounted mics pickup that noise will go away with an external mic. The mic should be mounted to a shock mount so the noise from whomever is handling the boon is not recorded. I use a Sabra SSM-1.

Night vision - available because the camcorder has a built-in infrared emitter - is a Sony thing. Look for "NightShot", "SuperNightShot" or "NightShotPlus" in the camcorder's spec list.

Define "great zoom". Does that mean the optical zoom multiplier is really high or does that mean the manual zoom has really good control - and can be controlled with a LANC?

There is no camcorder in the range you specified that "records in YouTube format" (flv). There is no such thing as "YouTube format". There are several different file types that YouTube will accept. YouTube compresses the video and turns the file into a flv file. The LAST thing you want is a ton of compression as the first step during the video acquisition process.

This all said, the Sony HDR-FX1000 is as close as I can get. Unless flash memory jumps you to the Sony HVR-Z7 - but I don't think it has a built-in infrared emitter.

Whats the best HD camcorder thats under 1,000 $$$?

Shaggi

??????????????

Answer
Hard to say if it's the BEST, but I've heard good things about the panasonic HDC-SD1.

What kind of camcorder should i get?

TheDarkSha

Well, for over a year I've taken an interest into filmmaking. I've made a series of short films..
So my birthday recently passed an I wanted to get a legit camera.
(I've been using an iPod Touch and you can only go so far with something like that)

So I wanted to get a camcorder that mostly shoots video. Something waterproof, and doesn't break easily would be nice (For outdoors) also it has to be compatible with a Mac.

So if you have any recommendations, that would be nice. Also if you can link a website where I can find that camera, that would also be nice.

Thank you!

*I've just turned 16, so nothing expensive like $1,000*

My price range is pretty open but a beginner camcorder would best suit me because I've just begun.

Answer
HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi port processor computer with the big 1GB Graphics card and a Sound card that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files these camcorders produce.

Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording Consumer Level HD Camcorder and DSLR Cameras, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders and DSLR Cameras or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.

MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/vixia_hv40#Overview

Sharp VL-C73 camcorder cassette?

Tatum Addi

I recently received a fully functioning Sharp VL-C73 camcorder that my grandmother found in a yard sale. I've plugged it in, and it works and records perfectly--a lucky find. The only problem--no cassette! I am completely ignorant when it comes to 90's video technology, so does anyone know what type of cassette I need, and maybe where I could get one online? I would love to be able to record cool artsy b-roll shots with my new camera!

Answer
Sharp made mostly video8 camcorders. you can also use a Hi8 or Digital8 tape, they are all the same. i don't know how lucky you are, video8 is the lowest resolution camcorder system ever made and has marginal audio fidelity as well. until you put a tape in, you won't know that it records. while turning on and seeing a picture is a good sign, it does not tell if the recording heads are broken or clogged.

What is a good camcorder for under $150?

SMVED

I'm looking for a good quality camcorder for under $150 that uses an sd card and has good video quality.

any suggestions?

Answer
The Samsung W200 usually retails at about 179.00 however it is on sale at blacks.ca for 149.00. It is waterproof up to 3 meters, has full HD capability and also takes pictures. It is also very compact.

The W200 films sharp, brilliant moving pictures in up to 3 meters of water, and also repels dust and sand with its dust proof feature. The W200 is the must have camcorder, perfectly designed to take with you to the beach, pool, desert, mountain top, anywhere your adventures may take you.

The W200's F2.2 bright lens gives you the ability to shoot at higher shutter speeds during low-light conditions for stunningly clear, sharp, and blur free images. Combined with the 30 p / 25 p Back side illuminated CMOS sensor, it dramatically reduces image noise and distortion, enhancing recording quality in low light conditions.

Filming underwater generally generates low quality videos due to dim lighting and static noise. However, the Samsung W200's advanced technology and features-White Balance, Sound, Focus, Water Mode-specific to underwater environments helps you take clear, high quality video.
Often your camcorder lens fogs up when you come out of the cold or water, producing blurry images. The W200's lens features an anti-fog coating which lets the steam disperse so you can have a clear, blur free videos and pictures.

1920 x 1980 Full HD video means greater clarity, brightness and detail than ever before. And your video will be an exact pixel-by-pixel match for today?s best large screen HDTVs, resulting in life-like video with more natural colour and clarity.

Use your camcorder as a digital camera and snap 5 mega pixel resolution images and then watch them with family and friends on your TV screen.

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Another is the Samsung F50 SD. It is available from The Source by Circuit City.
The F50 is the ultimate versatile camcorder, offering you incredible zoom and extended recording time, plus smart features you can't live without. It comes equipped with an incredibly powerful 52X high-zoom lens, and extra large 1/6" CCD sensor for enhanced image quality. Capturing vivid colour and clarity is easy with the customizable Smart Auto mode and Digital Image Stabilizer that delivers steady and detailed images, in any lighting condition.
Features

Type: SD Camcorder
52x Optical zoom
2.7" LCD screen
Smart BGM and Smart Auto
USB charging
Extended battery life
Includes Li-Ion IA-BP105R battery

The F50's Smart BGM feature automatically lowers the music volume when speech is detected in the film, so everyone's voice is heard. With the ability to take high-resolution still photos and record for more than 4 hours at a time with H.264 compression, the Samsung F50 Camcorder ensures you won't miss any special moments. Pick up an extra memory card and battery pack from TheSource.ca and enjoy endless filming capabilities.

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The final one I could find is the Toshiba Camileo H30 Camcorder. It retails for $139.01 at bhphotovideo.com. Features include....

1080 HD
SD/SDHC Memory Card Slot
10MP CMOS Sensor
3" LCD
5x Optical Zoom
Video Stabilization
10MP Digital Stills
Light and Flash
HDMI Connection

any good camcorders for under $ 150?

