Camcorders

[Callufrax]

I'm thinking of buying a camcorder, before my visit to the States this time next year. I'm wondering whether DVD-based camcorders are now the way to go, or are tape-based ones still worth looking at?

As for brands, which ones should I steer clear of?

Any advice welcome!

[Frederick]

I'm thinking of buying a camcorder, before my visit to the States this time next year. I'm wondering whether DVD-based camcorders are now the way to go, or are tape-based ones still worth looking at?

As for brands, which ones should I steer clear of?

Any advice welcome!

I've heard that MiniDV is still the way to go, because they are much higher quality and can store more than DVDs.

[Callufrax]

What are HDD-based ones like?

[Chris Starnes]

For the past couple of weeks I have been using a Canon ZR500 (miniDV). I am very pleased with it so far and for around $180US I think it is a great deal.

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/canon-zr500/4505-6500_7-31660615.html

[Callufrax]

For the past couple of weeks I have been using a Canon ZR500 (miniDV). I am very pleased with it so far and for around $180US I think it is a great deal.

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/canon-zr500/4505-6500_7-31660615.html
How easy is it to transfer miniDV-recorded media to computer, for post-production?

[Chris Starnes]

You'll need a 4-pin Firewire cable and some basic editing software. I use Windows Movie Maker which comes with most versions of Microsoft XP (and Vista I presume). If your computer doesn't have a Firewire plug, you'll need to install a new card to be able to receive the cable.

[567C]

Well, I am hoping you find some neato places in the USA to shoot! There are problems involved with digital video. Number 1 is the DVD disk format. Once burned onto a "record" disk, you are hard pressed to edit. And the disk is toast, cannot be "reused." The disk information can be moved into an edit program, but after that, the disk is trash. Number 2 is DVD tape. Recording onto Hi-8 or other "film" format not only yields a very high quality picture and sound, but the DVD video tape can be erased and re-used! The lesson here is, in my humble, but very experienced opinion as the owner of a video production facility, shoot DVD tape! I shot 3 hours of video, Hi-8, on Tehatchipie, which I will marker on E-Bay. It is exceptional, both in sound and image. Warm Regards, Robert McDonald

[ken45]

Anybody have recommendations for camcorders which save to a digital format? (There are camcorders which save to memory cards, correct?) I think I'd prefer that way to actual tapes and DVD's. Thanks.

[Chris Kilroy]

Ken,

There are a number of camcorders on BestBuy.com with internal hard drives, some up to 60gb! Those are the ones I'm kind of eyeing right now.

Vegas group shopping spree at Best Buy?! :lol:

[ken45]

Ken,

There are a number of camcorders on BestBuy.com with internal hard drives, some up to 60gb! Those are the ones I'm kind of eyeing right now.

Vegas group shopping spree at Best Buy?! :lol:

Could be! I know I'll be making a slight detour on the way home from work tomorrow...just to look of course!

[Callufrax]

After much debating with myself, I've decided to focus on still photography at the moment! However, will probably still look at getting one before I visit the States next year. I dunno. Last time I had access to a video camera, I barely used it!

[Chris Kilroy]

After much debating with myself, I've decided to focus on still photography at the moment! However, will probably still look at getting one before I visit the States next year. I dunno. Last time I had access to a video camera, I barely used it!

That's sad to hear. I've only been doing video of trains for a week now, and I'm having a blast! It's a fresh new take on the hobby and is something I'm really, really enjoying learning.

I've found, too, that with a little forethought, I'm able to do both video and still photography if the situation warrants it. More often than not, I don't even need to be behind the video camera. Too many of the rail videos I see are messed up by over-manipulation of the camera (frivolous panning, rapidly zooming in and out, etc.) by the videographer, anyway!

Example (and shameless plug :D):

[photoid=204193]

I picked up a Sony DCR-SR82 Handycam on Friday, and so far, I'm loving it. It has 25x optical zoom, shoots 16:9 widescreen, and a 60gb internal hard drive which is good for about 600 minutes (10 hours) of uncompressed MPEG2 video.

[Lee Baxter]

Originally posted by Chris Kilroy.
I've found, too, that with a little forethought, I'm able to do both video and still photography if the situation warrants it. More often than not, I don't even need to be behind the video camera. Too many of the rail videos I see are messed up by over-manipulation of the camera (frivolous panning, rapidly zooming in and out, etc.) by the videographer, anyway!
I agree Chris, i started using the video camera about 18 months ago, the first couple i panned and zoomed, and got no still photos, then i thought stuff this, set the video going, dont touch the video, stand back and shoot the still camera.

[Lee Baxter]

Double post

[Callufrax]

The DCR-SR82 is one that I was looking at. It looked like a pretty good deal. Still, I could easily change my mind within the next year! Maybe even go HD, and make and sell my own DVDs - watch out, Pentrex! LOL!

I took a look at the new videos you shot. They have turned out quite well!

