Comments

dibbkd wrote on 1/28/2006, 5:57 PM
You can honestly get a good digital camera for much less than $1000. The Sony DCR-HC32 is a nice on for $500 or less.

You want a cam with high optical zoom, the more CCD's the better, stabilazation, and a memory stick.

My camera is an old Sony DCR-TRV140 Digital8 that I paid less than $400 back four years ago. It shoots what I consider great video for home use.

If you have $2000 to spend, you can get a high-def camcorder. I'm going to wait another couple years for them to get to the $700 range and then upgrade my camera...

Happy shopping!
jtfrazer wrote on 1/29/2006, 6:19 PM
Hi,

I would look for a MiniDV camcorder. There are a number of good choices in the sub $1,000 range.

Jim
Tim L wrote on 1/29/2006, 7:06 PM
Here's a good place to start researching:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/

And the associated forums for that site:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/

Of course, a lot depends on what you intend to film. Making short movies? Filming skate boarders? Rock bands? Just filming vacations and birthday parties and family stuff? Filming a new baby? (New babies generate a *lot* of camcorder sales...)

The low-cost panasonics are held in pretty high regard by people into making little films because the panasonics are pretty good at supporting manual controls, having microphone inputs, etc. The Sony's tend to be good for people that want everything automatic -- people that want simple point-and-shoot.

Here's a site dedicated to the panasonic cameras:

http://www.pana3ccduser.com/

Most consumer camcorders these days end up being pretty disappointing in "low" light. And low light means just about anything indoors after dark (i.e. normal house lighting). The low light issue should be less of a problem for people into making short films, since they should be prepared to set up lights (even cheap, handyman "work lights") when necessary. Setting up a 300watt light to film your newborn asleep in her crib isn't an acceptable situation though, so a model with good low light performance would be important there.

You'll find a million models to choose from, and a million different opinions...

Tim L
allyn wrote on 1/29/2006, 7:23 PM
there's also a website called http://www.easycamcorders.com/ with help for beginners.

if you're trying to go "entry-level", i recently recommended that a friend get a panasonic GS-31 for around $300. seems to be working fine.

but if you have a bit more to spend, look at the 3ccd panasonic models as another poster suggested.

personally i recommend panasonic camcorders (i have a PV-DV953), and i think sony camcorders are over-priced relative to the competition.