Greg W

im a poor college student, some friends and I want to make some youtube videos, and also when I travel around next year. are there any good lightweight/ reliable digital camcorders for around $ 150?

also, I have heard that the Sakar 5.1MP Digital Camcorder and the FLIP video cameras arent very good. is this true?

Answer
There is no such thing as a great camcorder for under $150. Many tradeoffs are made to get to that price. Having said that, I'm highly enthusiastic about the Flip for that price range - it has better video quality than many DVD camcorders and MiniDV camcorders at the low end of the price spectrum.

Here's some sample footage from the Flip:

http://www.jakeludington.com/camcorder/20071023_flip_video_camera.html

Video camera:?

twix4smash

Hi! I want to know if i can connect my sony dcr trv27e camera via Trillian as a web cam. Because in the yahoo messenger i can do this. Thx!
I know i must use trillian pro. But, HOW? What should i do to use my camera as a web cam? Can anybody help? Thanx!

Answer
Ok. you set up your camera on your computer first. do you have the streaming driver? Does the computer see your camera in control panel->scanners & camera? Is there a question mark next to your camera in the control panel->system->hardware-device manager? If the answer is no then you need to get that much working first. Get the driver from the sony site (link provided). Once that is installed and working you need to select the camcorder for sound and video source in the preferences menu for Trillian.

But be prepared for more issues. There seems to be connection problems with MSN. If the setup works for MSN, Aim, or Yahoo then your in luck, Trillian will probably work. If not, then most likely not. Time to get a webcam from Logitech. You may find that it will work with Java or web based cam sharing like iFriends instead. If you got it right Microsoft Movie Maker will capture the video feed.

Help with video camera files???? 10 points!?

catchingfi

I've got some files on my Sony Super Steady Shot HR-SR11 Handycam or whatever, video camera that I really need to upload onto the computer. I can see the video's on the camera in the playback menu but when I connect it to the computer they are non existent. I REALLY need to get them up within the next couple of days and I have no clue why they aren't visible when connected to the computer. I have a Mac OS X, and this has never happened before.

If anyone can help I would be SUPERRRRR grateful and you will forever be my friend :)

...plus, i'll give you ten of these yahoo points

cheers XD

Answer
This is a hybrid camcorder â it can record video to a memory stick or to a hard drive. When you connect the camcorder to a computer, you have to choose which of these storage media to mount â apparently, you have mounted the one that does not contain the video, so choose the other. When connecting to the computer, see if a menu appears on the camera's viewing screen. Or read the operations manual.

BEST PROFESSIONAL HD VIDEO CAMERA FOR RECORDING INDOOR CONCERTS/PERFORMANCES (UNDER $1300)?

Maranata

Hello everyone!

I am completely inexperienced about video cameras. Could someone recommend the best professional HD video camera for recording INDOOR (guitar/string quartet/piano/some percussion) concerts and dance/drama performances, which usually have low light. I would prefer a shoulder-mount model. My budget is only $1300.

Thanks in advance!

Answer
My definition of a "professional" HD video camera:
Lens diameter of 70mm or larger;
3CCD or 3CMOS imaging chip array.
Low compression video capture and storage.
When you find this, you get:
Separate zoom and focus rings on the lens barrel;
Manual audio gain control on the outside of the camcorder;
Neutral density filter setting on the outside of the camcorder...
At the low end are "prosumer" units like the Sony HDR-FX1000.

Low end camcorders have small lens and small imaging chip - this makes it impossible to capture good video under poor lighting conditions. Manual controls are buried in the menu and difficult to use/reach (your iPad has no manual controls). As the lens diameter gets larger and the imaging chip size increases, the low-light and poor light video capture behavior gets better and so does the price. As the manual controls migrate to the outside of the camcorder, more price increases - and add a mic jack an manual audio control...

dSLRs and other still image capture devices that happen to capture video as a secondary "convenience feature" should not be used as camcorders. This does not mean they cannot capture good video - they can, but they can't be treated as a camcorder. dSLRs have known issues related to overheating when capturing video over a prolonged time; poor audio options, file size and video length limitations. Generally, dSLRs do not have "stabilization" for video (even when the lens has stabilization).

Best video is captured under perfect lighting and best audio levels using low compression. That is not reality. That means we need to use equipment that works under as many adverse circumstances as possible.

Use of some sort of stabilizer (other than the camcorder's optical stabilizer) is strongly recommended. Humans are not built to be steady. Use of the ground, a rock, chair, shelf, monopod, shoulder-mount - anything but handheld... If you are capturing video handheld - with a camcorder, dSLR or other video capture device, expect poor quality.

Audio: The built-in mic works well with any camcorder when the audio is at an appropriate level and located in the right place. When this happens, the video framing may not be good. When the video framing is good, then the audio may not be set up correctly. The resolution to this is to use an external mic or audio recorder. This way the audio and the video are not physically depending on each other. Even if you don't choose to use an external mic or audio recorder, it is much better to have the mic jack and manual audio control (in a camcorder) when you want it - rather than want it and not have it.

I would suggest you look into the Canon Legria HF S series. Decent lens diameter and imaging chip size for the price, external mic jack and manual audio gain control. Please do not compare their video quality to a $4,000 camcorder - especially under poor/indoor lighting conditions. The lesn diameter is only 58mm and single imaging chip is 1/3".

Tips:
Use a tripod or other steadying device.
On a camcorder, use the white balance.
Use an external stereo mic (Audio Technica has a decent, affordable ones) or audio recorder (like a Zoom H2) when recording music - the stereo separation is much better than mono audio.
Use the manual audio gain control.
Capture video under good lighting.
Use the White balance settings.
Capture video at highest quality.

The shoulder mount cams in your price range have small 37mm lens diameter. The Canon HF S series on a shoulder mount system will be much better. And when you go with the HF S series cam, that leaves you budget for the other stuff.

