Whats your preference MiniDV, MicroMV or DVD Camcorder

RHagedorn wrote on 8/26/2003, 10:46 AM
Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but here goes.

I have a VHS-C camcorder, but want to go digital for easier video editing, importing and a little smaller size. Currently I use a video capture card to import the video but thought digital would be more straight forward.

For all of you camcorder guru's - what format would you suggest. I am looking for quality video and a format that will be around for a while, unlike the old BETA VCR's.

Thanks

Comments

Grazie wrote on 8/26/2003, 11:17 AM
I've only tried out miniDV. I'm sold on my Canon XM2 [ US=GL2 ]. It's got a pedigree and although miniDV is as about as far as tape goes, at this level of prosumer, I'd stay away from DVDcams, for the moment at least. It's newish technology and maybe superceded by other types of capture kit. Others will blow me out of the water on this, but there you go.

I'd also strike up a relationship with a good cammie shoppe/house. If you can get the option of lashing up your edit suite to one, while in the shop. Go try them out. I took my laptop along to the place and hook the Canon up. Fired up VideoFactory, and I fell in love.

At the end of the day, it's gonna be about budget AND what you might think you'll be using the cammie for. 2 years ago I had a thought I may just use a cammie for earning a living... I'm not quite there yet, but it's already started [ that's for another post here!]. If you're gonna use it for holidays and high festival days and the odd wedding for a relation, then think carefully. The accessories for these animals can soon mount up! But, there again, you may well have the dosh to slpurge out on something expen$$ive - ye$$?

Here's a website I recommend to all in your position - it comes with a Government Health Warning - IT'S addicitive!!

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=78a62f20ae0aa4d1d8d668e92a16c53f&forumid=7


Anyway, enough of me,

Keep us posted - and have fun choosing,

OOOOOoooh I love spending other people's money,

Grazie
John_Cline wrote on 8/26/2003, 11:35 AM
Both MicroMV and DVD camcorders record an MPEG2 bitstream which is more difficult to edit than DV. DV is certainly more universal and is supported by a vastly wider range of editing software. For the time being, I suggest going with MiniDV.

John
tailgait wrote on 8/26/2003, 11:48 AM
Visual quality is NOT in the tape format, but in the lens. Most consumer Mini DV cameras have 500+ lines of resolution. Not bad at all. But if you get a camera with a lens that can deliver 700, 800, 850 lines of resolution, then you have real visual quality and you will be able to see the difference when you enter the stuff you shot onto the timeline.

Burt Wilson

PS. Mini DV tape with a camera with a resolution of 700 lines or higher is a very good, reliable format.
Grazie wrote on 8/26/2003, 12:44 PM
. . . oh another thing . . Depending on how much of this stuff you're planning on doing, a VTR or miniDV + FULL DV tape deck would be neat. How's your bak account doing??? he . . he . .. he . . .

Grazie
John_Cline wrote on 8/26/2003, 1:09 PM
The recorder section of a MiniDV camcorder or deck is capable of 500+ lines of resolution. As far as the camera section of a single-chip MiniDV camcorder is concerned, very few are capable of even 400 lines of resolution. Most 3-chip MiniDV camcorders can come close to or exceed 500 lines.

John
Begbie wrote on 8/26/2003, 8:07 PM
My miniDV single CCD cam does 530 lines

JVC DVL 1020

How the hell can you guys afford the Canon? I have wanted to buy one of them ever since i saw a pic of one in a mag, before i has seen (or even understod specs) - its just the grooviest looking piece of equipment, surely this quality alone would help it to produce FAR better video? :)
John_Cline wrote on 8/26/2003, 9:42 PM
Yes, some of the newer single chip camcorders that use a "megapixel" chip can do 500+ lines. Digital still cameras are single chip and the better ones produce stunning high-resolution images. Also, the new JVC GR-HD1 "HiDef" (1280x768) camcorder has a single chip.

Anyway, like someone mentioned earlier, the quality of the lens has a LOT to do with the ultimate picture quality, too.

John
Grazie wrote on 8/27/2003, 3:00 AM
"How the hell can you guys afford the Canon? " - Well I sell my body, on the streets of London . . nah not really! . . But something similar -YES YES yes, I'm a Consultant! Okay I've said it . . I've come out . . .. I realised the value of film when I produce presentations. In the last 2 years I've had a contract that had paid for my XM2 [ maybe not as sexy - Groovy - looking as the XL1s - but it is what I could afford ] .

Now I'm just beggining to recoup some of the upfront spend with Community Videography projects.

Okay?

Grazie
farss wrote on 8/27/2003, 6:18 AM
I'd steer clear of MicroMV and DVD camcorders, no doubt one day they might be the thing to have but not at the moment.
Its really difficult to find a good, cheap camera. As the price goes up you just get more useless widgets like Bluetooth or things that are actually worse like a color viewfinder.

As others have said don't be impressed by the number of pixels, broadcast cameras have less than some consumer cameras, what they do have is very big CCDs for better light sensitivity and very much better lenses. What they don't is all those useless things dreamt up in marketing depts.

The other issue to consider is reliablility and fixability. How easy is it to change tapes, is the mechanism well sealed.

If you can talk to some guys that hire cameras in your area, preferably that don't also sell them. Its usually a fair bet that if they hire it it's got to be reasonably reliable and easy to fix. Where I work we're pretty much exclusively Sony, not because its that much better or cheaper but because its mostly harder to break and we can got it reliably fixed.

Also look at the oft forgetten part of the camera, the audio!
Grazie wrote on 8/27/2003, 7:02 AM
Sorry to bang on about the Xm2, but here with some additional external Sennhieser mics the audio is too, too compelling. Crystal and clear!

Grazie