Digital Camcorder Buying Guide (FALL 2010)

I. Different formats of digital camcorders

MiniDV: Historically the most common type of digital camcorder, this format has been replaced by hard drive and flash memory based machines. MiniDV format camcorders record video using standard DV-format onto a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. Tapes come in lengths of 60 and 80 minutes at standard speed (SP), with use of lower speed mode (SP) increasing time to 90 and 120 minutes while reducing resolution. These are now the most affordable of all camcorders, but are becoming more difficult to find. No new innovation is being done with this technology, and camcorder manufacturers are not releasing new models using MiniDV.

DVD: DVD camcorders record video directly onto DVD discs, using the compressed MPEG-2 format. There are two disc formats to which DVD camcorders record data--DVD-RAM from Panasonic and Hitachi and DVD-R/RW from Sony--and you should choose the format that will best fit your needs: DVD-RAM/R requires a DVD player with RAM playback or a PC with a DVD-RAM drive, but can record up to 120 minutes, and let you record and erase scenes up to 100,000 times. The more popular DVD-R/RW format offers better compatibility with DVD players and PC DVD drives, but let you record only once. Many DVD camcorders also have a hard drive to capture the initial video, and will then burn it to DVD. DVD based camcorders are also slowly being phased out in favor of newer Flash and Hard Drive based technology.

Flash Memory: Flash Memory camcorders make use of the compression power of the MPEG-4 file format (often called the MP3 of video) to allow you to record directly to memory cards, dispensing with the need for tapes altogether. They may require slightly more computer savvy than other formats, but are more user-friendly than you might expect, and, without the need for a tape mechanism, allow for the most compact camcorder body sizes ever made. With the advent of larger memory card sizes and SSD (solid state drives) of 32GB or more, flash memory camcorders can now record hours of high definition video. Ultra compact models have become hugely popular examples of this technology. Flash Memory camcorders have quickly become the most popular format. "Dual Flash Memory Camcorders" are now common, with built in flash of up to 64GB, and then one or two SD card expansion slots that allow for growth capacity.

Hard Disk Drive: HDD camcorders, which save video data directly to an internal hard disk, are now very mainstream and reliable. On the plus side, these camcorders are very compact, and there is no need to carry along extra blank discs or cassettes. There are almost no moving parts in HDD camcorders, so you won't hear any motor noise in your recordings, and there is less chance of a mechanical breakdown. On the other hand, recorded video can only be downloaded to a computer for archiving or burning to DVD, although this is not a negative for the tech-savvy. Hard Disk is the most common medium for capturing High Def video because it has the most capacity with hard drive sizes greater than 200GB and video capacity of close to 100 hours of high def content.

II. Important Features

Resolution: The difference with digital is in the multipixel, up to 500-line resolution which is presented via a CCD (charge-coupled device) imaging screen. The CCD is measured in pixels. And the more pixels, the better. Digital camcorders offer 680,000 pixels to a whopping megapixel (one million pixels) for amazingly sharp, crisp digital video. Unfortunately, this is usually the same resolution used for the still photo feature of the camcorder. (1 megapixel or less)

Consumer level DV cameras usually use a single CCD to capture the video. However, high-end cameras often use three, one for each of the primary colors red, green, and blue, or one chip may handle the luminance signal while the other two divide the chrominance signal between them. Cameras with 3CCD give better detail and color but cost more than cameras with a single CCD. Although they give better results, it’s usually hard to see the differences unless you do side by side comparisons.

Image Stabilization: An image stabilizer automatically reduces most of the shaking that occurs from holding the camcorder as you record a scene. Most stabilizers are electronic; a few are optical. Either type can be effective, though mounting the camcorder on a tripod is the surest way to get steady images. If you're not using a tripod, you can try holding the camcorder with both hands and propping both elbows against your chest.

Zoom: Digital camcorders have both optical and digital zooms. Even though the digital zoom claims of 2000x and up sound enticing, this feature lends too much magnification and images are blurred. It’s a similar concept to zooming too far with a picture on your computer. The optical zoom is what you'll want to use, so get a camcorder with a long optical zoom range (i.e., 30x and higher) and start recording great footage at a distance.

Connectivity: When camcorder recording media was mostly tape-based, connectivity options to a PC were important because as video was streamed and captured on the PC, USB 2.0 could lose some of the picture quality, and so a FireWire (IEEE 1394) connection was preferrable. With flash card and hard drive based camcorders this is not an issue since the video is stored as a file, which can be tranferred in it's entirety to a PC with no loss in quality. The prevalent method for this is a simple USB connection. Many camcorders now also offer HDMI out connections to play video directly onto an HDMI compatible TV or Monitor.

LCD Screen: A flip-out liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitor is common on all but the lowest-priced camcorders. And a wide-screen LCD monitor is becoming more common. You’ll find it useful for reviewing footage you’ve shot and easier to use than the eyepiece viewfinder for certain shooting poses. Some LCD monitors are hard to use in sunlight, a drawback of models that have only a monitor and no eyepiece.