And we don't know if your computer needs to be upgraded to deal with the AVCHD compressed video.

what is the best HD camcorder for low light?

dream2win

Answer
the flip mino hd adjusts to low light

Friday, March 28, 2014

Best bang for buck HD video camera ?

i tried google searching, but way too man different models came up and found it hard to find a good selection to choose from. any suggestions?

Answer
Answer above me says the flip, watch this http://youtu.be/MfYNyiBSbRk

Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.

With a MiniDV tape camcorder, record 60 or 90 minutes ( camcorder settings), 90 seconds or less to change a tape and record for 60 or 90 more and repeat till you run out of tapes.

You can get a Canon ZR960 for $250. It is a MiniDV tape camcorder, has a Mic jack. You will need a firewire (IEEE1394) card ($25 to 30) for the computer and a firewire cable (less than 10) to be able to transfer video to your computer. To say this is not HD, think about this. It would cost in excess of $3500 to get a HD camcorder that could equal the video Quality of a $250 Canon MiniDV tape camcorder.

Good HD video cameras?

bdiabdo

I'm looking for a video camera mainly for indoor use but it will be used outdoors a bit too. It has to be around $170-$330. Also it has to have good reviews and not to complicated to use. And it has to shoot in HD.
Thanks So Much.

Answer
With the Camileo H30 you can enjoy state-of-the-art technology with 1080p Full High Definition Video and take sharp 10MP photos. Experience high definition up close. Take pleasure with your 5x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom and video stabilization. Control recordings on the large 3-inch touch-screen LCD monitor. Master great videos with 4 different recording modes: Macro mode for close up shots, motion detection mode for surveillance, slow motion for sports, and time elapse mode. Never miss the perfect moment! The H30 takes SD/SDHC memory cards up to 32GB (not included).

What are some really cheap HD cameras under 200$?

Anonymous

Answer
The best camera under $200 is currently the Nikon P310.

Well, maybe under $200. Nikon had a $100 instant rebate that expired on Mar 30, 2013. Check back periodically to see if that rebate is extended or not. Otherwise, you may be spending about $50 more, which is still a good deal.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/842326-REG/Nikon_P310B_Coolpix_P300_Digital_Camera.html

This camera normally sells for $300+, but it has just been discontinued for it's replacement, the P330. Since this is an annual (or semi-annual) event with most camera manufacturers (of compact cameras), you can often pick up an outstanding camera at a low price when they first become discontinued.

However, when this happens you have to act farily quickly as the stock is limited to what is on the dealer's shelves.

Why do I like the P310?

First, it has manual exposure controls (prorgam, shutter/aperture priority, manual), This gives you maximum flexibility in composing your photos.

Second, it has a fast f/1.8 lens, which rivals even the better grade DSLR lenses. What does this mean? Superior low-light performance, as the camera will gather 2 to 4 times more light than the typical compact camera.

It also does up to 1920x1080p @ 30fps "full" HD with stereo audio. But I am not much into video so that is not something I often use. If I want to do video, I have a camcorder for that.

And I own this camera, so it is not something I would recommend without having some experience with it. While the zoom range of this camera is less than those ridiculously high-powered zooms on bridge cameras, the lens on the P310 is vastly superior to those cameras. So while you won't be able to take a photo of a bird from a mile away, you will be able to take better photos within the range of the P310's zoom.

Is the Nikon Coolpix L810 6.1 Camera good for filming beauty videos on youtube?

Alyssa

i just started a channel, and im aiming to make videos like macbarbie07, stiliababs09, and jordynismyname, i started using the flip sony hd bloggie camera but it SUCKS. let me know about the nikon coolpix L810 16.1 camera :) and is vegas pro 8 a good editor to use, i own a windows computer! thanks to whoever answers (:

Answer
No, if you are serious about quality. As you didn't like Bloggie, you would mostly likely not like L810 too.
Most of us know that most compact cameras, or smart-phones like iPhones, are not good at video recording. If light is good, they do an okay job. When light is dull, they are almost unusable. Same is true for most consumer SLR cameras with kit lenses. So what do we do to take high quality High-Definition videos? Should we use an HD camcoder or a pocket camcorder like Sony Bloggie or UltraHD?
Most compact cameras don't do a good job in low light- for still images or for videos. If you zoom in, the shake becomes too obvious. Most DSLRs will do a little better as light level goes down but many of them will not auto focus during videos (because of the mirror which needs to be flipped for focusing). You can bypass this with a mirrorless camera which can auto focus, like Panasonic G or GF series but with Auto focus, you lose the control over which part of the frame, or on which person to focus on. If you have 3 persons in a frame, your Auto-Focus will not know which one you want to focus on. Why not? Silly, it is Auto-focus! It focuses by itself!! That is the reason you never see a professional movie or videos done with Autofocus.
Read this article if you are serious about video quality for beauty videos:
http://photography-with-any-camera.blogspot.com/2013/03/video-recording-with-dslr-is-it-worth-it.html

Why is a 1080p camcorder cheaper than a 3ccd?

benjo_ferr

why is this

http://usa.chinavasion.com/images/chinavasion-CVSEJ-A4402-side1.jpg

cheaper than for example a 3ccd one?

or is it?

Answer
Any Chinese camcorder is going to be cheap... but also disappointing.

These days, a 1920x1080 sensor isn't significantly more expensive than a standard definition sensor. What really costs is large vs. small. Most of these Chinese camcorders have very tiny sensors, 1/6", 1/8", possibly even smaller (I don't know any details of the model you like, I've never seen it before). This will cause very poor performance in low light.

A consumer level camcoder should have a single sensor at 1/3" or so, or perhaps three 1/4" or 1/6" sensors (Panasonic makes a bunch of consumer-priced 3-chip sensors... they typically underperform a single larger sensor in low light). A pro/prosumer camcoder will have three 1/4" or 1/3" sensors, probably whether it's HD or SD. It's the sensor size that's expensive these days.

