Recomendation for Video Camera.

[boontiong]

Hi all i am thinking of buying a video camera.
I would like to ask which one is better, DVD, HDD or those using Memory card or MiniDV.

My budget is no more than 1.5k or less better.

requirement
able to shoot at low night
optical zoom + image stablisher(asi tend to have shaky hands).

10GB of HDD can take how many hrs of video.

 

[Reportage]

for your night requirement, definitely a Sony using memory card.

 

[jaegersing]

for your night requirement, definitely a Sony using memory card.

Huh? What has "low night" got to do with recording media?

 

[linse]

Check out the reviews for the Canon HF100. It's one of the best on the market. It uses SDHC cards. And memory prices are getting cheaper and cheaper everyday. If you get a Sony, you will be stuck with the proprietary Sony Memory Stick which always cost more than SDHC cards.

The local price is $1.6K+ but it is a full HD videocam. If you're willing to get one without local warranty, buy it from the US for under $1K. With shipping and taxes as well as the extra memory card and battery given here, it'll still be within your budget.

The only difference is the US model will be in NTSC. That equates to a frame rate of either 30fps(NTSC) or 24fps(Film mode). The local model only run at 25fps(PAL).

 

[Reportage]

Huh? What has "low night" got to do with recording media?

answering questions/requirements in one sentence in a hurry.

basically in my opinion,

1) memory card is better as can simply plug it into the card reader and copy the files. Much faster then traditional methods. Sony proprietary cards are indeed higher priced compared to SD cards but look at it this way, in the end is what requirements you need for the camcorder. I dont see people complaining having forced to buy memory sticks for their PSP.

2) HD camcorders have adequate Night mode but Sony comes with Night Shot that makes it look like you are using night vision goggles.

3) Just about all camcorders have some sort of image stabilization, Sony`s is called Steady Shot.

4) 10GB depends on what settings choose for the camcorder. Highest quality means lesser recording time compared to lowest quality.

5) I wont name models so that TS will go out there and do own research, pick out a few models within means and from there we can give better advice. But if Night shooting is what TS is after, most likely will be a Sony. And also, Sony bundles their camcorder with Sony Vegas or even Sanyo bundles with Adobe Premiere Elements...now those are editing softwares. Canon...well, let TS check it out ownself.

 

[jaegersing]

Oh OK. BTW, I haven't seen any mention of Super Night Shot for HD cameras. Are you recommending an SD cam with HDD and memorystick, like the SR65/85 range? Or something else? Maybe would be better if you just told him the actual model you are thinking of.

 

[boontiong]

Thanks for all who replied. I had narrowed my choices to Canon HF 11, HF 100.
Thank you.

re-edited.
Hi all, i back after a visit to a camera shop, is it true that if i were to edit the video i had shot it is better to stick to MiniDV capable camcorder then going to Hard-disk or memort card base camrecorder. This is wat i heard. But i was recommended this model from sony HDR-HC9E.

 

[linse]

Hi all, i back after a visit to a camera shop, is it true that if i were to edit the video i had shot it is better to stick to MiniDV capable camcorder then going to Hard-disk or memort card base camrecorder. This is wat i heard. But i was recommended this model from sony HDR-HC9E.

The advice about sticking to HDV camcorder would be quite sound a year ago. That's because not many video editing software back then could handle AVCHD files. What good is a video format if you can't find the right tools to edit it, right?

The latest version of all the popular video editing software at the moment do support AVCHD editing. Canon's HF camcorders do come bundled with a basic editor called Pixella ImageMixer 3 SE. It is very basic but adequate for simple editing. The main problem with HD video currently is the high cost of the BluRay burners and media. However, you can still output the video to DVD first until HD authoring becames more affordable. Downsampling from HD to SD DVD should still yield slightly higher quality than a shooting with a SD camcorder. You should also realize that a powerful PC or Mac is required if you intend to do some serious video editing.