Screens vary from 21⁄2 to 4 inches measured diagonally, with a larger screen offered as a step-up feature on higher-priced models. Since an LCD monitor uses batteries faster than an eyepiece viewfinder does, you don’t have as much recording time when the LCD is in use.

Digital Stills: A camcorder with digital still capability lets you take snapshots, which can be downloaded to your computer. The photo quality has generally been inferior to that of a good digital camera, but some recent models have up to 12 megapixel digital still capability, making it possible to bring just one camera with you. Face Detection technology and Smile Shutter technology make capturing smiles and faces easier than ever. Face Detection technology can automatically detect faces in both video and still images, while Smile Shutter captures a smile the moment it happens and takes still photos when your subject smiles, even when shooting video.

High Definition: High definition (HD) camcorders have quickly become the defacto standard. Mini Camcorders like the Cisco's Flip Video camera, or Sony's Bloggie™ Touch offer high definition recording for less than $200. Other full featured high definition camcorder models have dropped to the same price as standard definition camcorders were a few years ago. HD camcorders require HDTVs or a computer monitor for full resolution playback, but most have the ability to downscale for older TVs. Editing HD video requires a more robust computer and lots of storage space, but there are a variety of editing software options out there. Additionally, if you want to burn your edited video to an HD DVD format such as Blu-ray, you will need a Blu-ray DVD burner in your computer.

III. Brands (with Current Models)

Canon:
Flash Models: FS31*, FS300*, HF S20, HF S21, HF S200, HF M30, HF M31, HF M32, HF M300, HF R10, HF R11, HF R100
Mini Models: Canon Powershot point and shoot cameras, 720P, 14MP Stills

Sony Handycam:
Hard Drive Models: DCR-SR68*, DCR-SR88*, DCR-SR47, DCR-SR67, DCR-SR87, HDR-XR150, HDR-XR350V, HDR-XR550V
Flash Models: DCR-SX44*, DCR-SX63*, DCR-SX83*, HDR-CX110, HDR-CX150, HDR-CX300, HDR-CX350V, HDR-CX550V, HDR-TG5V
Mini Models: Bloggie™ Touch 1080P 4GB/8GB, 12MP Stills

Panasonic:
Hard Drive Models: SDR-H80*, SDR-H85*, HDC-HS60, HDC-HS250, HDC-HS300
Flash Models: SDR-S50*, SDR-T50*, SDR-SW21*, SDR-S25*, SDR-S26*, HDC-TM10, HDC-TM15, HDC-TM55, HDC-TM300, HDC-TM700, HDC-SD10, HDC-SD20, HDC-SD60
Mini Models: TA-1 Series 1080P, 8MP Stills

JVC Everio:
Hard Drive Models: GZ-MG630*, GZ-MG670*, GZ-MG680*, GZ-MG750*, GZ-HD300, GZ-HD320, GZ-HD500, GZ-HD620
Flash Models: GZ-MS110*, GZ-MS120*, GZ-MS130*, GZ-MS230*, GZ-MS250*, GZ-HM200, GZ-HM300, GZ-HM320, GZ-HM340, GZ-HM400, GZ-HM550, GZ-HM1, GZ-X900
Mini Models: PICSIO Series 1080P, 5MP Stills

Samsung:
Hard Drive Models:
Flash Models: SMX-C20*/C24*, SMX-F40*/F43*/F44*, HMX-S10/S15/S16, HMX-M20, HMX-H200/H203/H204/H205
Mini Models: HMX-E10, HMX-U20 1080P, 8MP Stills


* indicates Standard Definition camcorders

IV. Reliability (Ordered Best to Worst)

Sony, Panasonic, Canon, JVC, Samsung

NOTE: Failure rates among the above brands range from 2% (best) to 6% (worst). Take this into account when someone is trying to sell you an extended service plan...

V. Recommendations

Flash Memory: Sony HDR-CX Series, Canon Vixia HF M30, Panasonic HDC-TM55K

Hard Drive: JVC GZ-HD620


VI. Reviews
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/
http://reviews.cnet.com/Camcorder...ag=dir.cbg

That's a good job here! Someone should appreciate your help!

Quote from murzilka : That's a good job here! Someone should appreciate your help!

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/

A lots of good info there too.

here's my thoughts on buying a digital camcorder:

the reviews at http://www.camcorderinfo.com are really good. start there. then read the camcorder buying guide at cnet.com:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Camcorder...ag=dir.cbg

finally, decide what features matter to you. you'll pay more for ones that can take still photos but generally the photos will only be 1 megapixel anyway so you'd be better off just using a digital camera for that and saving money by getting a camcorder w/out this feature.