Cheap flip camcorders?

Zoe

Anyone know of any really cheap but good quality small pocket / flip camcorders?
Looked on a few websites but the cheaper ones have mixed reviews
Thanks

Answer
Flip camcorders SUCK big time. And they have an ongoing battery issue. Get one and every 6 months, replace your rechargeable battery.

Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video. Not to mention, but the computer you upload your HD files to jas to have at least a 1 GB video card and a separate Audio card that can support Direct X 9 technology, you normal every day computer has massive troubles with HD video. Consumer level HD camcorders interpolate the video. This means they take one frame, make up the next 4 or 5 frames, take a frame and repeat this, over and over, for the remainder of the video, every video it takes is like this. With a MiniDV tape camcorder, record 60 or 90 minutes ( camcorder settings), 90 seconds or less to change a tape and record for 60 or 90 more and repeat till you run out of tapes.

You can get a Canon ZR960 for $250. It is a MiniDV tape camcorder, has a MIC jack. You will need a Firewire (IEEE1394) card ($25 to 30) for the computer and a Firewire cable (less than 10) to be able to transfer video to your computer. To say this is not HD, think about this. It would cost in excess of $3500 to get a HD camcorder that could equal the video Quality of a $250 Canon MiniDV tape camcorder.

http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Camcorders/High_Definition_HD/HV30/index.aspx

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Flip video ultraHD Camcorder?

Michael

With the flip and the software could you play your video in slow motion? If so is it good quality still? At least good enough to see a golf swing and the club?

Answer
Hi Michael:

The better of the Flip camcorder models will record at 60 frames per second (fps) which is twice the normal NTSC TV frame rate of 30fps. But without any ability to change the shutter speed (what fraction of the 1/30th or 1/60th of a second the image is actually scanned at), you'll have a fairly blurred image in each frame of motion. (Just think of a still camera taking a golf swing at a shutter setting of 1/30th or 1/60, and you'll see what I mean.)

There are other camcorder brands and models, for not much more money than the Flip series, that will take up to 300 & 600 fps video AND have fast-action shutter speeds up to 1/1000 of a second. (JVC Everio series is one brand.)

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.

What can I do for Valentine's day for my guy?

Viki

We've been together almost 4 years (anniversary is 4 days before Valentine's Day), and we just got engaged over the holidays. I want to do something nice for him, because he's really romantic and stuff (I'm just pretty much practical) and I noticed that he updated his MySpace to say "10 more days!" and put "excited" or something like that as his mood yesterday. So I know he's looking forward to the day, and I want to make sure I do my part to make it special. I don't know if he's planning a surprise, but I need to take that into consideration because I'm no good at pleasantly surprised reactions - you'll never catch me jumping up and down with glee. I want to be sure that I have a satisfying reaction to whatever his plans might be, and I would like to also have something nice to surprise him with.

I know I'm entirely too analytical for this... but I'd like to try, because I do care immensely and making him happy makes me happy.
Any ideas? He's into movies, sci-fi, selling diamonds (he's a jewelry consultant, I think that's why he's so into romantic stuff), and um... well? I dunno... I just want to do something nice for him.
Yes, he is totally a romantic at heart. This might be a good idea. He did, after all, mention recently that he'd like a beach wedding... I guess this kinda goes along with that idea. I don't know... do you think it would be ready in time if I ordered it today?

--Still open to suggestions!!--

Answer
Gifts for Him:
Camcorders
Golfing Supplies
Games for Wii
Games for XBox
Games for Playstation 3
Board Games for Adults
Video Game Consoles & Accessories
MP3 Players
Golf Club Sets

Practical Gifts for Him:
Sat Nav
Software
Digital Cameras
Outerwear
Chronograph Watches
PDAs
Tie Clips
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http://www.amazon.com/gp/gift-central/&tag=valentines.gifts-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

anyone please help with language analysis english homework please?

johnny

Below is an article i need to Analyse.i need to mention what persuasive techniques are used and examples of these techniques.

Andrew Bolt

June 10, 2009 12:00am

GORDON Ramsay didn't realise Australians had suddenly developed a few manners. Well, some of us.

Not that I blame him. It's taken even The Chaser by surprise, which is why the boys found themselves yanked off air by the ABC last week for mocking dying children.

* Blog: Chat with Andrew

Nor did Channel 9's Sydney version of The Footy Show twig, thinking a mere apology from host Matthew Johns for having group sex with a now devastated teenage fan was all that was required to keep him on air.

Sam Newman didn't get it, either, and was startled to find himself sin-binned by Channel 9 for fondling a cut-out likeness of a female sports writer.

Even our artists - or should I say especially our artists - have been caught short, defending with their baas photographer Bill Henson for stripping and snapping a 13-year-old model for a perv's-delight portrait, only to find the police busting in, the Prime Minister roaring of his disgust, and the Australia Council waving a censor's scissor.

So if locals didn't see our new prudery coming, who can blame a mere British blow-in like Ramsay for giving his audience at the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show more of the gobful he assumed they'd seen before and had paid good money to see again?

He'd drawn them through the turnstiles by abusing people, hadn't he? And the fouler the better, he'd learned to his profit.

Oh, yes. How we've coaxed Ramsay into this charmless caricature of his better self. Talk about Dorian Gray.

Ramsay in his earlier and terrific Kitchen Nightmares series had been passionate, direct and honest, and his bad language seemed just the natural, if unfortunate, byproduct.

But it quickly became clear that his abuse, not his cookery or his passion, was tastiest to the mob, so Ramsay made it the signature dish of Hell's Kitchen - a series I found too thuggish to watch, but which made him a star in the US.

And Channel 9 lasciviously screened it all - every screaming Ramsay tirade against some fumbling kid, diner, cook or housewife who'd dare to take their dreams of chefdom on to his set.

