how many mega pixels should a good mini DV video camera have?

Question

ok so i'm shopping for mini DV camcorders on ebay. and i was wondering how many Mega Pixels should a good one have?
i saw some from china on ebay that have 3.1....is this enough? what is the standard? i'd love to have more info on this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-1-MP-Digital-Video-Camcorder-Camera-Mini-DV-DV182-DC_W0QQitemZ130075662327QQihZ003QQcategoryZ11724QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

what does this mean?
Image Sensor: 2.0 Mega Pixels CMOS sensor (3.1 Mega Pixels Software Interpolation)

so is it true 3.1 Mega pixels?

Answer 1

I took a look at what you are thinking about getting on ebay...my advice: DON'T BUY THAT! PLEASE DON'T BUY THAT! I am a fellow ebayer myself and I have done lots of research on camcorders. I origionaly wanted to purchase one like that off of ebay, but I did about 3 months of looking around, checking out different sites, and going to the stores and looking at the camcorders before I finally made my choice. And this is not something you want to buy off of ebay. Especially since it is made in China...is a brand that no one has heard of...and it only has a 10 mm lens! Can you say, "CRAP!" You need something more like 37 mm for a camcorder. Trust me, you will not be happy with it. Don't be fooled by the cheap price and all the things that sound "good" about it because it really isn't that good. And shipping ($34.99) costs more than the camcorder itself...SCAM!

But if less than $100 is more of what you are looking for, then check out www.target.com...they have a few digital ones to choose from. They aren't miniDV...they are just digital with a memory card (I think.)

When you are talking about camcorders and megapixels the number of megapixels applies to any still photos you take...NOT video. The quality of the video depends on the quality of your lens, how many CCD's your camcorder has (3CCD is the best you can get which is roughly 3 x 800,000 pixels), and a few other features.

If you want a serious camcorder not a piece of junk read this, but know that you will end up spending between $400-1000 for a "good" one.

***Remember, miniDV tape format is digital and any video you take with a miniDV camcorder you will be able to use on your computer (to edit and make movies), on your tv (to play back your video), and if you have a DVD recorder you will be able to make DVD's from the video you have on the tape and then the tape becomes reusable***

Panasonic, Panasonic, Panasonic!

You should look for a camera that is similar to the one listed below. The Panasonic PV-GS300 is listed below and is a great camera for around $475. Why not go cheaper with a miniDV camcorder and get the best? Other good Panasonic brand camcorders include the PV-GS320 and the PV-GS500.

•10x Optical Zoom and 700x Digital Zoom
•2.7” Widescreen LCD Display (123,000 pixels)
•3CCD (3 x 800,000 pixel, 1/6” CCD image sensors for best quality and clarity photos and video. The same kind of system used in professional broadcast cameras means crisp color reproduction, thanks to a separate CCD for reds, greens, and blues. (most camcorders just have 1CCD)
•Recording system NTSC
•SP and LP recording and playback modes (most MiniDV tapes are 60 minutes, but in LP you can record 90 minutes on these tapes)
•Video and Photos can be taken in 16:9 (widescreen) or 4:3 (regular)
•High-quality Lecia lens (37 mm)
•5 preprogrammed auto exposure modes for a variety of shooting options
•OIS (optical image stabilizer…minimizes shake and vibration distortion) This is a helpful tool, but if you want still images use a tripod.
•Soft skin detail mode (softens details to reduce skin imperfections when shooting close-ups)
•MagicPix (allows full color recording in low light)
•1-touch navigation with easy joystick control
•3.1 MP photos in Photo Mode with build in flash that can be turned on/off. Photo size is determined by what mode you have the camcorder set at. (video/photo and 16:9/4:3) In Video mode, the photos are smaller and quality is not as good as taking a photo in Photo mode.
-0.2 MP photo size is 640 x 360
-0.3 MP photo size is 640 x 480
-1.0 MP photo size is 1280 x 960
-2.0 MP photo size is 1600 x 1200
-2.4 MP photo size is 2048 x 1152
-3.1 MP photo size is 2048 x 1512
•Min shutter speed is 1/30 sec
•Max shutter speed is 1/8000sec
•Built in Stereo Microphone
•Stores photos on SD Memory Card (slot located on bottom of camera)
•Stores video on MiniDV Digital Tapes
•USB 2.0 and Firewire IEEE 1394 compliant
•DV, AV, external mic, and USB ports (the included AV cable has RCA and S-Video outputs)
•PictBridge (direct printing from camcorder)
•Includes MotionDV and Quick Movie Magic software

What’s in the box?

