Im interested in purchasing a Mini DV or DVD camcorder. Would like to have one that also uses sd card for pictures. Any recommendations. Also which brand is the better of the following: Cannon JVC Panasonic
That is an impossible question to answer. Canon has its root in optics so you could expect better optics in their camcorders, the other two are electronics companies so you could expect better electronics. But today this type of simple logic is no longer valid. Look for example at Sony (which you did not list): they are an electronics company, but many of their camcorders are equiped with optics from Carl Zeiss, which is know as one of the best optics companies in the world. Personally (and I know many share my opinion) I am pretty impressed by the level of innovativeness a brand like Panasonic shows, so it's definitely worthwhile to have a close look at their line. But hey, that's just an opinion... If you really want to make a good decision on what to buy, you will have to determine which factors are important for you like: video quality, zoom capabilities, manual and automatic controls, low light performance, ease of handling, stills resolution, audio quality, portability, other special features and last but not least what price you are willing to pay. Then compare some specific models. A final word on the choice between miniDV and DVD camcorder. If you just want to shoot film and flip a DVD in your DVD player to watch it, a DVD camcorder is OK. If you are planning to do a lot of editing, go for miniDV because it is a pain to rip of your movies from DVD and edit it. Anyway, footage on miniDV still has lower comression rates than footage on DVD and therefore is still superior in quality...
Thank you sooo much for your response and apparent knowledge of the subject. Now my next question for you is......? If Im looking for quality video, and want to be able to take still pics on a seperate card than video. Dont want to spend much money, no more than $500 actually, what do I buy. Again the reason I listed the above brands is because where I have an account thats the only brands they sale, but Im not closed to other brands. Thanks again, awaiting your reply.
I always try to refrain from giving an advice on a specfic model, because there are too many personal factors involved, but here some advice. First of all: don't expect too much from taking pictures with a camcorder. The CCD's are usually maximum 1Mpixel and for good qaulity you need at least 2-3Mpixels (todays digital stills camera's are usssualy even 3Mpixel or more). There are 3CCD camcorders that have 3 Mpixels, but they have 1 CCD for each of the primary colors. They are above your stated budget and although they offer superb video quality a draw back is that they also suffer from moderate low light performance compared with 1CCD camcorders. You may be able to find a good deal for one of last years Panasonic 3CCD models. If you go for a 1CCD camcorder, make sure that it is a 1Mpixel model. Also pay attention for the amount of optical zoom (10x is minmum, 12x is good, 20x is great). Forget about digital zoom: it is worthless. Pick a couple of models and read the reviews on www.camcorderinfo.com
Hello veeshous, If u r really interested on the quality of the photography > I would advise u to go for a Sony DV handycam ... both in terms of aesthetics and tonal quality of the color in the pics. So, why to search for the kids ... go in for the leader in photograpy > SONY
TPFKAS tell me what you think about this one. I went to the site you suggested but they didnt have much info. GR-D650 MiniDV Camcorder I thinks its by JVC
Hers a small review from cnet The high-end entry in JVC's line of D-series compact camcorders, the GR-D650 offers low-light performance that's better than you'd expect in a budget-priced camcorder. With its 1.3-megapixel CCD and an f/1.2, 15X zoom lens, this MiniDV camcorder turns in better video quality than JVC's more expensive hard disk-based Everio line. Relatively compact and weighing a little more than a pound, the JVC GR-D650 has a tall, thin design that fits comfortably in the hand and is compact enough to slip into a jacket pocket. The case is typical silver-and-gray plastic fare, with a solid design that feels like it should hold up well to everyday handling. Like most modern camcorders, the GR-D650 relegates the majority of its settings to menus, but you will find buttons for common functions, as well as a four-way directional pad that does double duty for menu navigation and quick access to settings such as backlight compensation. The GR-D650's menus are well organized and easy to navigate. The 2.5-inch LCD is reasonably detailed for 4:3 shooting, but when shooting in 16:9 mode, a large black bar appears at the bottom of the screen. The resulting small wide-screen image lacks the necessary detail for precise operations such as manual focus. Though the battery and the SD card slot are easily accessible when the camcorder is mounted on a tripod, the bottom-ejecting tape slot means tripod users will have to remove the GR-D650 in order to switch tapes. Battery life is decent at about 1.5 hours under typical shooting conditions. The JVC GR-D650 features a 1.3-megapixel CCD and a 15X optical zoom lens. Along with a fully automatic shooting mode, the camcorder boasts manual and spot exposure, iris lock, manual focus, and adjustable shutter speed. There are four program autoexposure modes, as well as a few gimmicky digital effects and four built-in wipes. The GR-D650 provides a composite-video output but doesn't offer an S-Video output or a video input for transferring footage from analog sources. For the most part, the GR-D650 is a responsive performer. Its digital image stabilization works well throughout the zoom range. Automatic exposure and white balance are fast and accurate, though autofocus can take a few seconds to lock during low-light shooting. Image quality in brightly lit situations was very good in our 16:9 test footage, with nice detail and sharpness, accurate color reproduction, and little discernable noise or artifacts. When switching to 4:3 mode, color reproduction remained solid. However, image artifacts, mostly in the form of shimmering along straight edges, became much more noticeable. In low light, image quality is better than that of many other cameras in the GR-D650's class, thanks to the camera's automatic gain control. This reduces noise significantly in low-light conditions, though it also causes color to lose saturation as well as a noticeable amount of detail. Still, the result is preferable to the grainy images offered by many competing camcorders. Close subjects can be lit by the camera's built-in video light. You can also sacrifice frame rate--and image stabilization--for increased color saturation using the Night-Alive mode. In bright conditions, the camcorder's 1.2-megapixel stills show accurate color reproduction and enough detail for acceptable quality 4x6 printouts. However, shots in typical nighttime room lighting are extremely grainy. This no-frills, easy-to-use MiniDV camcorder delivers solid video at a rock-bottom price. If you're looking for a good value on a tight budget, the JVC GR-D650 will do the job. http://reviews.cnet.com/JVC_GR_D650/4505-6500_7-31833040-2.html Hope this helps
Thanks for the review, I did in fact purchase this camera and I love it. Havent quite mastered it, but Im looking forward to having some fun with it. Anyone with any advice or knowledge about the camera please advise, Im willing to learn. Thanks all who have helped