Not once did Nine complain. Abuse meant ratings, after all.

But now Ramsay has abused not some kitchen nuff-nuff, but Nine's own Tracy Grimshaw - and done so just weeks after she won praise and viewers for so comprehensively damning Johns.

Once again, Ramsay could hardly be blamed for not seeing the line he'd crossed. Was there even one?

After all, Grimshaw had just had him on her show, hoping to profit yet again from his viewer-drawing foul mouth.

So delighted was she with his efforts after their flirtatious banter that she even included - for ratings points - Ramsay's jeering at a mole on her face: "Is that a wart? It looks like your little sister's on your lip."

Ramsay actually said that after their recorded interview was over, but before the cameras were turned off.

Yet Channel 9 wanted so badly to use it that it put to air what it now condemns. How often the media feeds on what it then claims in mock-horror is foul.

Little wonder that Ramsay the next day gave his food show audience more of the very same, with extra sauce.

Grimshaw, he haw-hawed, was ugly, wide and cold inside. Joking about swine flu, he flashed up pictures of Miss Piggy and a woman on all fours with the teats of a sow, and snickered that they were of the Current Affair host.

It was boorish, brainless and without even the slightest excuse of "context".

Yet on the video I've seen of Ramsay's presentation I could hear the audience laugh and laugh again. They were getting exactly the shock show they'd paid for. Ooh, that wicked Gordon.

But there were also gasps and groans from a few - although mostly at Ramsay's even fouler mockery of Susan Boyle, the Britain's Got Talent singer and a much weaker target for a bully.

Even then, however, Ramsay might have felt he'd get away with it.

AFTER all, his tirade was all over almost every newspaper and TV news bulletin, guaranteeing him yet more eyeballs for his next show.

Even Nine responded by offering him yet more of what keeps his show on the road, reportedly asking him back on A Current Affair to confront the hurt Grimshaw.

For Ramsay, it seemed so much like just another day in the kitchen that he couldn't believe this time he'd gone too far: "I find it hard to believe that anyone was offended . . . I never thought of anyone in Australia having to be wrapped up in cotton wool."

Indeed, rather than apologise, he gave the same dose to Rove McManus on Channel 10, calling him a "dwarf" and sneering at the alleged size of his penis.

Ramsay may still have judged his audience correctly, of course, if ratings is all he's after. We'll see when - and if - his next series screens here.

Yet, I suspect he's actually reached o

Answer
Hi

Just get he essential key ideas from this article and summarize it

Cheers!!!!!

Which smartphone should i buy?

ariane

I reaserched between the sony xperia c & samsung galaxy grand. I found out that the xperia has a 0.3 mp front cam wheras the grand has a 2mp front cam.The xperia has a 4gb memory whereas the grand has 8gb. I dont have budget prblms but which one do you think is better? Please help!

Answer
Sony has given the Xperia C its signature design aesthetic with its well defined rectangular shape, barely there curves and its premium build quality. The handset is slimmer, sleeker and lighter than its competitor and thus more portable.

The Galaxy Grand Duos looks like a typical Samsung handset with its curved edges, large body and plasticy casing. Though not as light and portable as the Xperia C, the handset is convenient to hold and use.

Display
The Xperia C packs in a 5-inch TFT qHD display that comes with a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels and a pixel density of 220ppi. The screen is clear and quite sharp, and its size makes it ideal for communication and entertainment on the go.

The Galaxy Grand Duos sports a 5-inch TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and a pixel density of 187ppi. Its size makes it useable for media and entertainment and its screen is clear and easy on the eyes, though it lacks the sharpness of its competitor.

Sony wins the display round with its sharper display.

Camera

The Xperia C comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash, Exmor R sensor which allows user to capture images in challenging light conditions. In addition the phone is also capable of shooting videos in full-HD (1080p) mode. The camera comes with features like face detection and Sweep Panorama. The phone also sports a 0.3-megapixel front camera. Also, the phone body comes with a dedicated camera button that lets you access it in a jiffy.

Samsung Galaxy Grand also has a 8 MP primary camerathat comes with an LED flash and a very powerful BSI sensor. The smartphone comes with features such as geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection and image stabilization. The camera allows HD filming at 30 frames per second. The phone has a 2 MP secondary camera. The primary or the rear camera comes equipped with picture modes catering to user requirements. The user can also adjust the brightness of the shooter to take clearer and brighter images with the camera even in dull indoor conditions. Some great camera modes in the camera include the Burst, Smile and Panorama. The Panorama mode provides a maximum angle 180 degree for the panorama pictures.

The analysis suggests that the Xperia C fares better in terms of having a quad-core processor, powerful battery and better resolution. On the other hand, Samsung scores in terms of storage capacity and better front facing camera.

Should i get the kodak playsport zx5 or the sony bloggie touch?

Jasmine

I wanted to get a new pocket camcorder and I can't decide between the kodak playsport and bloggie. The kodak is waterproof which is good (though I can only put to use the waterproof feature on vacation at summer and if we go to the beach) and shockproof which is also good because i tend to drop things easily. i don't really like the screen its kinda small and since i have a flip i know from experience. the kodak i know is good for adventures, and that is really what i do a few times a summer, like hike, bike, but i only do that in the summer or on spring break.
the sony has a sleek design which i LOVE and the screen is bigger and touchscreen. i love the WHOLE design of sony. i wish that it was waterproof though, because if i got a waterproof one (which is what i aimed for in the beginning) then i could take it anywhere with no limits :)

i love both (kodak because its waterproof and the design is ok but not my fav) (sony cause of the design )

here's also one question that i really want to be answered! lol :)
if you have a smaller display screen and a larger display screen (like the kodak is 2 inches and the sony is 3 in.) will you still capture the same amount of what you want to capture? or will u have to stand back if your display screen is smaller?
it kinda sounds dumb that i don't know the answer, but yeah i really don't know.
please answer! :)

Answer
Kodak PlaySport (Zx5) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera is just what I wanted to take to the beach. It shoots great video. Not so great pictures, but that isn't why I bought it. I even dropped it once and it is still working fine. I wish it had a lense cover because I slip it into my pockets all the time, and I'm afraid it will eventually become scratched.

