Professionals Only - Sony DCR-SR100 or HDR HC3?

Question

I am going to make and sell dvd's (after uploading footage and editing) and am looking for a good starter camcorder. the dcr-sr100 has a hard drive and i was wondering if that is direct-to-edit? i hear that the format still needs to be converted before it can be edited and used on a computer. i know that the hdr-hc3 will have higher quality as it has 3ccds vs 1ccd on the sr100. does the sr100 shoot high enough quality to shoot mtn bike footage and produce for sale? i guess i am only interested in the sr100 because i think that it might be d-t-e. otherwise could you tell me if i need anything other than a firewire port on my comp to upload footage from the hdr-hc3? also, any suggestions for the editing software, e.g., windvd or sony vegas?

Answer 1

dont say professionals only, no offense to you. i think even the pros can learn sometime as well as people with less knowledge. i think from what you want to do, both cams arent good ideas. im saying no the sr100 because its a hdd cam, and that would be fine, if its video quality was good for its price. the hc3, and even though its hi-def, features dont make it stand out. it lacks manual controls, especially shutter and aperture control. you could make your videos, but i think theres something better out there.

for around the price of a hc3, you could get a pv-gs500 (or 400 if you can find one) that have great manual functions and are 3ccd, and for around the same price or maybe a little more, you can get a canon gl2, which offers great quality for shooting video that your going to sell.

if you absolutely have to have hi-def, or maybe size is a bit of an issue (gl2 is slightly bigger than most cams), then get the hc1 instead of the hc3, its little bit more expensive, but i think it might actually perform better than its newer cousin. or if you absolutely have to have one of the cameras you asked about, get the hc3. unless you somehow edit with no quality loss, its a good choice over the sr100.

for editing programs, id suggest (believe it or not) windows movie maker, its cheap, and its easy, and if you dont have to do complicated video sequences, use that.

if you want something better, go for adobe premiere pro or vegas, ive use premiere pro, never seen vegas, so do some searching yourself. and yes all you need is a firewire port and some hard drive space. hope this helps and happy filming and editing!