I have the Sony DCR-TRV38 and am really happy with it:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/cont...review.htm

the ones that burn straight to dvd are crap in my opinion because you can't edit out the fluff without burning another dvd. on a one hour tape i generally keep about 20 minutes when i make a dvd.

the editing software that will come with it is crap regardless of what brand you buy. get Pinnacle Studio 9 (http://www.pinnaclesys.com/) or Adobe Premiere. Adobe is the industry standard that professionals use but it has a higher learning curve. i use Pinnacle and find it to be very easy and intuitive to use.

finally, be prepared to buy lots of accessories that don't come with the camera. hint: ebay / slickdeals is your friend. go to best buy / circuit city to see exactly what you want and write down the model number. then ebay the model number and you'll get what you want for cheap.

i got a 4 hour battery for $80 on ebay instead of the $160 they charge at best buy. it was shipped from hong kong but i don't care. i got a mini tripod which folds to about 15 inches and expands to five feet. it's really nice. that was $30 on eBay instead of $100 at wolf camera. you're going to want to transfer video to your PC using firewire (sony calls this iLink) instead of usb 2.0 -- usb is too slow. the firewire cables at best buy are $45 (i guess "gold plated" really jacks up the price). i got mine on eBay for $4 shipped. that said, make sure your computer has a firewire slot. if you don't have one, you can buy a PCI firewire card (again, get it on eBay) or you can always just get an Audigy soundblaster card that has firewire as well. that's what i did -- the audigy card was $30. i got it OEM on eBay and got the drivers off the internet. i needed a carrying case so i went to Best Buy to see what i wanted and then bought it for half price on eBay. finally, i got a pack of ten one hour high quality sony brand tapes for $20 (also on eBay). if you don't have one, you'll need a dvd burner (8x is the way to go and there are always good deals posted in the hot deals forum on dvd burners) and a big hard drive -- again read the hot deals forum for hard drive deals that come about ever two weeks. if you are patient you can get 200+ GB for under $85 (after rebates of course). a one hour tape take up about 15 GB on my hard drive. all told i spent about $1100, probably about half of it on accessories.

i bought the camcorder from butterflyphoto.com -- one of the deep discount NYC shops that are all over the internet. check them out at resellerratings.com -- they get horrible reviews because they specialize in offering the lowest online price but then pressuring you into buying overpriced accessories. generally if you call and order just the camcorder you'll get the runaround and after placing your order you'll get a phone call to "confirm" the order and it'll suddenly be out of stock unless you agree to order more stuff. either that or they'll try to get you to buy a refurb instead. but don't give up -- it is illegal for them to not sell you just the camcorder if that's all you want to buy. threaten to call the NY attorney general's office. i bought just the camcorder for $300 under MSRP from this place and it was at my door 36 hours after i placed the phone order. no follow up phone call, no accessories, nothing. i told them that my kid borrowed the exact same model from my next door neighbor and that he broke it. so now i needed to replace it but i only needed the camcorder since all the accessories were still good and they belonged to my neighbor anyway. worked like a charm for me. you may get the runaround -- certainly there are plenty of people on resellerratings who have had bad experience there but there are enough people who get their items that for me it was worth giving a try. if you go that route, just make sure you pay with a credit card so you're not liable if they rip you off -- you can always just reverse the charges. if you go to best buy or circuit city, you're paying too much (but since you're here, you knew that anyway).

tx dudd. this info. is really help me a loat.

thanks for the info

My recommendation of a sub $500 camcorder is Panasonic PV-GS150 and PV-GS65. Both are 3-CCD camcorders (instead of 1-CCD like PV-GS35), have a 10x optical zoom (instead of 30x for GS35) but geat low-light performance. For me (and I suppose for many parents of young kids) low-light performance is important since we shoot indoor very frequently. Both give much crispier colors than any 1CCD camcorder in the price range, IMHO.

You can get PV-GS150 for $420+$20 shipping from bestpricecamera.com (lowest price I found). For PV-GS65, I think lowest (as of 12/20/2005) is Amazon for $499 - $25 (5% OFF) - $50 rebate. Becomes even sweater if you have one of those AMEX wishlist coupons.

Quote from TrojanSDer : My recommendation of a sub $500 camcorder is Panasonic PV-GS150 and PV-GS65. Both are 3-CCD camcorders (instead of 1-CCD like PV-GS35), have a 10x optical zoom (instead of 30x for GS35) but geat low-light performance. For me (and I suppose for many parents of young kids) low-light performance is important since we shoot indoor very frequently. Both give much crispier colors than any 1CCD camcorder in the price range, IMHO. You can get PV-GS150 for $420+$20 shipping from bestpricecamera.com (lowest price I found). For PV-GS65, I think lowest (as of 12/20/2005) is Amazon for $499 - $25 (5% OFF) - $50 rebate. Becomes even sweater if you have one of those AMEX wishlist coupons.

Stay away from bestpricecamera.com (also known as Infinity Photo). They are serious scam artists. I tried to purchase the Pany GS250 last month & they wouldn't send the camera without me purchasing an "extra" battery for $150. The CSR called me to confirm my order & then said that the battery that came with the camera was 1-time use...what a crock! The CSR was rude & obnoxious after I told him that I was ordering an "extra" battery. Companies that have prices that are too good to be true, are just that. They make up for their marked-downed prices by selling you unneccessary accessories. Caveat Emptor.

before placing an order, read

http://pcworld.about.com/magazine...107855.htm

just to know what to expect....