Kodak Playsport zx5 question?

Jason Quin

I just got the Kodak Playsport zx5 on Saturday, hoping to use it to tape some segment of a concert that im going to this upcoming Wednesday.... So my question is, Whats the battery life of this camera? Lets say I want to tape like 15 clips of a 4-6 minute length and I fully charge the battery... will the battery hold up?

Whats the battery life

Answer
Hi Jason:

According to reviews, you'll get about 2 hours of continuous use from a full-charge. See Camcorder.Info's review page: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Kodak-Playsport-Zx5-Camcorder-Review/Handling-and-Use.htm

Don't expect great sound from a pocket camcorder at a concert; it's not going to look or sound like a music video. Just enjoy the show, don't bug your concert neighbors holding up your camera the whole show, and you'll have more fun.

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
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HD Digital Video Camcorders?

Bot

First I wanted to start off saying I got a coupon offer in the mail today offering me a Free Digital Video Camera from Staples on any orders of $100 or more. Now I am good with computers and perform a lot of special effects with Adobe After Effects, but I am not to savvy with camera specifications.
The specifications listed on this camera are:
3.1 - megapixel video
4x Digital Zoom
32MB built-in memory
1.5" color LCD screen
USB, Audio/Video cables included.
This camera doesn't seem that good really and it didn't tell me the resolution or anything and I can't find it on their website but they claim it is of $89 value. Is this camera worth spending the $100 for on things I need such as new headphones, maybe a new printer and or ink and whatnot?
Or would it be better to use the $25 off coupon offer on one of these Cameras?
http://www.staples.com/Aluratek-CINECAM-AHDVC01F-HD-Digital-Video-Camcorder/product_832347
http://www.staples.com/Aluratek-CINECAM-AHDVC02F-HD-Digital-Video-Camcorder/product_867539
http://www.staples.com/Aluratek-CINECAM-AHDVC03F-HD-Digital-Video-Camcorder/product_867618

Keep in mind when choosing one of these that I am only looking to spend around $100. But these cameras have different specs, such as 720p (1280 x 720) with 60fps and then the other two have 1080p (1440 x 1080) with 30 fps. So is the resolution more important than the fps? I want better than standard definition of course, but Idk if the jump to 1080 with less fps is worth it.
Please provide all information answering my multiple questions along with side notes or your own opinion.

Answer
The camcorder they are giving you is no better than what you can do with a cell phone. Use the money for the other things you need. If you want a decent camcorder for $100.00 (actually $115.00) consider a Kodak Zi8 (amazon.com).

1080 and 720 are both HD resolutions. Many pocket cams record in 720p which is great for viewing on a LCD monitor (direct or upload to the web, like YouTube). To view 1080, you would need a monitor that supports 1080, like a HDTV (connecting the cam to an HDTV and watching the video) or burning your 1080 video on Blu-ray disks. Don't get to hung up on 30fps or 60fps. These are frame rates. 60fps is useful for fast action but 30fps is fine for just about everything, and it's closet to common movie frame rates anyway.

Anyone no of a great professional camcorder?

ponechaisi

I am starting video production and am wondering what equiptment is the best to buy, at an affordable price. I guess I am wanting a professional camcorder at a budgeter's price.

Answer
Great question. Here are my top picks for the best professional camcorder. I have taken price into consideration. If you want HD:

1) Red Scarlet (coming soon, 2009) $3,000
2) Sony PMW-EX1 $6,000
3) JVC GY-HD200U $5,500
4) Panasonic AG-HVX200 $5,000
5) Canon XH-A1 $3,300

RED SCARLET: Many are skeptical about the Red Scarlet as it is a relatively unknown brand, but I believe it is the best professional camcorder under $10,000. No contest. With a traditional camcorder, like that made by Sony, Canon, etc, you'll be lucky if you get one that records in true HD. That is, most camcorders do NOT record in true 1920 x 1080 resolution, apart from the Sony PWM-EX1, as listed above. The Red Scarlet however, records footage in 3K, that is about 150% of the resolution of 1920 x 1080 HD. All that for $3,000. I don't know how well the Scarlet will perform when it is released in 2009 as far as color reproduction, cinematic look, audio capabilities, and manual controls, but I do know that it gives you better resolution than any camera I know of under $20,000. Therefore, the Red Scarlet is definately worth looking into. 3K footage for under $3K is a total steal!
______________
SONY PMW-EX1: It is a relatively new camcorder that records to tapeless media the SxS cards. The EX1 has better resolution that its Canon, Panasonic and JVC competitors, as the XDCAM cards do NOT compress nearly as much as HDV. Another huge advantage is that it has 3 CMOS chips that are 1/2" each, as opposed to 1/3" or smaller chips found on every other camera under $10,000. The larger image sensor gives your picture a much narrower depth of field, which is great for budding filmmakers, wanting that look of celluloid film. The only setback is that the EX1's media format, the SxS XDCAM media cards only record about 25 minutes of high quality footage on the supplied card, and purchasing additional cards is very expensive.
_______________
JVC HD200U
The HD200U is no Sony, Panasonic, or Canon, but it is an excellent camera nonetheless. Some pro reviews have said that the earlier model, the HD110U was the second best camera as far as picture quality in the prosumer level, next to the Canon XL-H1, which is $8,000. I really like the HD110 and HD200 as it is the only prosumer HD camera, apart from the XL-H1 with interchangeable lenses, rather than a built in lens. The only problem is that the HD200U does not record HD in 1080p or 1080i, but instead, it only has a lower-resolution 720p mode. To me, this isn't all that bad, as I prefer 720p at 60fps over 1080p at 30fps; it blurs much less, but you'll have to make the decision. Numerous independant films have been shot on the JVC HD110 and HD200, so its an excellent camera!