[NicTrain35]

I've been looking into the JVC GR-D350U MiniDV. 32x optical zoom sounds real nice.

http://www.dmartstores.com/jvcgrmicawi21.html

[ken45]

I've found, too, that with a little forethought, I'm able to do both video and still photography if the situation warrants it.

I don't think I could even multitask that much! I think video would be a great niche player for me as I slowly shoot up the various angles around Las Vegas. I'm fairly against shooting the same shot multiple times, but not against returning to a great location to shoot some video. As my imagination begins to fail me in the future, I will likely turn to more video, but for now it's all stills with an occasional video now and then.

[Kilroy1313]

The DCR-SR82 is one that I was looking at. It looked like a pretty good deal. ...
...unless you really planned it that way and you don't need your money elsewere. - You will get a monster of a camera for about 1,000$, with buttons on every corner of it and a user manual like a phonebook. And if you don't get used with it your money will end up soon in a corner. - Sure that with this camera you can realize nearly everything and more. But ask yourself even 3 times if you need all this!
I like good material, but as I was not sure I will use it, I bought a Sony Handycam DCR-HC19E PAL (MiniDV format) about 2 years ago and filmed some train here and a family meet there and until now I don't need a bigger camera (this one has "only" 800.000 pixel resolution), for TV and computer screen the resolution is simply superb.
I hesitate saying you to take a tape-using cam' because it is a bit tricky, but first its less expensive and once you put that firewire cable in use it works fine.

[Frederick]

I've been looking into the JVC GR-D350U MiniDV. 32x optical zoom sounds real nice.

http://www.dmartstores.com/jvcgrmicawi21.html

I couldn't find much at all on this cam (which tells me it's not very popular), and it is rated very poorly on C-net (http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/jvc-gr-d350-camcorder/4505-6500_7-31734136.html). Also, DmartStores has a 4.86/10 score on resellerratings, so I would steer clear of both the camera and store. I recommend buying from B&H or a similar outfit.

EDIT: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Dmart_Stores_dmart2000

[NicTrain35]

Frederick,

Thanks for the note. The feedback and reviews on that site do look pretty bad (a lot of them being "very dissatisfied").

One that I've been checking out is the Sony DCR-DVD108. B&H has it priced at $369.95. The reviews looked good at CNET.

[wdgodwin]

My understanding is that Tape video cameras write an uncompressed AVI file to tape. Do Harddrive and DVD writing Video cameras yield the same? I suspect they write mpeg or some sort of compressed file. It would be the equivalent of still raw to camera processed jpegs. With tape affordable and the amount of data that can be stored it seems the only way to go. I'm skeptical of the non-tape video cameras. Is my skepticism justifiable?

[CSXJOE]

I use this one...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8219643&type=product&id=1166236107365
I can get 7 hours 30mins on the best quilty. its easy to get the videos onto my comp(usb). if you wanna see the quilty check out csxjoe on youtube.

[bigiron]

That's sad to hear. I've only been doing video of trains for a week now, and I'm having a blast! It's a fresh new take on the hobby and is something I'm really, really enjoying learning.

I've found, too, that with a little forethought, I'm able to do both video and still photography if the situation warrants it. More often than not, I don't even need to be behind the video camera. Too many of the rail videos I see are messed up by over-manipulation of the camera (frivolous panning, rapidly zooming in and out, etc.) by the videographer, anyway!

Chris, glad to hear you like the video aspect also and enjoying it too. I've been doing both video and still (first slides and now digital) for the last 12+ years and for me it adds that extra to the train experience. You get that sound, motion, clickity clack sound, screeching of the wheels, roar of the engines as well as other sounds the stills lack. I guess the one thing video lacks are all the scents associated with the train!

I will set up my video on it's own tripod and then shoot my stills and allow the whole train to be shot on video. I will have two batteries and charge one in the car while using another. I was able to use AA batteries in a battery pack for my Sony that I'm about to retire and it was nice to not worry about running out of power as I would just change batteries in the field.

I'm about to purchase a Canon HV-20 HD as I've not been shooting HD up to now and I want to get the best possible video to go along with my pictures. Just my way of doing both as it really isn't a bother unless the train is ahead of me, lol.

Happy New Year to all, Rich Clark

[Ian MacMillan]

I picked up the Canon HV20 MiniDV 2 weeks ago and I love it. Have mostly been playing around with it to see what can be done with it. I have not done video in about 8 years so it will take a little bit to get back into the swing. The best part of this camera is its HDV and HDV 24P. The results are amazing, even when down converting to DV for DVD the result is a very professional quality picture. I got it at Abes of Maine for $630.

The video I posted to rail-videos doesn't even show the quality as I did not adjust the video container to display the 16:9 format properly on the site.

A good vid with the HV20 I shot can be found here in full HD mode:
http://www.vimeo.com/755864

Full 1080i 60i shot straight from camcorder to MPEG4 HD with no editing in Vegas.