Camcorder recommendations?

[jus_young]

Love that RV vid, looking forward to a repeat at this years event

[dave budd]

thanks for the tips. The search will continue for a bit. Folk over on BB have suggested that my DSLR may have video, I'd nt even considered that since to me an SLR is for taking pictures and a camcorda is for moving images. But that;s me being old fashioned maybe

The external mic is a very good point and one I will look to have. I can't see be being arsed messing about with dictaphones and fitting the two bits together! Ideally I want to set the scene, do my thing whilst filming, edit the rubbish out and add titles and maybe captions, then stick it on the web. The less messing about I have to do with any part of the process the happier I will be


Also, thanks for posting that vid from the RV again, I've not watched it since you first posted it up. It's rather good! I can see why people have commented on it Id forgotten that I had been through the whole forging process on your film. It almost looks like I know what I'm doing!

[Adam Savage]

Most DSLRs have video, but the picture is often jerky with those, even the HD models. One of the drawbacks of bunging a video function to a still camera (same as the useless stills function on a camcorder ). If you can afford the £150-£200, you would be much, much better off with a dedicated camcorder.
Also, if you are just using it for youtube, you don't really need HD, as it will just make editing and uploading painfully slow, with not much difference in picture quality. Also frame rate is a good thing to look out for. 24-30fps is about the standard, but if you can find one higher, I'd go for that.

[Ashley Cawley]

I don't think a flip-cam would be the right choice; although they do pull off a good quality picture they're more for point and shoot whilst you hold it not really a tripod type camera.

Most DSLRs have video...

Did you mean to say compacts? I wouldn't have said most DSLR's have video (unless your talking about buying a new model and spending the best part of £1,000) I've got a Canon 450D DSLR it doesn't do video and I would dearly love it to! Most digital compact cameras do do video and that's what I used for NBC's early videos and as you can see the video quality wasn't as good...



But that was a good few years ago now and compact cameras do have much better video quality.

Yes I would checkout your DSLR if you've got one and see if it does video already.

At some point this year I'm considering selling my JVC Everio video camera and my Canon 450D DSLR to buy a newer model DSLR that does HD video aswell as takes good photos - This will nicely reduce the size of my camera gear that I take to the woods every time.

[Adam Savage]

Most of the entry level DSLRs are rolling out with video these days, Canon not so much (I guess they try and focus on the photography side more) ((no pun intended )). I think all of the Pentax DSLRs have video now, Nikon are putting video on the lower ends stuff, not sure about the high end, and Olympus (I know, not great cameras, but hey), are adding video to lure in the customers too . I think the marketing behind it is simple, the entry levels are what most Joe public buy (if the want to try DSLRs that is), and many folk like the "extras", all singing, all dancing, pieces of tech, these days.

[Merman]

I have just bought a panasonic hm-ta20 HD mini cam. Waterproof, dust proof and drop proof.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_G...498/index.html

I know the image quality might not be great but I think I woud prefer to have mediocre quality and use the camera rather than buying something expensive and worry about carrying it, dropping it, getting it wet etc....and for under £100.
Has anyone else had much experience with mini video cameras?

[treefrog]

I decided to get a waterproof video camera considering most of my shooting is outdoors, on canoe trips, etc.
This proved to be handy in that you're not worried about getting it wet, but the price for that is poor sound pickup
and no wide-angle, and no mic plug-in....having said all that maybe the waterproof units have improved in the last 3 years?

Jack