The second reason was the AVCHD codec was not mature a year or two ago, so the 1st and 2nd generation AVCHD HD camcorders have more artefacts compared to the very mature HDV camcorders, despite supposedly having a higher recording resolution. The 3rd generation Canon HF series are said to be equivalent to HDV in terms of quality.

Personally, I have over 20 mini-DV tapes filled with footage shot over the last few years. They are certainly much more tedious to transfer to a PC for editing. Note that DV transfering is at real time. AVCHD files can be transfered as fast as your USB cable or card reader will allow. If you want to burn unedited raw files to DVD, 1 hour of HDV footage will take up 13GB, 1 hour of AVCHD footage at full HD resolution takes up 8GB.

BTW, if you decide to take the HDV route, CamcorderInfo.com recommends the Canon HV30 over the Sony HDR-HC9 due to better picture quality.

 

[techstg]

Hi, sori to hijacked the dicussion.

Thanks for the great tips or personal view on different type of camcorders.
I own a canon 4 year old DV cam; mini dv. Making great full use of it.

I also tought of upgrading it to HD and other available types also.
This thread say it all.

Thanks u,
cheers.

 

[nottipiglet]

I got a HF100 because I needed to shoot in low light. I just plonked a 16gb SD card in it and I'm set.

I initially wanted the non-HD version because I have no need for HD. But the latest range of Canon's CMOS censors are leading the race in low-light capability. Just check out the reviews. They always come out on top.

And my personal take on the picture quality is... it is excellent. I use it to record my baby's funny actions for my personal consumption ... and most of these are taken at low light at weird hours.

Forget the Sony. They are ok, but terribly overpriced... and they like to hold you ransom with their Memory Stick. I prefer brands that use standard accessories. So, I can pop the SD card into the Camcorder and into my camera... no problem.

 

[Reportage]

Thanks for all who replied. I had narrowed my choices to Canon HF 11, HF 100.
Thank you.

re-edited.
Hi all, i back after a visit to a camera shop, is it true that if i were to edit the video i had shot it is better to stick to MiniDV capable camcorder then going to Hard-disk or memort card base camrecorder. This is wat i heard. But i was recommended this model from sony HDR-HC9E.

depends on who you talk to. tape is very mature technology but remember 1hr of recording means 1hr of transferring to computer unlike memory card which could be done in minutes. Tape also has a side effect that as its using moving parts got chance the tape can jam, the mechanisms can spoil, use up more power, can introduce noise but good point is that the picture quality is very good.

really depends what you are looking for..a camcorder that gives nicer picture overall versus a camcorder that excels in night work. You just have to see how much night shooting you do and the compromises needed.

regards.

*have you checked youtube for examples of Night Shot usage? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoVEQZZCllA

 

[linse]

Just to add my opinion on Sony's Nightshot, Super Nightshot, Super Nightshot plus etc ...

Just because Sony has 0 lux video ability, that doesn't mean that is has better low light ability. To quote CamcorderInfo.com, "Overall, the Sony HDR-HC7 is a decent low light performer, but is clearly outclassed by the Canon HV20 and HV30." Not quite sure why they were referring to the HDR-HC7 though when the review was on the HDR-HC9.

With Sony, you can shoot at 0 lux using infra red. That means, it means the scene is in greenish black and white. Canon's approach to 0 lux imaging is to add a white LED video light. Both approaches have uneven lighting that's brighter in the middle. It's debatable whether one method is superior to another.

 

[Lady Ice]

depends on who you talk to. tape is very mature technology but remember 1hr of recording means 1hr of transferring to computer unlike memory card which could be done in minutes. Tape also has a side effect that as its using moving parts got chance the tape can jam, the mechanisms can spoil, use up more power, can introduce noise but good point is that the picture quality is very good.

Are you sure about that?

I waz told that if you are recording in the cold, the miniDV uses less power than the hard-disk/mem card option......so I bought with tape.

Also got no noise so far from using tape....or none that am aware of.

 

[linse]

Are you sure about that?

I waz told that if you are recording in the cold, the miniDV uses less power than the hard-disk/mem card option......so I bought with tape.

