Digital Video Cameras

[Creamo]

Any advise on what to buy and why not just get a analog cam for half the price?

 I'd be using it for making short films available for family and friends to open off a website. I bought a Dazzle video connector that actually works fairly well for taking clips from DVD and VHS tapes and converting them to MPEGS, but was wondering if a digital camcorder is just the way to go.

[CyranoAH]

My opinion: Far better image quality, can work in poor lighting conditions, superb quality exporting to PC via the DV/Firewire port.

Daniel

[BB Gun]

YES.

Canon ZR-60 MiniDV.

[Westy]

Yes. IMO digital is the way to go. Alot easier to use for web material as well as for converting to DVD or VCD.

 I recently bought a new one. My 8mm analog camcorder died recently and I replaced it with a new Sony Digital8 DCR-TRV350.  I chose that camcorder with the Digital8 format over the  Mini DV because this Sony model allows me to use the camcorder to view my old 8mm analog tapes as well as record all future movies digitally.  The camcorder will convert old 8mm, Hi8 or digital8 to a digital signal which I can plug straight into my PC via Firewire and creat a DVD.  If I did not have a large library of old, analog "8" home movies I probably ould have gone with a Mini DV camcorder.  

 Also, the Consumer Reports top-rated digital camcorders were Canon ZR45MC (discontinued similar model is the ZR50MC), the Sony DCR-TRV350 and the_Canon ZR60.

[Creamo]

Ok, confession, I bought a Sony analog camcorder today. The Dazzle capture worked so well I figured just get a good name brand analog Camcorder I can capture video tapes too my computer.

The seal was broken on the box when they got it out of the back stock room, and I asked for a un-opened one. They assured me it was a inventory check, and I told them, "nice try at the bananna in the tail pipe, but get me a new one sealed." However, it was the last one, so no go. AND, (laugh now) the salesman checked it out. "It's all here!"


 When I got home and opened it, it was missing the charger, AND the charger cords. Cue laughing again.

 Back to the store.

 As it was the last one, I just said F it, and got the Sony digital cam, the TRV350, for the banana upgrade of another $260. Fine, whatever. I goofed around with it, it certainly seems cool, then I came home and read reviews that were less than encouraging on the net.

So is it Video experts being anal or should I take the 21 day return policy and just get something else?

[Sixpence]

I've found that by having a digital camara, I can take a picture anytime I want w/o having to worry about film in the camara. As time goes by you realize that you wish you had taken more pictures, and having a camara ready at all times makes that easier. If digital video camaras are the same, then it is more than worth the extra $$ to have those moments saved to look at years later and to pass on to your children.

[Westy]

" Video experts being anal"

  That's my take on it.  I saw those reviews too before I bought the Sony and I started questioning my choice. However I'm a casual user that wants some bells and whistles but I'm not out to tackle advanced video productions.  I also found some of the negative reviews were based on the camera being used as a still photo camera. That never mattered to me as I have an Olympus 3.2mp camera for that and had never even thought of using the camcorder for still shots.  
 Still, most "regular" people loved it from the reviews I read. That and I've really come to enjoy Sony's reliability. This will be my third Sony camcorder in ten years. The last two died from being thrown on a floor and the most recent one was found swimming in spilt milk at the bottom of a stroller.  I also figure since I'm a regular person (in real life) using it for regular duty - home movies, converting old tapes to DVD and even using it for web material that relatives in other states can click on to see short clips of birthdays or whatever - that this has everything I need. Although I am looking to buy a longer life battery as the one it comes with lasts only an hour. Not a long time if you're at a wedding, an outdoors event or away from an AC outlet.
 But if you have 21 days  to try it, and return it if not satisfied, then get crack'n.  Run it though it's paces and see how it works for you.

[Creamo]

TY Westy.

I also found some of the negative reviews were based on the camera being used as a still photo camera.

I got a digital camera for cheap on ebay and it works great, I never considered the camcorders worth for that.

[AKWeav]

YES.

Canon ZR-60 MiniDV.

Got one too. Great for importing to editing software, and capturing with video out equipt cards.

[Creamo]

So the Canon is better? Price diff?

[Siaf__csf]

I own a sony dcr-trv620 and dcr-pc8 (minidv) and both have provided great quality holiday movies.

The movies can easily be finalised through firewire and editing software. I made a nasty movie out of a friends bachelor party

[BB Gun]

The reason I like the cannon mini-DVs over the Sonys are:

-Better optical zoom  (18X on ZR-60, 20X on ZR-65)

-Analog pass through (dunno if later sony models have this, the early "inexpensive" ones did not)

-better form factor (for me, anyway)

-and ability to plug in an external mike to eliminate motor noise from recordings of events like plays and recitals.

The negative about the Canon, is that it has a fairly narrow field of view - somewhere around 53 degrees, IIRC.  Most other cameras have a measurably wider field of view, but not more than 5-10 degrees more.  Also, if you do a lot of tripod recording, the door opens up on the bottom, so you have to dismount the camera from the tripod to switch tapes.  thats a common affliction with many DV cameras, though.

I actually own a ZR-40 (precursor to ZR-60).  The only difference between it and the 60 is that the 60 doubled it's resolution, giving it a much sharper picture than my ZR-40.

The Sony Digital-8's have AWESOME low-light (not talking about no-light IR, but true low-light) capability - I was recording by candlelight WITHOUT using the "slow shutter" mode, and everything was visible, and even colors were mostly acceptable.  (about 30 candles, but I was in the balcony, and the subjects were on stage about 100 feet away) Buty they are bulky and have no microphone inputs or analog inputs (for converting tape to DV or passing analog video into the computer).  A bonus is that 8-mm tapes are about half the cost of Mini-DV tapes.

You will read comments about the motor noise being recorded for various models of camcorder.  From my experience (buying two different ones, borrowing two others) they ALL record motor noise to some degree.  I found the Sony digital-8 motor noise just as annoying as other people found the Canon's to be.  The noise is not noticeable in situations that have a lot of background noise, but when the background goes quiet, you can really hear the motor on the tape on most cameras.  Just a side effect of having the microphone built into the housing less than an inch away from the motors.  *shrug*

BB

[Eagler]

Studio8 is alot of fun in making movies

it is a task to go from sony dv cam to dvd but neat when complete

[GtoRA2]

Eagler
 Have you ever had any probs with Studio 8? I do support for it, I am the web board admin lol.

[Eagler]

Originally posted by GtoRA2
Eagler
 Have you ever had any probs with Studio 8? I do support for it, I am the web board admin lol.

cool - have to remember that

no real problems. I don't go to fancy with it. I use DVDit! to make the dvd content from the files/movies I create with Studio8 after I run them through TMPGEnc. Then burn to dvd with Nero 6. Sure there is a simplier way but this works.

I was stuck on the audio overlay trying to put his CD music over my sons high school wrestling movies but I figured it out - user error