Thinking of buying a camcorder. Thoughts?
I know nothing about them. I know I probably don't want to spend more than $400. What's a good brand name? What features should I look for? Is now a good time to buy or would it be better to wait till after Christmas? And so on. I know I want a great picture. I was impressed with Cinemarco's camera. It seemed to take great vids. Thanks. |
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| My digital camera can do video. In fact, an entire episode of House was filmed with a Canon 5D Mark ll (I don't have that one, but would love it). Even inexpensive cameras can handle several minutes of video. |
| I just bought a digital SLR camera last year (Nikon D5100), but it looks like it wouldn't be the easiest camera to use for video. Something about the focus. |
| The first camcorder I bought was a Samsung HSX200 and I bought it solely based on a Consumer's Reports piece. I looked at it in Best Buy and REALLY liked it. I got it home and REALLY liked it. Two+ years after I REALLY like it. The only issue that I have with it is that for some reason the display panel got wrenched around by accident and now the display shows , the image you're recording UPSIDE DOWN! But it still works great otherwise. Don't know how this happened or how to fix it. Service said they can fix it for around $200, (it's just out of warranty) and it'll take several weeks. If I'm gonna pay $200, I'll pay a little more and just buy a new one - probably the same model. The problem with this one was the fault of the person operating it, not Samsung's. However Mark, since you already own a Nikon and I'm a HUGE fan of Nikon's DSLR cameras, I would seriously look at what Nikon has to offer. I have several friends who are art and photography directors at a couple hot rod magazines and they all swear by their Nikons and I very much trust their opinions as their cameras keep them employed. One of them admitted to carrying a smaller point and shoot digital camera in his pocket so he didn't need to carry his bigger Nikons. That camera was the Nikon COOLPIX S550. Oddly enough, I own one of those and had it with me when he said that. I pointed this out to him and he commended me for my choice. The only reason I'm mentioning this is that it does video too. Not huge resolution like the Samsung HSX200, but it's pretty good for the price. It was also my first digital camera that did video. I still carry it in my camera case and use it. Since I bought my Samsung over two years ago and if I were to seriously go out and buy another one, I would probably go check the Consumer Reports again and see what they say now. I would read up and also keep the Samsungs in mind; they're great cams for the money. I would also look at the Nikon offerings as I loves me a Nikon Vance |
| Look into the GoPro, preferably the Hero 3 Black Surf. It's around 400, lots of accessories available though not necessary. We are getting one for the lake. Cloverton the Deaf Dog and his dad, Dale, use it on their bike rides. Pretty decent image stablization. |
Sony with Carl Zeiss lens all the way! In my experience the colours, picture and sound all look crisp and life like. The images and focus are good and stable. My friend used a sony camcorder to track the building of her new house  My sony hand help camera is pretty good for hd video; it is also drop proof, dust proof and water proof... or as everybody else calls it- Bec Proof. |
| Afterthought: we use FLIP cameras at school and if you are looking for simple and cost effective with a decent picture quality these are great basic cameras for a really really great price. They are so easy to use that I have used them with 1st graders all the way to adults for classes and everybody can figure them out, shoot edit and create great projects. Problem was at one time they were sold out everywhere and we couldn't get them. |
| I completely forgot about the GoPro. We have one of those at work that we use for a security camera due to the conditions of the mounted location - inside a rubber mixing room! Very hot in the summer/very cold in the winter and dirty and dusty all year. It's a serious work horse with great imaging. And cost effective for a business purchase too! Vance |
| For our big trip in 2002/2003, Joan and I bought a Canon Camcorder and it was good enough at the time, although it was pricey and compared to what you can get nowadays? Fugheddaboutit. I just got the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and it takes 1080p HD video that looks pretty good... ya know... for a phone. LOL Whatever it is that you decide to buy it will be completely obsolete by the time you want to look at the video to reminisce. So the question becomes is the HD video I can get out of my phone that much inferior to the HD video I can get by spending another chunk of change. With one exception: Nikon. If I had my life to do all over again, I would go Nikon all the way. Nikon, Nikon, Nikon. I don't want to go into the whole long story again here (I think I have before) but suffice to say that one of the biggest mistakes in my life was making the decision not to go with Nikon when I started buying higher end camera equipment (what they now call "prosumer"). Seriously. So I completely agree with Vance: if you can leverage your Nikon AF (or whatever) lenses on a Nikon camcorder, or upgrade your body to one that does video in an acceptable way, I'd think very very seriously about going that way... or just using what I had if it's "good enough." |
| I used to have a FLIP cam until someone decided to "borrow" it, and that thing was pretty awesome. It's basically the simplest video camera ever, but the picture is very good and it is so easy to use! Plus it's low cost. |
| I use my Droid 2 all the time for quickie videos and it's not bad. But it sucks in low light and it can't zoom in & out while in movie mode. |
| Ron, you can take Nikon forever - I will stick with my Canon. Canon has the absolute best service department, of any company I have ever dealt with in my entire life. I dropped my EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens on a pool deck. Shattered the lens filter (and dented the ring), along with the exterior lens. I overnighted the lens to Canon, authorized the repair in writing and had the lens back in my hand a week after damaging it. Whatever method you send it to them, they return it the same way. The lens is perfect. No replacement garbage - it was my lens, just repaired and looking/functioning like it was just out of the box. The rest is personal preference. Both Nikon and Canon are very good. Canon also has a club that you can join, for a price, and they will loan you lenses. Did you see their supply room at the Summer Olympics? I drooled. |
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