Is there a Faq on buying camcorders?

24 Apr 2005 1:49 PM

Salad

Hi. My girlfriend wants to buy a camcorder. Her basic requirement is
that it cost less than $600.

We went to a store yesterday and saw a camcorder that uses a mini-DVD to
record. Then I saw references to something called SD or SI. Most of
the DVD camcorders we saw had 10x zoom and 2 1/2 inch screens. I'm not
sure if pixels are an issue with these types of cameras.

IOW, I would not be a good source of info on which video camera my
girlfriend should consider purchasing.

Are mini-DVDs the newest, best technology to consider. Are folks now
using memory sticks? Any recommendations on cameras that would cost
$600 or less that use current technology that has a nice screen (maybe
one that can be seen outside in the sun)? Can these mini-dvds be played
in a DVD player?

Also, she wants to use this camera in Fiji and doesn't know if it she
could charge it there or need a converter.

Is there a FAQ that's not biased to a particular brand that may answer
some of my questions?

Of course, your opinions would be appreciated also.

24 Apr 2005 4:05 PM

C.J.Patten

USED USED USED!

For $600 you can either get something new that isn't worth the plastic it's
made of OR find a GREAT used camera. Even a $900 new camera is likely crap.
(please, other people chime in here)

Consider the 2nd generation Digital8's by Sony from a few years ago (TRV120,
320, 520, 720) for between $200 and $400, or a Sony TRV900 miniDV if you can
swing $800 (might find the latter for less though) All on eBay.

Ditch the idea of a DVD or memory card camera. Those mediums don't hold
enough data to allow for good quality video. Tape is still king and D8 and
miniDV both store the same data.

Good luck.

C.j

Show quoteHide quote

"Salad" <o**@vinegar.com> wrote in message
news:ytNae.81$Oz2.8@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Hi. My girlfriend wants to buy a camcorder. Her basic requirement is
> that it cost less than $600.
>
> We went to a store yesterday and saw a camcorder that uses a mini-DVD to
> record. Then I saw references to something called SD or SI. Most of the
> DVD camcorders we saw had 10x zoom and 2 1/2 inch screens. I'm not sure
> if pixels are an issue with these types of cameras.
>
> IOW, I would not be a good source of info on which video camera my
> girlfriend should consider purchasing.
>
> Are mini-DVDs the newest, best technology to consider. Are folks now
> using memory sticks? Any recommendations on cameras that would cost $600
> or less that use current technology that has a nice screen (maybe one that
> can be seen outside in the sun)? Can these mini-dvds be played in a DVD
> player?
>
> Also, she wants to use this camera in Fiji and doesn't know if it she
> could charge it there or need a converter.
>
> Is there a FAQ that's not biased to a particular brand that may answer
> some of my questions?
>
> Of course, your opinions would be appreciated also.

24 Apr 2005 4:43 PM

Salad

C.J.Patten wrote:

> USED USED USED!
>
> For $600 you can either get something new that isn't worth the plastic it's
> made of OR find a GREAT used camera. Even a $900 new camera is likely crap.
> (please, other people chime in here)
>
> Consider the 2nd generation Digital8's by Sony from a few years ago (TRV120,
> 320, 520, 720) for between $200 and $400, or a Sony TRV900 miniDV if you can
> swing $800 (might find the latter for less though) All on eBay.

Hmmmm....didn't think of used camera. My girlfriend is buying it so her
sister can take it on a trip to Fiji in a week from now and use it later
for her own. With a week to play with, that won't be enough time for
Ebay but I will check the newpapapers and a couple of local boards here.

> Ditch the idea of a DVD or memory card camera.

OK. I have a digital that uses DAT tape and is OK. I figured the DVDs
would be replacing the tape models. Thanks for the update.

Those mediums don't hold
Show quoteHide quote

> enough data to allow for good quality video. Tape is still king and D8 and
> miniDV both store the same data.
>
> Good luck.
>
> C.j
>
> "Salad" <o**@vinegar.com> wrote in message
> news:ytNae.81$Oz2.8@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>>Hi. My girlfriend wants to buy a camcorder. Her basic requirement is
>>that it cost less than $600.
>>
>>We went to a store yesterday and saw a camcorder that uses a mini-DVD to
>>record. Then I saw references to something called SD or SI. Most of the
>>DVD camcorders we saw had 10x zoom and 2 1/2 inch screens. I'm not sure
>>if pixels are an issue with these types of cameras.
>>
>>IOW, I would not be a good source of info on which video camera my
>>girlfriend should consider purchasing.
>>
>>Are mini-DVDs the newest, best technology to consider. Are folks now
>>using memory sticks? Any recommendations on cameras that would cost $600
>>or less that use current technology that has a nice screen (maybe one that
>>can be seen outside in the sun)? Can these mini-dvds be played in a DVD
>>player?
>>
>>Also, she wants to use this camera in Fiji and doesn't know if it she
>>could charge it there or need a converter.
>>
>>Is there a FAQ that's not biased to a particular brand that may answer
>>some of my questions?
>>
>>Of course, your opinions would be appreciated also.
>
>
>

24 Apr 2005 4:47 PM

Paul Rubin

"C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> writes:
> Ditch the idea of a DVD or memory card camera. Those mediums don't hold
> enough data to allow for good quality video. Tape is still king and D8 and
> miniDV both store the same data.