Also got no noise so far from using tape....or none that am aware of.

What do you mean "recording in the cold"? How cold and why is that relevant in Singapore? Don't forget, tape has the problem of condensation in cold countries.

Here's the power consumption at room temperature for some Canon HD camcorders:

1. HF100 Flash Memory
   4.0 W (LCD screen, recording on a memory card)
2. HG21 Hard disk
   3.7 W (viewfinder, recording on the hard disk),
   3.5 W (viewfinder, recording on a memory card)
3. HV30 mini-DV
   4.3 W (viewfinder), 4.5 W (LCD screen)
4. HR10 DVD
   5.6 W (viewfinder), 5.7 W (LCD screen)

 

[boontiong]

I still deciding/ choosing a model that suits me. Till now still cant decide if i want to get a MiniDV or a Memory card camorder.

 

[firefox72]

After owning 2 tape-based camcorder over the last 8 years, finally moved over to memory card-based one last year. MiniDV camcorder has more mechanical moving parts, meaning higher chance of breaking down if you are a heavy user. You will also probably need to invest in a cleaning tape. Storing the tapes also mean investing in dry boxes, etc.

For memory card camcoder, you can have longer hours of recording without having the hassle of changing tape frequently. Transferring to PC for editing is also a breeze. You will need DVD-writer to backup your video clips, but definitely this is a cheaper and easier to manage backups compared to using just tapes.

 

[boontiong]

After owning 2 tape-based camcorder over the last 8 years, finally moved over to memory card-based one last year. MiniDV camcorder has more mechanical moving parts, meaning higher chance of breaking down if you are a heavy user. You will also probably need to invest in a cleaning tape. Storing the tapes also mean investing in dry boxes, etc.

For memory card camcoder, you can have longer hours of recording without having the hassle of changing tape frequently. Transferring to PC for editing is also a breeze. You will need DVD-writer to backup your video clips, but definitely this is a cheaper and easier to manage backups compared to using just tapes.

can edit the video taken using memory card based?
I read that minidv camcorder video is better.
BTW anyone using Canon HV30 or Sony HDR-9E?

 

[firefox72]

can edit the video taken using memory card based?

Memory card based video (both standard definition and high definition) can be edited. Like what earlier posts had mentioned, the video editing software had progressed. In fact, it is much faster now compared to tape as an hour tape will require you to spend an hour to transfer to the PC before you can do anything.

I read that minidv camcorder video is better.

It depends on what you mean by "better" actually. If you are referring to edit-ability, I would say the memory card based ones will not lose out to tape based ones. In terms of quality, you should look beyond whether it is memory card or tape. You would also need to look at the lens/sensor system and image processor, which I find can be more a deciding factor when it comes to quality.

 

[jaegersing]

Although tape has the hassle of capturing, the files are generally higher quality and easier to edit than flash based systems (not counting EX1/EX3 of course).

Another advantage of tape is that you have an archive copy automatically. I have tried archiving projects on DVD-R, but over the years I have had too many unreadable discs to make this a reliable option. My tapes are still going strong though.

I am currently trying to buy a Sony flash-based recorder to use with my tape-based cams. I plan to record dual-format, so that I will have the tape archive and the fast file transfer at the same time. And the files will still be in mt2 format which is much easier to handle than AVCHD. I have tried editing AVCHD and quite frankly it is a real pain. Maybe if I just want to make a couple of cuts and trims then it is no problem, but anything involving synchronising to music you can forget it.

Boontiong, I have an HV30 as a second cam. The results I get with this are really nice, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. You need to set manual exposure to get the best results, but this is true with many cams. At least with the HV30 it has all the manual controls you need (as well as Auto if you want it). Sony cams in this price range don't allow you to set the shutter speed which is a bit limiting. Not that I am knocking Sony - they have some great cams if you are prepared to go higher end.

 

[boontiong]

I make up my mind on the Canon HV 30.
Once again, i would like to thanks all for their comments and reply.