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Hi, I want to purchase a video camera for filming wildlife and our travels in the Motorhome. We currently have a digi cam that records onto small cassettes, however I've been having real difficulties transfering the video clips onto another format such as DVD or onto the computer.
So I've decided to splash out and purchase a new camera. The most important part would be that the information is easily transferable onto DVD, or failing that onto the computer and then onto DVD. I've heard of things such as MPEG but have no idea what sort of file format I need. I also want to get a camera with a decent zoom, I know the difference between optical and digital zoom as I have a normal camera that has all that.
Can someone tell me what sort of camera i need. I looked on currry's website and they talk about video format such as DVD, Flash Memory, HDD, Mini DV and I have no idea what any of these mean, but did wonder what the DVD bit meant, does that mean it records onto a regular DVD which would then play in the computer and the DVD player? If so can I use the DVD's that allow you to add more stuff onto them at a later date.
Any advice would be appreciated as I don't want a repeat performance of spending hundreds on a camera that doesn't do what I want it to do.
It's a good question, and something I was researching a little while ago (although I still haven't bought anything )
I did look at a Sony HDD camera (Hard Disk Drive) the other week, because I'd heard bad things about the quality. Although the bits of internal filming were a bit grainy (it may have been an operator problem ) the external film was really quite good.
One advantage was that the video clips were individual files, like on a memory stick, so I could just copy and paste them into a folder on the computer.
I don't know about the DVD types, but I would prefer to have the video on the computer, and then put the clips I really wanted to keep onto a DVD. I also think the HDD had a much higher capacity than a DVD has.
Hi, I want to purchase a video camera for filming wildlife and our travels in the Motorhome.
I can't give you advice as a user as we don't own one but there was what I thought was quite a useful article on the BBC's Click programme at the weekend.
Hi, I've been into video since the early 1990s and still have large shoulder-mounted gear which cost thousands. The quality is pretty crap though, given the cost. In the late 1990s, what replaced Hi 8 and Super VHS (the two high-end prosumer formats... sorry that's a term for gear which sits between professional and consumer level), was mini DV. These are still around and my latest camera uses them.
However, we're now entering a new era whereby any kind of tape is on the way out, the preference now being for digitised formats, such as hard disks and the mass of portable drives we've all become accustomed to - though new types have been introduced specifically for storing video. Straight to DVD is unlikely to gain momentum, because anyone spending lots on a camera tends to then edit the footage before finalising on DVD.
For those of us old enough to remember format wars like VHS and Betamax, there could be more battles along the way until the worldwide market decides which side to take. Meanwhile, the mini DV tape format is very mature and the tapes are cheap as chips. What remains vitally important is the quality of the lens and the related electronics. As ever, it's largely a case of you get what you pay for.
I shoot on tape, transfer it to the Mac via Firewire, then edit with Final Cut Pro. The finished product then ends up on DVD. The exact same thing can be achieved with Windows software.
Most video is controlled by the limitations of the medium and there is quality loss in all but the most expensive professional formats. An awful lot of compression is used to get stuff onto DVD, so the end result, to me anyway, doesn't seem much better than I achieved with VHS tape years ago. So much for progress. Editing software, however, has made life much easier for those who are prepared to learn - and there is a very big learning curve.
I suppose it all depends on how much you're prepared to pay, the results you're looking for and what time you'll give to it all.
Its a good point, I have a sony mini dv camera, not long got this off ebay (92£) after having an older sony mini dv, why with all the new formats have I gone for mini dv tapes again , 2 things sound (cd quality) and video quality are the best and also best for editing, only SD might get me to buy a newer model / most of them are not robust enough like mini dv. ie shake ect and have small recording times except hard drive
this is what you want to go for 20x zoom - digital zoom you won't use it ,
dv in and dv out . 16.9 wide record .keep it simple , and thats it, for me always Sony, try john lewis on line for best price or ebay
I've just been through the process of upgrading my camcorder. I had a 4 year old mini-dv camera recording onto tape.