Oh come on, people use Tivos all the time, that record 1-pass mpeg-2
at even lower bit rates than those DVD cameras, and they find the
video quality perfectly satisfactory. It may not be up to
professional standards but for some random amateur's vacation shots
it's almost certainly just fine.

The main thing I wish for is a DVD camcorder that uses full size (4.7
inch) DVD's, for lower cost and longer recording time.

25 Apr 2005 10:53 PM

Jim Waggener

"> Is there a FAQ that's not biased to a particular brand that may answer

> some of my questions?

www.camcorderinfo.com will help

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26 Apr 2005 3:54 PM

Dave Martindale

"Jim Waggener" <jimw@nospam.visi.net> writes:

>"> Is there a FAQ that's not biased to a particular brand that may answer
>> some of my questions?

>www.camcorderinfo.com will help

Does anyone else have problems with the stupid floating ads in the
camcorderinfo.com reviews?

Some of the reviews simply have block pricegrabber.com ads sprinkled
through the review alternating with the review text. Those are
annoying but innocuous; you just scroll past and continue reading.

But some of the reviews seem to have the pricegrabber ads as a separate
layer overtop the text of the review. They say "scroll down", so I
think the intent is that the ads are supposed to "float" in your window,
always visible, always blocking a part of the review, which is annoying
enough. But you're supposed to be able to scroll the review underneath
the ad, so you can eventually read all of it.

However, the ads don't float properly (I use Firefox, and they're
probably intended for Internet Exploder only). The effect is that the
ad permanently blocks part of the review, which cannot be revealed by
scrolling and remains permanently unreadable.

Tactics like this make me want to head to *any other* site that
discusses camcorders. (Yes, I did try sending email to their "contact
us" address. The email bounced).

Dave

26 Apr 2005 4:25 PM

C.J.Patten

I'm running MS Antispyware, Norton Antivirus and ZoneAlarm and don't see
much in the way of popup ads. :)

I get a lot of "this page failed to load" panels in iExplorer as adds are
blocked but at least I can see content. (these are usually frames or tables
into which an ad was trying to load but got blocked.)

I tried Firefox for about a week and got frustrated with the way it munged
pages. With proper protection, iExplorer isn't the malware sieve it's been
made out to be...consider using it.

I do notice the adds on the camcorderinfo.com pages but they're just stuck
through the page at various places, not hovering over anything.

C.j

Show quoteHide quote

"Dave Martindale" <da***@cs.ubc.ca> wrote in message
news:d4lo74$i37$1@mughi.cs.ubc.ca...
> "Jim Waggener" <jimw@nospam.visi.net> writes:
>
>>"> Is there a FAQ that's not biased to a particular brand that may answer
>>> some of my questions?
>
>>www.camcorderinfo.com will help
>
> Does anyone else have problems with the stupid floating ads in the
> camcorderinfo.com reviews?
>
> Some of the reviews simply have block pricegrabber.com ads sprinkled
> through the review alternating with the review text. Those are
> annoying but innocuous; you just scroll past and continue reading.
>
> But some of the reviews seem to have the pricegrabber ads as a separate
> layer overtop the text of the review. They say "scroll down", so I
> think the intent is that the ads are supposed to "float" in your window,
> always visible, always blocking a part of the review, which is annoying
> enough. But you're supposed to be able to scroll the review underneath
> the ad, so you can eventually read all of it.
>
> However, the ads don't float properly (I use Firefox, and they're
> probably intended for Internet Exploder only). The effect is that the
> ad permanently blocks part of the review, which cannot be revealed by
> scrolling and remains permanently unreadable.
>
> Tactics like this make me want to head to *any other* site that
> discusses camcorders. (Yes, I did try sending email to their "contact
> us" address. The email bounced).
>
> Dave

28 Apr 2005 5:04 AM

Dave Martindale

"C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> writes:

>I tried Firefox for about a week and got frustrated with the way it munged
>pages.

My experience is that it renders most pages fine. Camcorderinfo.com is
one of the few exceptions.

>I do notice the adds on the camcorderinfo.com pages but they're just stuck
>through the page at various places, not hovering over anything.

I think it depends on when the particular review was written. Some of
the reviews just have the ads stuck into the page, and I can see those
fine. Others have the review as text without ads, and the ad is layered
directly on top.

Dave