planning to buy a camcorder...what all do i need to check?

Question

my budget is 25000 to 30000 rs. would a dvd camcorder or a cassette camcorder work best for me?

Answer 1

Keep in mind a few things when considering a new camcorder:

1. How much are you willing to invest?
That includes buying SD card, spare battery, smaller carry case or any accessories you don’t already have like a new tripod or case. If you set your max budget at $500, then you can get decent video quality for a $400 camera and spend another $100 on the accessories.

2. Who will use it?
In my household it is mainly me. But if you have to share with wife/kids, think about how the camera might get abused — which might be a legitimate reason to reduce your max budget.

3. Where will you use it?
Many consumer reviews complain that sub $500 camcorders typically don’t perform well in low light conditions. They are right. BUT if you are smart about where and when you use the camera, low light probably wont be an issue. Take advantage of natural light. Turn all the lights on in a room indoors, even during the daytime. Pick a well lit part of the room and try to steer your subjects there. Plus, some camcorders have a built in light or a shoe for an external accessory.

4. Do you want to digitize your old analog 8mm or VHS tapes?
If you have past experience recording to 8mm, VHS, VHSc, those old family memories are slowly deteriorating and Do-It-Yourself digitization has never been easier. Consider a camcorder with an A/V input to allow you to transfer from VCR or anaolog camcorder to MiniDV. Once on MiniDV, import into your Mac or Windows movie editing software will be easy. The Canon Elura 100 is one of the few sub $400 cameras I could find that had A/V input along with decent performance features.

5. Embrace widescreen and watch movies the way they were meant to be seen!
I’m a snob when it comes to DVDs. Every movie in my collection has to be widescreen. If my child receives a kid movie in full screen, I’ll sell it on Amazon and replace it with the widescreen version.
Widescreen television adoption is increasing and becoming more common place. So, get a camcorder that records real widescreen, not the fake full screen with black bars inserted at top and bottom. And be sure it has widescreen display because oddly some do not.

6. Don’t try to kill two birds with one stone.
Many camcorders now boast a 1.3 megapixel still camera capability. Popular advice still tends to be that you should invest in a separate, good quality digital camera. The camcorder still camera feature wont provide as high a quality as you can get from a dedicated digital camera. I carry both when I’m out with the family.

7. Don’t burn directly to DVD.
Sure camcorders with a built in mini DVD seems like a great idea — burn directly to a media that I can play in my DVD player without hassle. But many users complain that the video quality suffers.

8. Built in Hard Drives are cool, but expensive.
These will eventually make life much easier, but at this time it’s an extremely expensive solution.

Set your budget and stick to it. There are alot of nice cameras available, but be practical and keep focused on your definitive needs.

Hope this helps. Good luck

Answer 2

Well, you need to look at the battery life. Also, how often would you use it. Something that you would use a lot the cassette would be cheaper in the long run. However if you are only using it for family events, holidays and sparse vacations DVD would be best. Make sure when you buy the camcorder, that it includes the wires needed. Many sell without making you think you have a deal, however in turn you have to go right back out and buy the wires that is for the camera, and it would be special to the point of you paying a higher amount.

I pray that God will guide you to something that will fit your need!

Answer 3

It all depends really.. I have the Sony MiniDV handicam. I love it! It was priced right and has all the features I need. Plus the video quality is awesome and the tapes are much longer than the Mini DVD cams. I use my camera to video my daughter figure skating. I couldn't be happier. I purchased mine on ebay for more than $100 less than I would have in a retail store. Many come with warranties as well. Check them out here: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-1751-2978-71/1?AID=5463217&PID=2142836&mpre=http%3A//search.ebay.com/search/search.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3Dsony+minidv+handycam+camcorder

If the fact that the DVD cams recordable time is only half the amount of time that the dv cam records does not bother you then this is another good camera to look at: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-1751-2978-71/1?AID=5463217&PID=2142836&mpre=http%3A//search.ebay.com/search/search.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3Dsony+dvd+camcorder+dcr+dvd305.

This is also an excellent model w/ remarkable reviews.
Good luck!!

Answer 4

Here's a great camcorder buying guide:
http://www.easycamcorders.com/content/Beginners-Guide.htm

If you are into movie making, or just want to edit you family videos, I'd recommend a mini-dv camcorder. But if you just want to record and play/show your videos on TV, I'd go with a DVD camcorder. Either way, there are lots of camcorders to choose from - good luck with your purchase.

Answer 5

the DVD camcorder is the best.i know from experience it's the best camera on the market.

Answer 6

www.camcorderinfo.com is da best answer 4 u