_______________
Panasonic HVX200: The HVX200 is a great inexpensive choice for the indie filmmaker. It has excellent picture quality and an excellent 24p mode. Another huge upside is that it records to both HDV OR P2 cards, so its really convenient. However, it does not have quite as good picture quality as the Sony EX1, nor does it have interchangeable lenses like the JVC HD200. It's an excellent, well-rounded HD camera nonetheless. I found it works excellent with the Redrock M2 35mm adapters though.
____________
Canon XH-A1: The XH-A1 is rated as one of the best cameras out there for its combination of quality and value for your money. I agree. It's a nice, well rounded camera; relatively easy to use (compared to the others at least) and is packed with loads of features, making it an excellent value. My only problem is that it does not have a 720p mode. It also lacks a real 24p mode, and instead has what Canon calls a 24f mode. According to Canon, the 2 are identical, but I really don't know.

For standard definition, which is still a great option, as HD is still new and expensive:
1) Panasonic AG-DVX100B $2,500
2) Canon XL2 $3,000
3) Sony DSR-PD170 $2,500

I really can't decide whether I like the DVX100B or the XL2 better. I'm leaning towads the DVX100B as a better overall camera (and its very user friendly), but then again, the XL2 has interchangeable lenses. Both can record in 24p, which is a great option. The PD170 is a total low-light wonder, is easy to use, but does not have a 24p mode.

If this is still not what you had in mind for a budget, here are some decent consumer HD cameras:
1) Sony HDR-HC3 and HDR-HC9
2) Canon HV20 and HV30

both are HDV. I highly recommend it. I can't stand mini DVD or flash media. HDV is also considerably better than Hard Disk camera; they don't compress your footage quite as much.

Hope that helps, and I apologize if that's still not what you had in mind. Well good luck, and have fun!!!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Video Camera With External Mic Input?

Eugene S

I'm in the market for a Video Camera, stipulations are that it has an external mic input and is about 500 bucks. Although I don't mind paying more if it warrants the price. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer
At that price range, Canon... like the FS series (standard definition flash memory) or ZR960 (standard definition miniDV tape). What you likely will not find is manual audio control in a camcordeer at that price point. I *think* the least expensive consumer camcorder with a mic jack and manual audio control is the Canon HV40.

Some Sony and Canon consumer camcorders have a "MicRefLevel (Sony) or "Mic Attenuator" (Canon) toggle setting in the menu for "Normal" or "Low" - low gain is for loud audio so the auto mic gain control does not get overwhelmed and record muddy or staticky (clipping).

Good Camcorder External Mic?

Niji

I have a great camcorder and I want to use it, but looking at other's videos at the beach and so on it's clear that wind is a big problem. I want to get a good stereo external mic, but it must have a good windscreen or effective dead cat/kitten. I hope you use a steadycam also so it really needs to
be attached to the camera.
Can anyone recommend a good camcorder mic that doesn't protrude too much and not cost an arm and a leg?

Answer
Rode make a good stereo mic. http://www.rodemic.com/mics/videomicpro
I do not know if your camcorder has mic input as you did not say type of camcorder!

Best consumer camcorder?

Caseman238

I want to buy a new camcorder. I prefer Canon, but might consider something else. I usually videotape fire scenes for our local dept, and i film trains some. I would probably be doing some indoor shoots too, such as a school Christmas play. Here is what i'm looking for:
* Preferably under 600$
* I want to attach a shotgun mic to it (such as RODE videomic)
* I may want to add a led light for shooting also.

Answer
his wahat I was told :
The problem with HD is that it is not a video standard, rather it is a marketing term that describes a frame size only (i.e Full HD is 1920 x 1080).

The quality varies widely, and cameras run from under $100 to over $100,000 (not a typo). Along with normal camera parts and pieces such as lens quality and light gathering, the quality is also dependent on the data-rate, the LESS time you can record on a given size card or hdd, the better the video.

The final nail in HDs quality coffin is the compression. Only a fraction of the 25 or 30 frames per second are from light processed by the sensor. In some cameras MOST of the frames are mathematically calculated based on frames ahead and behind.

So, before the merits of SD, the limits of HD...

Really cheap cameras will get 6 or under gb of data per hour.
Name brand, cheap cameras typically get 8 gigs/hr
About $350 or so, the consumer twinkie cams get 11 gigs/hr. This does not change even into the top of the line, $2000, consumer twinkie-cams.

DSLRs get 20 gigs and approach very good quality, but they do have a host of other issues that make them ill suited for recording long events like a wedding. All over the web and here on "Answers".

Pro cameras start at $3000 and get 25 gigs/hr HOWEVER the compression has improved to 4:2:2 intraframe compression, no frame depends on its neighbors. Quality and cost go way up from here.

SD, MiniDv based cameras for consumers are few new, Canon stopped their last one in January, the ZR960. But this format is still popular for pros and TV field use. Remember this frame size is 1/6th that of HD, yet it gets 13 gigs/hr of data and is 4:2:2 compression. In other words, very good quality.

Your problem is that your fellow consumers gave up quality for ease of use. Your only options now, unless you can find unsold DV cameras, is to go with a used camera or spend the $800 or more to get a HDV camera. (HD version of MiniDv, 1440 x 1080 typically).

The other issue is that for consumers, DV and HDV is actually MORE data intensive than HD for storage (The tapes are a built in archive, though) and editing. You will need a firewire port on your computer.

HD from ANY twinkie camera is fine for small screens, computers, phones, youtube. But even on a moderate HDTV it starts to fail in quality. My SD, Canon GL-2's video can be up-converted to HD and is better than native HD the small consumer cameras.