•PV-GS300 Camcorder
•RCA/S-Video cable
•AC cable
•Battery and charger
•Remote control
•Hand and shoulder strap
•USB 2.0 cable
•Software

What you will need to purchase.

•MiniDV Digital Video Tapes. Most stores sell these tapes between $7-10.00/tape! Check out eBay for good deals on tapes...you can probably find them for around $3.00/tape.
•Carrying case (Circuit City and Best Buy have a good selection, but expect to spend about $20.00.)
•Firewire (DV) cable. You don’t necessarily need this, but the quality is supposedly better when transferring tapes to DVD. I haven’t noticed any difference between the two and I prefer to use the included RCA cables with my DVD Recorder. If you have a laptop or desktop that has a firewire port this will come in handy...but note, a firewire cable is NOT included on most camcorders. You do, however, get a usb 2.0 cable that works just fine. Check out www.accstation.com for cheap, but great quality firewire cables. And if you have windows xp, you can use windows movie maker to edit your videos. You shouldn't need to purchase any extra software.)

Stores and Prices

www.jr.com had it for under $475.00 (including shipping). Definitely check out this site. They offer great customer service, competitive prices, and fast/cheap shipping. They are located in New York and are a very reliable, trustworthy store.

•Circuit City…around $500.
•Best Buy…around $500.

Panasonic makes the best. If I were you, before you make an expensive purchase, do some research...look at customer reviews at www.camcorderinfo.com, www.bestbuy.com, www.circuitcity.com, or at any other review website. Most of those people that answer reviews do it for your benefit...they let you know if it is worth spending $500-1000+ for a certain product.

I have owned a JVC (miniDV), Sony (miniDV and hard drive), and Panasonic (miniDV and hard drive) camcorders and I have to say that the Panasonic are the best. They have the best quality...best design...are the easiest to use...and are more durable than JVC and Sony. I use them for my business, which is why I have used and tested so many different kinds.

***PLEASE...go to the stores and try them out...don't make a purchase online without actually holding one and testing out its functions.

***And also be careful...if you do a google search to try and find a store that sells the camcorder that you are looking for, for the cheapest price...do some research and check out that store before you make your purchase. There are many great deals out there, but at what cost? A lot of places will advertise a cheap price but then will try to get you to buy more equipment for your camcorder that should already be in the box! WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS! I can't stress that enough.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

It sounds like your a still photographer, or at least someone who's used to taking still pics, so I'll try to clear up of the things about video. First of all, video is constrained to limits, unlike pictures. For SD, sizes are constrained to 720x480 for NTSC (North America and Japan), or 720x576 for PAL (Mostly rest of the world, with a few exceptions). For HD, sizes are 1920x1080 for 1080p, or 1280x720 for 720p. This means that you could have an 8 bazillion megapixel sensor and your picture would still be constrained to a max resolution of 2.1 MP for 1080p HD. Note that image resolution has nothing to do with screen size; take for example the fact that there are 30 inch HD sets, but also 30 inch SD sets as well. But this doesnt mean that megapixels dont have an impact on image quality, just a fairly small impact. I think as long as you get something with 0.4 megapixels or above, your not going to see a huge difference. However, if you plan on taking still pictures with your camcorder (which probably isnt a good idea, since you probably have a digital camera anyways), then get one with a higher megapixel rating. And one last thing, interpolation does not mean true 3.1 megapixels. It means the sensor only has 2 megapixels, but it takes two pictures in a short period of time then puts them together as one to form a 3.1 megapixel picture. This is okay for static shots, but shoot anything thats moving, and you'll see the lines where the two different pictures interlace each other. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Nothing is cheap. Expect to pay a lot. Many cheap digital cameras will "blur" if the camera is moved while clicking. The capture speed is too slow. A more expensive camera will have sharper pictures. Go with 5 Mega-Pixel or better. Choose rechargeable lithium batteries. If you must go cheap, but with very good quality, then try an Aiptek camera. ----------------- Ignore jacobplano, what is he talking about??? Mini-DV is better quality than any DVD. Where can you buy a true 6-8 Mega-Pixel camera for the price of "one of those". One of those what???

Answer 4

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