Best Digital Camcorder?

Question

I want to buy a digital camcorder. Which brand do you recommend and why? I'd like to know all it's features and if you remember, the price.

I would specifically like your personla experience with Digital camcorders. I have trouble trusting magazines.

Answer 1

From personal experience I would go with a Canon. I've used Sony and JVC camcorders before, but they either weren't as user friendly or didn't give the same picture quality. I personally own two Canon Optura Xis that I use for filming weddings and could not be happier with the results (My clients are always happy too). They are generally on the high end of the consumer market but good used ones can still be found for $400 - $500 on eBay or Yahoo! auctions.

The features that you want are very dependent on what you plan to use it for. I would recommend a camcorder with firewire output if you plan to do any editing on your computer. An optical zoom of 25x to 30x is more than you could probably ever need and know that having a huge digital zoom is not all it's cracked up to be because it starts to lose picture quality. As far as media storage type, everything I have read about the alternatives (Hard disk and DVD) says that miniDV is the way to go because of ease of use or price. The only downside is having to buy tapes, but the average person can probably get away with only a few tapes and they are still cheaper than DVDs. I would recommend any Canon in the Optura series or the ZR series. My friend has a ZR-700 and swears by it as well. Any of these series of camcorders can be had for around $300 - $400 which is competitive with any other brands with similar features. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Here's a list of the top camcorders for 2006 for the different price ranges:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/CamInfo-Selects-2006.htm

You can also research other camcorder models at this website. General, you can't go wrong if you choose from the top camcorder manufacturers: Sony, Panasonic & Canon.

Answer 3

Panasonic, Panasonic, Panasonic!

***And no, I am not a sales rep for Panasonic, I just believe they have the best products out there.***

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***

***I would recommend miniDV camcorders because for the price, what you can get is way better than what you can get with a DVD camcorder. And the tapes are pretty much comparable in price to the DVD's. The DVD camcorders are a newer technology and they haven't perfected everything yet. The only positive thing about the DVD camcorders is that you can get the video on your computer or on your DVR in a matter of seconds. With miniDV, it takes a little longer.***

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. Other good Panasonic brand camcorders include the PV-GS320 and the PV-GS500 but the higher the model number, the higher the price.

•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.
o.2 MP photo size is 640 x 360
o.3 MP photo size is 640 x 480
o1 MP photo size is 1280 x 960
o2 MP photo size is 1600 x 1200
o2.4 MP photo size is 2048 x 1152
o3.1 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, DVD, 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!