If you can find on, DV will give you better video in more environments. DSLR may be an option, just know their limits. HDV is very good and the best you can get under $1000 new.

Just depends on budget, specific uses and your intended media...
Scott's answer is spot on, but there's still the issue of editing. As Scott said, the HD formats throw away most of the video data - this is fine for the finished product (Blu-ray, DVD) but not good for editing. Most of the frames you want to edit have to be reconstructed on the fly - this needs a lot of computer power. Another problem is that every change you make is likely to degrade the video quality - if your business is providing good quality video, can you afford to do that? Then there's the final render - this will almost certainly be to a lossy format - this has to involve some loss of quality but it's worse if you're starting with a lossy format.
Someone said that cards are easier for editing - the only thing that's easier is the ability to put the card in a reader - it's a very slim advantage!
new is not the same as better. so the real question depends on whether you need "better" because of intended commercial use, or "newer" because its just for home hobby use.

The reason miniDV can be edited by all computer editors, including the freebie ones, is because it is open source code and has not been messed with for over 15 years. yep, a Windows95 could edit miniDV. further, its low compression of 6:1 greatly reduced the computational power demanded of the CPU to keep up in real time. Contrast that with AVCHD which is a proprietary secret invented by Sony and only available to editing programs that are willing to pay exorbitant license fees. That is why it doesn't come as a freebie. And the code is not fixed, AVCHD has undergone significant changes every year since being introduced, moving from a lousy 200:1 compression to a somewhat respectable 40:1 compression in current top level consumer cameras. So if you buy a discounted older model editor, it might not work at all with a new camera. AVCHD was designed by Sony to be strictly amateur grade, Sony designed XDcam for professional use and the differences are not trivial.

IMHO miniDV will continue to be a viable commercial format as long as movie DVDs remain as the primary distribution media. not everybody wants to view videos on a computer, and that goes double for the mother of the bride, the one paying the bill.

I want to shoot high quality digital video (not high def), what digital camcorder should I get?

Any pro-sumer camcorder under $3000 is good? Any good one under $2000?

Answer
You are in the right target range - basically, the largest lens and imaging chips you can get in the camcorder - in the price range you can afford - keep in mind that you should not spend you whole budget on the camcorder. Audio and stability devices - Mics and tripod/crane/steadycam-glidecam devices - and lights will be needed. Maybe even a lens or two.

Standard definition
Canon GL2 & XL2, Sony DCR-VX2100, Panasonic AG-DVX100 series.

Any particular reason you don't want high def? They can all capture standard def, too... Sony HDR-FX1000 & HVR-V1U, Canon XHA1...

Looking for an HD camcorder. 1080p or 1080i?

Danny

It has to be under 400$ and it needes to be best quality

Answer
You will be hard pressed to find 1080p for under about $650.

These are the brands I would trust and recommend: Canon, JVC, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo and Sony. There are many low end junky cameras on the market. If the specs look too good to be true, there's probably something wrong. For example, there is no such thing as an HD camcorder for less than $200 worth buying. In fact, even under $250 is going to be marginal at best.
The accessories you buy are just as important. Tripod, lighting, microphone, etc are something you don't want to overlook. You will be hard pressed to find a camcorder for less than $500 with the ability to take an external microphone. At some point, even if you are only a little serious, you will regret not having a microphone jack.

Whatever brand/model you are interested in, chances are good somebody on YouTube has uploaded sample, review or test video from it.

Cheap, good, 1080p, HD, video camera help.?

panag3

Hello.

I need a cheap HD video camera for a POV short film i'm going to do soon. All I need for it to do is shoot clear HD video and use SD cards (or something that is easy to import into Final Cut)

Looking to spend under $300.

Thanks for any help.

Answer
Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video. Consumer level HD camcorders interpolate the video. This means they take one frame, make up the next 4 or 5 frames, take a frame and repeat this, over and over, for the remainder of the video, every video it takes is like this.With a MiniDV tape camcorder, record 60 or 90 minutes ( camcorder settings), 90 seconds or less to change a tape and record for 60 or 90 more and repeat till you run out of tapes.

You can get a Canon ZR960 for $250. It is a MiniDV tape camcorder, has a Mic jack. You will need a firewire (IEEE1394) card ($25 to 30) for the computer and a firewire cable (less than 10) to be able to transfer video to your computer. To say this is not HD, think about this. It would cost in excess of $3500 to get a HD camcorder that could equal the video Quality of a $250 Canon MiniDV tape camcorder.

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/zr960

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Best 1080p Quality Camcorder under $300?

Ryan maffi

Hey everyone, so I am in the market for a high quality camcorder. I know 1080p is 1080p, but most people know every camera is different, some 1080p will be much better than others. I want to know which camcorder is best for filming 1080p, and moving motion. I really like having bright, colorful lighting as well. I'm also on a $300 limit. Thanks for the input.

Camcorder for recording tennis?

Tony

Hi. I need a recommendation for a good camcorder for recording me and my friends playing Tennis. I need 60fps 720 minimum. And durability will come in handy since if it's on a tripod, we might knock it over during a point. Also a good mic recommendation for outside windy days. Thanks for any help. :)

Answer
Your on a tennis court, the only Microphone that would cover the whole court would be a a Parabolic Microphone, the one you see sound men for Football games wandering around with. Then someone to hold it and direct, Also, no Camcorder has that big of a field of vision that it could cover both ends of a tennis court at once, so someone is needed to operate the Camcorder also.

HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi port processor computer with the big 1GB Graphics card and a Sound card that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files these camcorders produce.

Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording Consumer Level HD Camcorder and DSLR Cameras, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some Consumer Level HD Camcorders and DSLR Cameras. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders and DSLR Cameras or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.

MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/vixia_hv40#Overview

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