Lets talk camcorders...

[Goodspeed]

Ok so I'm planning on buying a nice DV camcorder for around 300 dollars, maybe less, and there are way too many to choose from...can anybody recommend one that they have used and liked? Something with of course good picture quality, but also things like good low light performance, decent battery life, maybe image stabilization? I'm going crazy trying to choose. hock:

[Evan]

the miniDV market is pretty mature, most anything on the market is going to be a solid camera

[.RJ]

I've been happy with my Canon ZR60. You can get a ZR60/80/90 on ebay or craigslist pretty cheap. I broke mine, picked up another of the same on craigslist for $200, used once.

good low light performance

Are you planning on hiding it in your closet?

no sweetheart, that blinking red light is nothing at all....

[Mike]

the canon zr series gets my vote.

[Goodspeed]

I've been happy with my Canon ZR60. You can get a ZR60/80/90 on ebay or craigslist pretty cheap. I broke mine, picked up another of the same on craigslist for $200, used once.

good low light performance

Are you planning on hiding it in your closet?

no sweetheart, that blinking red light is nothing at all....

Haha, yeah never thought of using it that way. Yeah I have heard nothing but good things about Canon products, they seem to be preferred by most people. I went to a mini expo earlier this summer and played with their Elura 90 I think it was, which had image stabilization, an excellent feature (especially when you're riding balls to the wall in a car around the track), but it was pretty expensive. I'll try to get to best buy or something and play with the ones you recommended, thanks

[.RJ]

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://tubas.net/~ryanj/Summit09182005.wmv">http://tubas.net/~ryanj/Summit09182005.wmv</a><!-- m --> - canon ZR60 footage on bumpy summit point. (right click save as)

[Goodspeed]

^^thanks, video quality looks great. Is it the ZR60 or ZR600?? I'm only finding reviews for the 600

[Apoc]

Anyone have any experience with the pure digital (read: hard drive) cameras?

[Mike]

they stink... using a regular camera and throwing it in to a multimedia capture device/hard drive thingy is a better option.

[Apoc]

It's gotta only be a matter of time before that's the standard. I mean tapes are just so... yesterday.

I read a review a few weeks ago in Playboy where they were raving about 7 hours to record time at a fairly sweet quality. Who knows what sort of agenda they have though.

[Evan]

Anyone have any experience with the pure digital (read: hard drive) cameras?

reports are that the hard drive vibration prevention circuitry is triggered by the car and the camera shuts down.

Solid state/flash memory based recorders on the other hand are ideal for in car use. Its a newer technology so a lot of the options arent mature yet.
The only camera that I have seen that has good resoultion, fps, and quality is a Samsung model. Full DV resolution at 30fps. And it supports external cameras and even comes with a bullet cam. Pricey at ~$600 IIRC.
There are also some cheaper versions out if you want to play around with it. The better ones are 640x480@30fps. Just a hair lower res than full DV.

[Evan]

they stink... using a regular camera and throwing it in to a multimedia capture device/hard drive thingy is a better option.

tapes suck for in-car. no way around it, vibrations screw up the recording head alignment. they are 'good enough' until now, when there hasnt been any real alternative, other than expensive radio based cameras that offloads the recording equipment like you see on Speed channel.

[Apoc]

Solid state/flash memory based recorders on the other hand are ideal for in car use. Its a newer technology so a lot of the options arent mature yet.
The only camera that I have seen that has good resoultion, fps, and quality is a Samsung model. Full DV resolution at 30fps. And it supports external cameras and even comes with a bullet cam. Pricey at ~$600 IIRC.

Haha... you guys know that big ass Sony D8 I have? That thing was a bargain at $1k so a nice model at $600 seems like childsplay. I haven't been in the camcorder market for ~5 years so my basis is off, I guess.

[white_2kgt]

I have been using a Cannon and Sony all year. I own the Cannon ZR60 and borrowed the Sony to run 2 cameras in my car for the races. The Sony was nicer hands down. I'm not sure of the model number but for using aux inputs (which the sony detected automatically) to having all features available on the camera w/o needing the remote the Sony was MUCH more user friendly. The picture quality between the two was unnoticable. My next camcorder will be a Sony.

[Apoc]

What do you shoot with your Cannon... Cannonballs?

[Evan]

Solid state/flash memory based recorders on the other hand are ideal for in car use. Its a newer technology so a lot of the options arent mature yet.
The only camera that I have seen that has good resoultion, fps, and quality is a Samsung model. Full DV resolution at 30fps. And it supports external cameras and even comes with a bullet cam. Pricey at ~$600 IIRC.

Haha... you guys know that big ass Sony D8 I have? That thing was a bargain at $1k so a nice model at $600 seems like childsplay. I haven't been in the camcorder market for ~5 years so my basis is off, I guess.

here it is
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.samsung.com/Products/Camcorder/DigitalMemory/SC_X210LXAA.asp">http://www.samsung.com/Products/Camcord ... 10LXAA.asp</a><!-- m -->
they also have a version with a wireless bullet cam

[.RJ]

^^thanks, video quality looks great. Is it the ZR60 or ZR600?? I'm only finding reviews for the 600

I mentioned in 2 separate posts what model it was.

Edit: I agree with OG wing on the solid-state recording, but the technology hasnt matured enough for me to invest in something like that. I like to let the techno-geeks be the guinea pigs and let the prices come down before I buy in.

This guy - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://chasecam.com/">http://chasecam.com/</a><!-- m --> - has been working on one but I dont know if its released yet but it seems people have been happy with his other products.

[white_2kgt]

This guy - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://chasecam.com/">http://chasecam.com/</a><!-- m --> - has been working on one but I dont know if its released yet but it seems people have been happy with his other products.

It is being tested now. I was suppose to get one for VIR but he found some problems with it and recalled all the test units. chasecam i the company that I get the bullett cam's from.

In the end that will be THE hot setup to use for in-car video, once storage cards come down in price and go up in size. However, I think the OP just wants something to use for an everyday camcorder, which miniDV currently rules in, I just don't like the DVD/Harddrive recorder cams.

[Evan]

This guy - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://chasecam.com/">http://chasecam.com/</a><!-- m --> - has been working on one but I dont know if its released yet but it seems people have been happy with his other products.

MPEG2 unfortunately. Lower quality and larger video files.
MPEG4 is the technology that the newer solid state recorders are based off of.

EDIT: I just looked up the samsung camera on amazon and its $470. Not a bad deal.

[.RJ]

MPEG2 unfortunately. Lower quality and larger video files.
MPEG4 is the technology that the newer solid state recorders are based off of.

Well, to what extent does it matter if you are not making dvd-quality video?

EDIT: I just looked up the samsung camera on amazon and its $470. Not a bad deal.

Thats not bad at all.... hrm....