Digital Camcorders?

[travisleit01]

I am looking to buy a decent digital camcorder before my lobbying trip to DC next month so I can capture all I can. I can spend $600 at the most, and don't care if it takes digital pictures too, as I will have my 3 MP digital camera with me. Oh - and I'm on a mac, if that makes any difference. What do you guys recommend?

[Deja Q]

1. Sony DCR-TRV33

It's $700 average street price, but is a great model. You might be able to find it for $629 on the net...

The Canon Optura 20 is also a great model, about the same price.

They're decent in low-light situations, but most digital camcorders have real trouble in dark/underlit scenes - keep that in mind.

Keep the 3MP digital camera with you as well; you won't get good detailed stills from a digital camcorder unless you spend $1500 on a prosumer model that's got multiple CCDs of higher resolution capability...

[travisleit01]

3. What about the Sony DCR-TRV38

I think it's pretty much the same as the 33 - $699 on Apple's website/in store. Do you know how the Memory Stick works?

[Rick Myers]

7. Memory Stick is a Sony idea

Just a different format of storage media. I have a Sony Clie (PDA) and a Sony camera, so I have used them. The reader for a PC is about $59, but you can always go back and forth thru the firewire port.

Honestly, I find the Mem Sticks easier to handle than the little SD and Flash mem cards. That really doesn't mean anything... It's ALL memory.

one edit: the mem stick is for stills!!!

[Taeger]

9. $59 ?????

If you paid $50 for a memory card reader, you got ripped off. Stop buying Sony's profit accessories.

A USB Memory Stick reader will cost as little as $10. You should pay no more than $30 at your local Circuit City (or McGadgets ... whatever).

Traditional Memory Sticks only go as high as 128MB. It shouldn't be a problem since video camera CCDs only go as high as 1 MegaPixel.

[Rick Myers]

5. I agree...

The Sony TRV-33 is a great camera, and I've seen it for $599 in the big box stores and about $500 online. It's the ONLY camera I've used that shoots video I can intercut with footage shot on 3-chip ($4000) cameras and not tell the difference.

I don't like the DVD idea for SEVERAL reasons. One, you still have to move footage to a computer to edit, the DVD's are not reusable and I've seen write errors due to vibration. You could get home and find the BEST shot of the trip has dropped frames.

IMHO

Rick

[wyldwolf]

2. I just got a SONY DCR DVD100

Records video and still shots on a mini-DVD.

VERY crisp picture and very cool.

Early Valentines gift from my wife.

[travisleit01]

4. MiniDV vs. Digital 8?

Which is better and what's the difference?

[Rick Myers]

6. No debate

Mini-DV.

D8 was just a quick way to get digital cams to market, writing digital info to 8mm tape. OBSOLETE the day it shipped.

[Taeger]

8. Digital 8 Obsolete????

Why is Digital 8 obsolete. It's just magnetic tape. One is smaller than the other. They record EXACTLY the same video format: DV.

Sony has a NEWER format out there called Micro-DV. They actually have chips on them that keep state and statistics about the tape. That's advanced.

Digital 8 is VERY nice for folks updating from Hi8. It plays all the Hi 8 tapes. Also, I've noticed that Sony's Digital 8 cameras have higher optical zooms on them.

BTW, there are longer capacity Digital 8 tapes out there that will hold 4 hours on extended play.

I have a Sony TRV-33 and I'm VERY happy with it. My ONLY beef is that the tape doesn't side load. It loads from the bottom meaning you have to take it off of the tripod in order to swap tapes.

I have to find a modified mount that will allow enough clearance to open the chassis and allow swapping tapes while on a tripod.