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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Consumer video camcorder - what to look for?
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 11/22/2006 11:47:07 AM · #1
I would like to buy a digital video camcorder for a family member as a present. Doesn't need to be anything fancy, he'll predominantly use it when traveling and at family gatherings (much to my annoyance, I can foresee :)). I would like to spend around US$400 if possible.

I have never had a camcorder myself, and don't know what to look for when choosing one. I'm looking for a decent price/quality ratio; obviously, needs to be something portable, decent battery life. What else is there to look for? Noise performance?

There are camcorders that save to tape, to DVDs, and to SD cards - any well known pros/cons of these media types?

Is there a DPReview-like web site for camcorders? Any advice will be appreciated.

Thansk!
 11/22/2006 12:50:40 PM · #2
I'm not up to date on what is on the market now, but I have a Canon ZR70 mini DV camcorder. Hopefully Canon has improved its successors b/c this one in particular is bad...grainy pictures in all lighting, CCD died after 2 years, camera dead 6 months after the repair. Based on this I'd recommend staying away from their miniDV series. Others may have differing opinions of course.

In general though I've read that 3 CCD camcorders have a better picture, and they seem to be coming down in price now. I'd look for one that has a larger CCD as well (they're usually listed as 1/X, look for X to be a small number - the size likely corresponds to the low light ability)

As far as zoom, an extremely long length doesn't necessarily mean a quality lens (going back to my camcorder again, it had a 22x zoom and had plenty of chromatic abberation and softness). Probably the best thing to do would be to try out some camcorders and test the video quality at home to determine if it suits your needs.
 11/22/2006 04:30:29 PM · #3
mini DVD = records directly to a small DVD disc. Very expensive to constantly buy mini DVD's. Also, you can buy mini DVD-RW's, but still expensive.

Mini DV = records digitally to tapes. tapes are relatively inexpensive, and you can write over previously taped stuff.

SD Cards = record to memory cards, just like digital cameras use.

AFAIK, mini DV cameras are the cheapest kinds. I have a Sony Mini DV and I love it. The only problem I've run into so far - is ripping the video from camcorder to PC. The quality just won't be the same as it looks on the camcorder. I have a USB 2.0 card, and it just isn't the same. I imagine if you have a DVD camcorder, then it will record with good quality. I don't know that for sure, but it sounds reasonable.

*edit*

I have a base-model camera. After buying a better battery, camera case, extra tapes, and warranty plan, it came to $600.

Good Luck.

Message edited by author 2006-11-22 16:32:55.
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