I have to say that after a lot of research I've gone for the same again.
I rejected HD because editing software is only just becoming available. Also I don't have an HD DVD burner on my computer. Neither did I have a HD DVD player on my TV.
I rejected DVD or Memory stick camcorders as they do not offer the same video quality as good tape. Megabites of information stored per minute of film is about a third of tape. Also more difficult to transfer to computer for editing as some editing software does not support the recording formats.
So, I bought a good quality 3CCD Mini-DV Consumer camcorder, (Panasonic NV-GS500), and I'm delighted with it's performance. I can transfer to my computer with firewire, can edit with Windows Moviemaker and then burn onto DVD.
All I need to do now is buy a better editing package. Recommendations anyone.
I've agonised over getting a good camcorder, mostly because I'm addicted to small electronic boxes.
But then I thought, who is going to watch my efforts, maybe me or the missus! Is anyone else going to be interested in our memories. We were already there to see the original, will it mean much or, indeed, anything to anyone else. So I have decided to stick with my small compact digital still camera.
Sad, innit?
______________________________________________________________ "On all the oceans white caps flow,
You see no crosses row on row
But those who sleep beneath the sea,
Rest in peace for your country is free".
Recently bought a JVC HDD Camcorder and am very impressed. Easy transfer to PC for editing or direct to DVD. No more stretchy tapes. Up to 37hours on low quality or ramp up the quality and still get 7 hours.
So, I bought a good quality 3CCD Mini-DV Consumer camcorder, (Panasonic NV-GS500), and I'm delighted with it's performance. I can transfer to my computer with firewire, can edit with Windows Moviemaker and then burn onto DVD.
You're obviously a man with good sense Dunworkin.
I ran a small industrial video production business some years ago so I reckon I know a bit about camcorders. I've looked at the output from new DVD cameras and it's rubbish. Too much compression to be any good. All the memory stick cameras use a CMOS sensor instead of a CCD so they can never attain decent video results (although OK for casual use or YouTube). I can't comment on hard drive cameras because I've never used one but I expect the compression used will detract from the quality.
Like Dunworkin says, for quality, Mini-DV will give the best results and if you can afford a 3CCD camera then that's the best you'll get on domestic equipment. For makers, go for either Sony, Panasonic or Canon and buy a camera with minimal gimmicks. Never use digital zoom - it's a waste of time and if you choose a camera with a huge optical zoom, don't expect the lens to perform very well over the whole zoom length unless you pay a lot of money. Image stabilisers are worth having but they must be optical - not digital. The Sony optical stabilisation system used to be the best but I'm out of date these days.
I've had a Panasonic 3CCD camcorder for over 10 years and it still knocks spots off anything that's in current production for quality. You pays your money and get results in proportion to how much you pay.
PS: If you want the best PC editing package Dunworkin, Adobe Premier is the only contender.
______________________________________________________________ If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably well worth it.
Two things I have realized recently. One, there is a major problem with most JVC Mini DV camcorders made up to very recently (mine's about 18 months old). They are fine for a while, then give a "remove lens cap" error (with no lens cap on). The camera is then useless, as it cannot record. Its then a permanent fault. This happened to mine about 2 months out of warranty Its caused by a faulty CCD, and widely reported online if you do a Google. Another lesson learned.....
Two....a friend and I were asked to video a Rock concert by the band. Friends camcorder is a brand new JVC (a pattern is emerging here....) HDD model. It constantly reset itself during the concert. We only realized later, the Bass vibrations through the floor into the tripod were making the Hard Drive error!! I know it won't affect the intended use on this thread, but be warned....we lost the whole gigs footage from that viewpoint. Fortunately we had a good old Analog camera also filming as backup
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) the external film was really quite good.
Waving in memory of Peter and Fiona
Fighting with Mavis´s MESO WARRIORS 
Its caused by a faulty CCD, and widely reported online if you do a Google. Another lesson learned.....
