Hi I'm planning to buy a camcorder to be used mainly for personal and family use. But I also like to use it later on for work like shooting a video of a client and then editing it. What cameras do you suggest. I'm reading some review of Sony HDR-XR520 and HDR-XR100. Do you think these cams are worth their price tags? How about the Canon? What models are good? I'm very open for suggestions. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a camcorder with built in hard disk? I guess my next question is where to buy? Are there shops that also offers discounts to philmug users Thanks!
I bought a Canon HF200. Great video camera and not that expensive. Very compact, almost as big as a regular can of soda. The problem with Sony cameras is their proprietary format. I'm not sure about the models you mentioned, but they might not work with iMovie 09. You'll have to verify. See the compatibility list. Hard drive based camcorders are ok, lots of space for footage. But remember, its still a a hardrive. I personally don't have any experience with those, but I would think like any hardrive, any sudden shock while its spinning could irreversibly damage it. And what happens when it naturally dies as all hardrives do? I think flash based media has faster write speeds and gives you more flexibility. A 16gig SDHC card can store up to 1 hour of full 1080i footage, or up to 6 hours at lower settings (which still look great). Frankly I think nobody's going to watch a home video more than two hours long, much less three. So having a 60 gig hd isn't really that worth it. Plus trying to render full HD footage takes soooooooooo long (and this is already without any effects or transitions). Rendering a 10 min clip on my Intel Core duo iMac takes about an hour. Even on my Intel C2D 3 ghz PC its still pretty long. I would think Amazon is the cheapest. If you can order online and have it shipped via JAC, it would still come out cheaper than if you bought it at Hong Kong (which I did) because the box is small. Probably just +2 or 3,000 shipping charge.
Vixia models I totally agree getting a canon model. but prices here are ridiculous. your best bet is to ask somebody you know to get one from the states and make sure they hand care it going here. im planning to get one too in the near future.
I concur re: Flip. This is one amazing HD camcorder. I've seen footage from the Flip shot by a professional shooter friend in the US - its really amazing, considering the price/size. If you want quick, easy, convenient HD shooting for personal use, I dont think you can beat the Flip. Take note that its not a P2 or XDCAM, but hey if you want HD family videos its good, cheap, fast. Of course, once you see the Flip and realize its limitations, you will quickly see that you can NEVER bring this to a paying client shoot. But if your client isn't looking, maybe you can sneak a shot...
If you are going for the Flip HD, here's something you might want to consider - Kodak Zi8. This got good initial review from Engadget. It has features that the Flip HD doesn't have - electronic stabilization, SD card slot, mic line-in jack. I'm just not sure when this would be available locally. if ever you find one, please let me know.
Seems like this kind of HD cam is the way to go for personal HD, no? I've seen the stuff from Flip - wonder if this is good too.
Hi guys, Thanks so much for the tips you gave they are very helpful. I'm still reading reviews here and the web as to what to get. I think after I made up my mind, next step is to find a store to buy. Anyone here have experience directly buying from Amazon and shipping it here? My experience before was I ask my friend from NY to buy stuffs for me and then ship it using FedEx or UPS. How can I order from Amazon and ship it through JAC? Flip HD and Kodak Zi8 are great in terms of price and size. I think its also very easy to use that even my 7 year old daughter can shoot family videos. I'm still comparing the Canon Vixia models and Sony models. What about the Sony HDR-TG1 do you think its a good buy? Can you also tell me what's the difference between 1920 x 1080 and 1080i (note the "i")? Thanks for your help, this will be my first higher end camcorder so I want to make sure I make the best decision. A camcorder for both personal and work use.
Get a Canon 500D. Full HD video plus a good camera that can utilize the different Canon lenses that a normal camcorder does not have. Seamless transfer of video to imovie, iphoto, final cut express.
Sony has a very handy model HDR-TG1 which I bought sometime in April. Been very happy with it since I started using it. Daming functions.
saw it too in games and gadgets in Trinoma yesterday. The flip hd is around 12K while the regular flip is around 9K. HTH.
Refer to our JAC thead to learn how to order through JAC 1920 x 1080 is just a resolution size for 1080 It can be 1920x1080 or 1440x1080 1080i means interlaced. I believe almost all consumer video cameras can output to this. only a few can do 1080p 1080p means progressive. I'd like to get feedback for those using Canon DSLRs to capture HD video. What are the pros and cons compared to a regular HD video cam? What format does it output too? What are the different settings?
Baka OT.. which is better? an HD camcorder or those DV camcorders, the ones that record on mini DVDs? ive seen HD cams at around 12-15 k, and dv camcorder at 20+, does it follow that the DV camcorders take better videos?
Resolution wise, HD will always be better. Mini-DVD camcorders are aimed at people who don't want to edit their footage anymore. Straight playback right off the mini-disc to the DVD player. But if its DVD, then that means its only standard definition, not HD. You have to look at the specs of the camera, cause a lot of them slap on the "HD" tag when in fact they don't even capture at 1080i. Sometimes maximum is just 720p like the Flip HD camcorder (not to say that it doesn't look great played back on a big LCD TV). But if you're really looking for true HD, you need to look at the specs (1920x1080 or 1440x1080).
I'm also looking for a new HD videocam. My options are: Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG10 Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 Canon Vixia HF200 Canon Vixia HF S100 Has anyone seen any of these being sold locally? If yes, how much? Hi Kenneth. Did you buy this locally, or from Amazon? if you don't mind, how much were you able to get it (including shipping costs)? thanks.
I was contemplating on buying from Amazon at first, but being impatient, I bought mine from Hong Kong for about Php 38k. Considering how small the HF200 box is (about the size of a shoe box), I think I could have saved around Php 5-6k from Amazon/JAC. If you're looking for 16gig Transcend Class 6 SDHC memory cards, Abacus at V-Mall sells them cheap. Around 1.5k if I remember right.
Thanks for the tip, Kenneth. Another possible option are Aiptek camcorders, specifically: Aiptek A-HD GVS Any feedback on Aiptek camcorders? I don't expect them to be as good as Canon, Sony, Panasonic or even Sanyo, but with a $180 price tag, I think it is worth considering. Are these available locally?
any feedback on the Sony Webbie HD? retails for just 199 in the US. it can take take videos at 1080p and shoot 5PM stills aswell... anyone tried it yet? how does it compare to the Flip HD? http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...0151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644610396
